Patrón Black Cherry Margarita

  • 1.5 oz patrón silver tequilla
  • ½ oz orange liquor such as cointreau
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup fresh, pitted black cherries, pureed with an immersion blender
  • Lime for garnish

 

  1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a shaker glass filled ith ice and shake well.
  2. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with lime.  Drink while icy cold.
Makes 1 Cocktail

 

 

 

Warm Steak Salad with Mustard and Greens

Warm slices of garlicky, charred, juicy steak sitting on top of cold crisp greens, herbs and ripe tomatoes all dressed with a spicy red wine and Dijon vinaigrette could be Summer’s best salad

(4) 6-8 oz individual filet or ny strip steaks

For marinade

  • 2 tbs dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup dry red wine
  • 1 garlic clove smashed or pressed
  • 2 tbs chopped italian parsley
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 cups mixed greens for salad
  • 2 red ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 scallions, chopped finely

For vinaigrette

  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, mint
  1. For the marinade, mix dijon mustard, red wine, garlic, parsley, salt & pepper until combined.
  2. Place steak and marinade in a zip lock baggie, squeeze out excess air, and seal bag well.  Move steaks around in bag to distribute marinade evenly around meat.  Marinate for several hours, removing meat from the refrigerator 1 hour before grilling.
  3. Make the vinaigrette.  Mix dijon, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper together well, and then add olive oil slowly in a stream, mixing well until emulsified. Stir in fresh herbs (reserving a small amount for garnish), tomatoes and scallions and set aside until ready to compose dishes.
  4. Pre-heat grill to medium high heat.  Remove meat from marinade and pat dry.  Grill for approximately 5 minutes per side for medium rare.
  5. Remove meat from grill and let stand for 5-10 minutes to rest.  Alternately, steaks may be pan sauteed or broiled.
  6. Toss salad greens with reserved vinaigrette, tomatoes and scallions.  Place a serving of salad on the center of each plate.  Slice steaks thinly across the grain and lay slices decoratively over salads and serve.

 

Serves 4 – 6


Ripe Strawberries and Vanilla Cream

 

Summer sweet strawberries paired with cream that has been freshly whipped and scented with vanilla, is a classic, delightful combination. Find a farm stand with freshly picked berries and local organic cream for a true summertime treat

Summer sweet strawberries paired with cream that has been freshly whipped and scented with vanilla, is a classic, delightful combination. Find a farm stand with freshly picked berries and local organic cream for a true summertime treat

  • 1 quart fresh ripe strawberries, rinsed, drained and trimmed and halved
  • 2 tbs granulated sugar
  • 1 half pint heavy cream
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Mint sprigs for garnish

 

  1. Toss strawberries with 1 tablespoon of the sugar, reserving the other tablespoon for the cream.  Mix gently and set aside.
  2. Combine cream, vanilla and sugar in a medium sized metal mixing bowl.
  3. Beat with a hand mixer on high until cream is whipped softly and forms small soft peaks when the beater is lifted out of the bowl.  Do not beat to long or you will wind up with cream that is too stiff or worse yet, butter!
  4. Place strawberries into individual serving bowls and top with a generous dollop of cream.
  5. Garnish with mint and serve immediately.  (alternately, cream may be whipped and refrigerated in a covered container for up to 24 hours for later assembly)

 

 

Serves 6