FAREWELL SWEET JUNE ~ 'SIMPLE PLEASURES' ON A QUIET SUMMER'S EVE' (GRILLED ROMAINE with BLUE CHEESE-BACON & BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE)

“God Almighty first planted a garden; and, indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.”

~ Francis Bacon

Purple Coneflower

(Echinacea purpurea)

GRILLED ROMAINE with BLUE CHEESE-BACON & BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

~ Excellent summer salad slightly adapted from Guy Fieri (Food Network). Trust me, this will be a repeat!

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4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 lb. bacon

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 Heads romaine lettuce, cut in 1/2 lengthwise

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Cook bacon in sauté pan until crispy. Remove, blot grease, and crumble. Set aside.
• Drain grease but do not clean pan. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil and sauté onion until soft and caramelized. Add balsamic vinegar hand heat to boiling, scraping brown bits from bottom. Remove from heat.
• Brush romaine lettuce with remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, place on gill cut side down, and quickly sear.
• Serve lettuce, cut side-up, and drizzle the balsamic dressing over the lettuce. Sprinkle with blue cheese, cracked pepper, and garnish with crumbled bacon. (6 servings)

Note: Original recipe called for sautéing bacon with the onion. I prefer the crumbled crisp bacon on top instead of in the dressing.

Rose (June Flower of the Month)

'Carefree Beauty' Shrub Rose

White Coneflower

(Echinacea 'Big Sky')

Monarda didyma

(bergamont, scarlet beebalm, scarlet monarda, Oswego tea, crimson beebalm)

JUNE GARDEN

SUMMERTIME ... AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY ~ SPICY PULLED PORK & COLE SLAW / BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining,

the breeze is blowing,

the birds are singing,

and the lawn mower is broken."

~James Dent

LILIUM/LILIUM/STOKESIA ( BLUE DANUBE)

DAYLILY/FROG STUPOR/ASTILBE

DAISY/MONARDA/DAYLILY

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SPICY PULLED PORK

~ A must-have for simple summer suppers adapted from a Detroit Free Press clipping

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4-5 lbs. pork shoulder blade Boston roast

or trimmed pork tenderloins

12 sandwich rolls or good hamburger buns

Rub:

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp. favorite chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. Hungarian Paprika

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

Sauce:

3 cup (or more as needed) favorite barbecue sauce

1/2 cup brown or yellow mustard

3 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce (or to taste)

juice of 1 lemon

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trim most of fat from roast, remove bone and separate into 2 pieces (pork tenderloins work well and less work). Combine rub ingredients in small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup and set aside. Spread remaining rub over all pork pieces, press into to adhere.
• Place pork in shallow roasting pan and cover. Roast about 5 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender and pulls apart easily. (Pork can also be cooked in large slow cooker for 6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low setting.) Remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart in shreds. Sprinkle meat with remaining 1/4 cup rub mixture; mix to combine with the meat.
• Combine barbecue sauce, mustard, Tabasco and lemon juice. If too dry, add more barbecue sauce.
• Place pork mixture on rolls and top with Spicy Cole Slaw.

SPICY COLE SLAW

Slaw:

1 small head shredded cabbage (about 2 lbs.)

1 bunch thinly sliced green onions

1 diced bell pepper (red, yellow, orange or green)

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Dressing:

1/2 cup reduced-fat ranch dressing

1 cup low fat mayonnaise

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tsp. celery seeds

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned pepper or favorite AP seasoning

Mix slaw ingredients in large bowl. Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Pour dressing over slaw and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Serve on top of pulled pork.

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BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

~ Plump summer sweet blueberries are waiting for this fav recipe from Southern Living (June 2000)

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1 1/2 cup s finely ground almonds

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. soft unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. AP flour

3 (8 oz.) packages softened cream cheese

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 Tbsp AP flour

1/2 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

1 (8-oz) container sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup whipping cream

2 tsp. sugar

2 Tbsp sour cream

garnishes: blueberries, lemon rind strips

• Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Press mixture into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of lightly greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
• Beat cream cheese at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth. Combine 1 1.4 cups sugar, 3 Tbsp. flour and salt. Add to cream cheese, beating until blended.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 8-oz. container sour cream, vanilla, and lemon rind, beating just until blended. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake at 300-degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is firm. Turn off oven. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with over door partially open, 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven; cool in pan on wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours. Release sides of pan.
• Beat whipping cream at high speed until foamy,; gradually add 2 tsp. sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in 2 Tbsp. sour cream. Spread over cheesecake and garnish. (12 servings)

LILIUM (STARGAZER)

'GOODBYE JULY' ~ GARDENER'S PRAYER

"Lord make us mindful of the little things that grow and bossom in these days to make the world beautiful for us."

~ W.E. Dubois

'SONG OF PRAISE' ( JULY GARDEN ) ~ SHRIMP & AVOCADO SALAD / LEMON PUDDING

"A garden really lives only insofar as it is an expression of faith,

the embodiment of a hope and a song of praise."

~ Russell Page

~ Welcome visitors while away

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SHRIMP & AVOCADO SALAD

~ Summer delight ... buttery avocados balanced with the sharpness of endive (adapted from Gourmet (June 2002)

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1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp

2 tsp. salt

3 or more Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 firm-ripe Hass avocados

1 lb. Belgian endive (4 heads), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

• Bring 2 quarts water, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 2 tsp. salt to boil. Poach shrimp at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl of ice & cold water to stop cooking. Let shrimp chill for 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Whisk together tarragon, mustard, pepper and remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and zest. Slowly whisk in oil until emulsified.
• Quarter avocados lengthwise, pit, peel and cut into bite-size pieces. Add shrimp, avocados, and endive. Toss with dressing. (2-4 light main course)

LEMON PUDDING

~ Tart & tangy (Traverse Magazine Feb. 08)

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2 1/4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

4 large egg yolks

2 Tbsp. lightly packed lemon zest

pinch salt

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. room temperature unsalted butter

whipped cream

• Off heat, whisk milk, sugar, brown sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, lemon zest and salt . Cook at medium heat for 9-12 minutes, whisking constantly until thickened and whisk leaves a defined trail in the pudding.
• Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice and butter and stir until incorporated. To remove zest, carefully pour pudding through sieve into large serving bowl or 4 individual dishes Let pudding cool to room temperature. Refrigerate covered loosely in plastic wrap until set and thoroughly chilled. Serve with whipped cream. (4 servings)