Watermelon Mary

Personally, I love a good Bloody Mary with brunch. So no surprise when summer came along, and I got to thinking, what else can you "Mary"...

Well, corn, zucchini etc. lost out to Watermelons. Watermelon Mary it was! Bloody Marys are hit or miss with folks, here is the recipe - you decide for yourself.

Ingredients
Makes 1 drink

For the juice:
1 cup cubed seedless watermelon
1 ripe tomato, peeled and seeded

For the Mary:
3 oz Watermelon-Tomato juice
Juice of one lime wedge
Pinch of salt
Pinch of celery salt
2 dashes of hot sauce (I used Cholula)
finely ground white pepper (you could use regular pepper, I just didn't want the black flecks in the drink)
¼ ounce agave nectar (optional)
Gin
Vodka

Preparation
1. In a blender, puree the watermelon and tomato and strain over a sieve into a bowl, reserving the liquid. Be sure to use a fine enough sieve to catch any seeds, but wide enough to let the pulp through.

2. In a collins glass filled with ice, combine the juices, agave nectar, lime juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce and stir.

Add half and half gin & vodka to taste, and enjoy!

Mediterranean Caprese

Ingredients:
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes (med) - cut in half
1 can unsalted garbanzo
1 cup mozzarella - chopped into bite sized pieces
3 persian cucumbers - chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cups of baby greens
1.5 - 2tsbp ground cumin (toast throughly first)
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix together tomatoes, cucumber, garbanzo and mozzarella. As a variation, you could aslo add thinly sliced shallots. Add cumin and mix thoroughly.

When ready to serve, dress with olive oil and salt, mix thoroughly. Add baby greens and toss well.

Mediterranean Caprese

Enjoy!

Chili Butter

Ingredients:
2 Jalapenos
1 Stick of salted butter (softened)
1/2 tsp chili powder (you can also use smoked paprika)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Char jalapenos, and set aside in a covered dish. Once cool peel, seed and chop finely.

2. In a small bowl, add the butter, salt, chili powder and chopped jalapeno and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate.

This butter is great on corn on the cob, or is a great addition to grilled vegetables.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce

The Finale: Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for the pan
8 cups 1/2-inch cubed Pumpkin Bread or brioche (for best results, use pumpkin bread)
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cup whole milk
2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
9 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree, not flavored pie filling
3 tablespoons bourbon
Freshly whipped cream, for serving
Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 10-inch glass baking dish.

2. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in the oven, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

3. Combine the cream, milk, and vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

4. Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined. Discard the vanilla bean and whisk in the bourbon.

5. Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard.

6. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and the water bath and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

7. Serve the warm bread pudding topped with whipped cream and drizzled with spicy caramel apple sauce . Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if desired.

Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce

Step 2: Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup apple juice
1 star anise
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon apple schnapps (can be substituted with bourbon)


Preparation
1. Combine the cream, apple juice, star anise, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean small saucepan and place back over low heat while you make the caramel.

2. Combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, and the vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm cream mixture a little at a time, and continue whisking until smooth. Add the apple schnapps and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

The sauce can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat before serving.

Pumpkin Bread

This is a 3 part recipe for a dessert only a true dessert lover will ever attempt. It is basically 3 separate recipes to get to the final dish - Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce.

Step 1: Pumpkin bread (you can absolutely buy this, but nothing compares to making your own)
Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Scant 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not flavored pie filling
2 large eggs

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a small bowl.

3. Beat the butter, sugar, and oil on high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times, until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

4. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Mixing on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and 2/3 cup water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Conquering Gnocchi

Over the past 2 years, gnocchi has come up on our list plenty of times, however it has never made the menu. Why? Well, for starters who wants gnocchi as hard as a rock.

For anyone that has tried to make gnocchi before, you know this isn't the easiest pasta to make. Having finally conquered my nemesis, here is the method I used. Hopefully this works for you too.

Ingredients
    3 medium or 2 large russet potatoes
    1 - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
    1 egg, extra large
    1 pinch salt
    1/2 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
    nutmeg to taste (optional)

Directions
Boil the whole potatoes until they are soft (about 45 minutes). While still warm, peel and pass through vegetable mill onto clean counter top.

Make well in center of potatoes and sprinkle all over with parmesan, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup of flour. Place egg and salt in center of well and using your fingers gently stir into flour and potatoes. Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, add flour 1/2 cup at a time as needed,  kneading gently until a ball is formed. Do not add anymore flour at this point.

Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to touch. Let the dough rest for a few minutes.

If you are going to cook the gnocchi immediately, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Roll baseball-sized ball of dough into 3/4-inch diameter dowels and cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces. Roll the pieces on the concave side of a cheese grater (or a fork if you find that easier).

If you are not ready to cook the gnochhi yet, cover and store in the fridge for upto 6 hours. Be sure to dust them with plenty of flour so they don't stick.

Things to remember:

1. Do not cut your potatoes into pieces before boiling, boil them with the skin on since the starch is necessary for the dough.
2. Potatoes must be run through the food mill while they are still hot, and the dough should be mixed while potatoes are still warm. Use a kitchen towel to hold the potato as you peel it.

 Gnocchi Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce