Blueberry Cucumber Salad

The local blueberries are ripe...and oh-so-good!  Fresh from the garden...on a parfait for dessert...or on a salad for lunch...they are the taste of summer.

Salad:

• 6 cups of mixed greens or baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup minced chives
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cucumbers
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

1. In a large bowl, combine greens, chives, cucumbers, and blueberries.
2. Toss with vinaigrette dressing and place on serving platter.
3. Sprinkle with feta and sunflower seeds. 
4. Serve with additional dressing on the side.

 Serves 4. 

Creamy Honey Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons liquid honey
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup olive oil

1. Whisk together vinegar, honey, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.
2.  Gradually whisk in oil.
3. Blend in minced garlic.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups dressing.  

Grilled Raspberry Quesadillas

Summer meals are often cooked on the BBQ...and here's a dessert to throw on the grill while it's still warm.  A filling of fresh raspberries, cream cheese and chocolate morsels sandwiched between two flour tortillas makes for a great grilled dessert.

• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup milk chocolate morsels (optional)
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

1. Put the cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
2. Place a tortilla on a cutting board. 
3. Spread half of the filling on the tortilla.
4. Place raspberries evenly over cream cheese.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the filling.
6. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture on other tortilla, and place (cream cheese down) on top of first tortilla to create a sandwich.
7. Press down on tortilla sandwich gently. 
8. Slide the quesadilla off the cutting board and onto the grill.
9. Close the lid.
10. Cook for about 3 minutes...then give the quesadilla a quarter turn.
11. After several more minutes, carefully flip the entire quesadilla over. 
12. Grill until somewhat browned and crispy with a hot, bubbly filling. 
13. Slide onto cutting board and allow to cool for a minute or two before slicing.
14. Serve with a scoop of ice-cream.
15. Serves 2-4

 

Bush Pies

Since it is the season to be camping...and eating outdoors...I'm sharing a family favorite dish that is meant to be cooked on the open fire.  A bush pie is basically a sandwich grilled inside a cast-iron pie iron (available where camping equipment is sold).   The base of the pie iron is rectangular with two long handles that can be latched together...and they are available in a single or double size. 
 

• bush pie maker
• loaf of sliced bread (2 slices per bush pie)
• butter
• main course bush pie fillings (these can include pizza sauce and toppings, meat, chili, cheese)
• dessert bush pie fillings (pie filling, nutella, bananas, chocolate, mini-marshmallows, etc.)

1. Spread the outside of two slices of bread generously with butter (or margarine)
2. Lay the un-buttered side up and top with desired fillings.
3. Place the bread (buttered side down) on open bush pie maker.
4. Top with second slice of bread...buttered side to the outside.
5. Close bush pie maker...sealing the pieces of bread together.
6. Place over fire or in the coals.
7. Turn pie-iron over after several minutes and grill second side.
8. Pie is cooked when the bread is golden brown and filling is hot.
9. Open the pie-maker and serve.

We were camping over the long weekend...and tried out several kinds of dessert bush pies.  Though the one with cherry pie filling was quite tasty...the hands-down favorite was the smore bush pie (with nutella, banana slices, marshmallows and chocolate chips).  If you are looking for a fun camping food..for kids of all ages...try bush pies!