I have to admit, as much as I’m looking forward to Autumn (seriously--can’t wait!), this salsa could make me wish that Summer would stick around just a bit longer.  And we’re in the beginning of a week long heat wave, so that’s saying something!   This Watermelon Nectarine Salsa with Baked Tortilla Chips could make me forget about the cooler weather--for about a week or two, at least.

I got a link to a similar version of this salsa in an email from McCormick.  Right away, I knew I had to make it.   I changed it up somewhat to reflect what I had on hand, and what was fresh at the moment.  Peaches?  Love them, but they’re fuzzy, and I had no intention of peeling peaches if I didn’t have to.  Nectarines are fuzz free.  Also?  I wasn’t completely sold on mint, red onion, and thyme.  They weren’t speaking to me.  No worries!  Jal A. Peno, Basil Green, and Zest E. Lime were talking to me that day!

The chips are super easy.  Dusted with cinnamon sugar and baked to a crispy goodness--these would be good with so many things.  Even by themselves, they’re a great snack.  Billy, who was doing the sous chef thing for me, took a couple stacks of chips and decided to fry them.  Now, I’m not saying that the baked ones aren’t the best thing since fried chips?  But the fried ones?  Oh.  Just--oh.  Fried, drained on brown paper, and lightly dusted with tangy lime salt--bring ‘em on, baby!  Plus, if your oil is hot enough, whatever you’re frying will sear on the outside, preventing too much oil from seeping into the food.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it, ok?  We also tried this on regular old corn chips, and it was still fabulous that way, so if you don’t feel like making the chips, don’t sweat it.

Fry us, we like it!

Whoa, we're totally baked!   

The salsa itself isn’t too sweet, but that depends on how ripe your fruit is.  So taste when it’s all mixed and flavors have melded, and adjust if you need to with lime juice or a touch of sugar, agave or even honey.  I find that the sugar on the chips is the perfect balance, so I don’t want my salsa any sweeter than it is.

Watermelon Nectarine Salsa with Homemade Chips-Two Ways

makes about 6 cups

3 cups watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 cups nectarine, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 tbsp orange juice (I used fresh, but store bought is fine)
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced (seeds and ribs removed for less heat)
3 tbsp fresh basil, cut into a Chiffonade (thin ribbons)
1 tsp fresh lime zest
pinch of salt

Add all ingredients to a medium sized bowl. 
Gently stir to combine, then set aside in the fridge for a half hour to an hour to let the flavors mingle.
Serve cold with your favorite chips.  Store any leftover salsa in the fridge, and chips in an airtight container.

Homemade Tortilla Chips, Two Ways

12 (8 inch) flour tortillas
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl-set aside.
Stack a few tortillas at a time and cut into wedges.  A pizza cutter works great for this!
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Lay the tortilla wedges out in single layers on each pan.
Spray the wedges lightly with oil, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm to the touch and all traces of the oil are gone.
Remove from pan and cool completely on cooling racks.

If you prefer, you can heat up some oil, and fry the chips that way.  An inch or so of oil, good and hot, and drop the chips in.  Fry until golden brown, remove and drain on brown paper, then sprinkle with salt or cinnamon sugar.

• This is a wonderful and versatile way to make good use of the abundance of late summer fruits.  So fresh!
• Makes a nice change of pace on a summer party table, and especially good for Labor Day cookouts that are coming this weekend!
• As much as I love tomato salsa, I find that the raw onion can really bug me later, so the absence of onion in this one may be just what you or your guests are looking for!
• I’m wondering if just a touch of cinnamon would be good in this.  If any of you decide to try that, please let me know how it turns out!
• Oh!  I just realized this would be nice with grilled chicken or pork, too!

Photo by Gudlyf

Who doesn’t love figs?  I know we do.  LOVE.  If, like me, your only exposure to figs while growing up was in Fig Newtons, then you need to get yourself some fresh figs, STAT.  Not that there’s anything wrong with Fig Newtons--I still love those cookies to this day.  Fresh figs are completely different.  Slightly sweet, so fresh tasting--like summer!  I say get some STAT,  because the fresh fig season is so short, sadly.  Seems they appear in the markets as quickly as they disappear.  You need to jump on them when you see them, or you may not get any.

So when Cristina from the California Fig Advisory Board contacted me about trying some fresh figs*, I nearly jumped through my laptop--all the way to California--to say “Yes, please!”  

Fig Ice Cream

I was expecting maybe a pound or two?  No.  It was so funny when I opened the door.  There were two giant boxes waiting for me.  They were both filled almost to the brim with figs!  There were five flats of fresh figs that had 36 in each--and all different varieties.  Plus--two bags full of dried figs, that were each weighing in at four pounds!  I didn’t get any photos of them because honestly, it was incredibly hot the day they arrived, and my first priority was to get the flats broken down and the delicate figs stored somewhere cool.  My friend Kathy at A Good Appetite got some beautiful photos of what exactly was included, and I’m sure you’ll want to see them.  Figs are just gorgeous, inside and out!

So let’s add that up, ok?  Five flats of 36 each--that’s 15 dozen fresh figs!  And 4 pounds of dried figs!  We’re in fig heaven, I’m telling you.  What have we done with them?  Well, besides eating a ton of them as they are, I made a fig jam and fig ice cream.  There were so many of them, and they’re pretty fragile, so we ended up freezing some of them for winter use.  I’ll be looking forward to that!

The Fig Ice Cream can be found at Vanilla Garlic.  It’s creamy, figgy and wonderful!  Also--easy, but it can be time consuming when it comes to cooking the figs down.

Fig Jam 

The Fig Jam--well, I just read a few recipes and winged it.  The result is a thick, chunky fig jam that is delicious anywhere you’d use any other jam.  It would also be amazing with a nice aged cheese, which I’m all out of!  Damn.

Fig Jam
makes about 2 cups

14-15 fresh figs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
small splash of lime juice

Rinse the figs and quarter them.  Add them to a medium saucepan with only the water left on them from rinsing.
Cook them down over medium heat, and kind of smush them with a wooden spoon to help them along.  Cook them down for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the sugar, increase heat a bit, and let the figs cook more.  Stir occasionally.
It'll be hot, so be careful!  (A splatter screen comes in very handy here.)
Cook the figs and sugar until it's thickened and almost burnt smelling, as if you were caramelizing sugar.Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and lime juice.
Let cool, and then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I also used some figs in my Summer Harvest Salad.  They’re a great addition to your summer salads!

Summer Harvest Salad

The California Fig Advisory Board has also generously offered to give one of you the SAME PACKAGE I received.  (Remember, you can see photos of the entire thing at A Good Appetite.)  This one is open to US residents only because of shipping.

One winner will receive the same five flats of fresh figs, and two bags of dried figs.  That’s a lot of figgy goodness!   Two huge boxes worth!

Because the shipping season for figs is so short, this has to be a quickie giveaway.  The winner will be randomly chosen on Saturday, August 28th.

1.  Just leave a comment here telling me what you’d like to make with figs.

2.  You can retweet this twice a day on Twitter, if you like, and get an additional comment entry with each tweet.  Please leave the timestamp of your tweets in your comment. Retweet this tweet:

It’s a Fig-a-palooza! HUGE fig prize package! Visit @elleskitchen for more details. http://tinyurl.com/33kvppr

Be sure to leave a valid email where you can be reached!

That’s it!  Easy, right?  Good luck! 

AND THE WINNER IS...

Number 12 is...SMITH BITES

Congratulations to our winner, and thank you to everyone for entering! 

*The California Fig Advisory Board generously gave me the fresh and dried figs to try, as well as the same package to give away to one of my readers.  I was not compensated to write this article and give my opinions. 

I’m sure you all know by now, we’re huge fans of salad in my house.  We usually have one large salad dinner per week, and sometimes twice a week.   I do mean large--like complete meal salads packed with mix ins for wonderful texture and “chew.”

Do you remember my post a while back on Olivia’s Organics?  Yep-still love their salad greens!  They’re amazingly fresh and there are so many blends to choose from.  Olivia’s Organics is sponsoring a recipe contest for…salad, of course!  The winning recipe will snag you a $500 Williams Sonoma gift certificate, and your recipe featured on their site.  Nice, right?  This salad is my entry in the contest.

In celebrating the “flavors of the season,” I came up with this recipe for Summer Harvest Salad.  I’m in love with it!  I usually just throw salads together, tossing in whatever is fresh and looks good at the moment.  This time, I actually gave it some thought!  I brought together some of our favorites, and I think, created a wonderful salad that celebrates some of summer’s freshest fruits and vegetables.

There are the tender greens, ranging in flavors from sweet to bitter. The crunchiness of the fennel, pear and pistachios. The fresh soft figs, and let’s not forget the bite of the dried cherries, cheese cubes and bacon!  We’ve also got some sweet and sour action happening in the vinaigrette, with the honey and orange playing off of the tangy vinegar.  The salty bacon is an excellent contrast to the dressing. 

Summer Harvest Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

serves 2 for a main course

1 large container of Olivia's Organics Asian Salad Blend
a handful of torn Romaine lettuce leaves (feel free to add more greens)
1 small fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
5-6 fresh figs, halved, then each half cut into 4 pieces
1 medium red pear, cored and thinly sliced
2-3 oz. Gouda, cut into chunks or sliced
a handful of dried cherries
a handful of shelled pistachios
a handful of crumbled bacon

Orange Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

makes approx 1 cup

3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp honey
about 4 tbsp fresh orange juice
zest of half an orange
1 tbsp poppy seeds
pinch of salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)

In a bowl, whisk everything except the oil.
While whisking, pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisk until emulsified.

Assemble the salad:

In a large bowl, gently toss the greens, fennel, figs, and pear with some of the vinaigrette to taste.  Remember, less is more--and you can add more if you need to, but you can't take it away once it's in there.  Taste for seasonings, add a touch more salt and pepper if needed.

Divide the salad between the plates, and top each serving equally with the Gouda, dried cherries, pistachios and bacon.  Serve immediately.

Go check out the contest, and think about submitting a recipe of your own!  You may discover a brand new salad that will become a family favorite.

You may remember my post a few weeks back on Loaded Fries.   A few of us on Twitter got together and made our own versions of the classic junk food, loaded fries.  We called it #GoJunkFood.  Chris Perrin challenged me again last week to do the same, but this time we tackled the classic BLT.  The idea for this challenge was to dress them up and make them a little more gourmet then they are.  Is mine gourmet?  I don’t know about that, but it is one damn fine BLT, if I do say so.

I'm a French bread, and I'm nomming your BLT!

BLT’s are their best right about this time of year, when tomatoes are at their peak--perfectly red, ripe, and all juicy drippy.  (At least here in the Northeast.)  Bacon?  Well, that’s good anytime of year, isn’t it?  If I’d had more time, I would have made my own bacon.  YES-you can make your own bacon at home, and it’s ridiculously simple!

I was wondering what I could add or change that would make a BLT really special.  I wandered over to figs (in my mind) and thought, “Hmmm, interesting…”  I was lucky to find some at our local farm, and bonus--only $2.99!  Then I realized I could make figs even more interesting if I grilled them.  B was grilling/smoking chicken that evening, so smoked figs made it on the menu.  If you’ve never had a smoked fig, RUN out and do it right now.   We use a blend of pecan wood and shells from a supplier that B had tracked down online. 

Enough talk, let’s EAT!

BFLT’s

• Your choice of bread
• Bacon (we used a locally raised bacon from a local farm)
• Tomatoes (fresh Heirloom, if you can find them.)
• Smoked Figs
• Horseradish Mayo
• Lettuce (also locally grown)

To grill the figs:

Wash the figs and slice them in half.  Toss with a little balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.   Grill for about 3 minutes per side.
If you're going to smoke them, follow directions for your smoker.  It doesn't take very long for them to get a nice smoky flavor--just a few minutes.

To make the horseradish mayo, just stir some horseradish right into your favorite mayo, which, for me--is Hellman's.

Assemble your BFLT’s and dig in!

Check out the BLT that Chris made with Sriracha Seafood Salad!

Heather also made her version last week:  Bacon, Apple and Brie Sandwich

 Bacon? I smell bacon! Gimme some bacon!

It’s this amazingly different and delicious spread that’s an alternative to good old peanut butter.  It’s creamy, slightly sweet, and cinnamony.  The flavor is based on the traditional European Speculoos Wafer.  Tamarin Spread was introduced to Europe in 2008 and has been very popular there, and guess what?  Now it’s our turn to enjoy it, too, in the US! 

What’s in it?

Our ingredient list is simple: flour, sugar, rapeseed oil, baking powder, soy lecithin (for smoothness), salt & spices.

Tamarin is 100% natural, and contains no eggs or dairy so an excellent choice for both vegans and vegetarians.

I was contacted by the folks at Tamarin Spread a little while ago, and they were wondering if I’d like to sample a jar.*  I had a look at the site and immediately said yes when I saw that it was all natural, and good for vegetarians and vegans! 

When it arrived in the mail, it was a Friday afternoon, and those can be busy around here.  I’d decided to set the box aside and wait until Saturday morning to open it--but my husband** had other ideas!  I let him open it, and oh my gosh, we were blown away by how good it was!  Creamy, sort of sweet, hints of cinnamon and other things we couldn’t quite nail down--that would be “spices” portion of the label.  All subtle, but deliciously subtle.  This would be great on bagels, croissants, muffins, toast--anywhere you’d put peanut butter.  And cooking with it?  My mind was spinning in one hundred directions.  I had to put it away before we ate all of it right out of the jar.

Fast forward to this past weekend.  We went out to dinner, and skipped dessert.  I know!  What was I thinking?  When we left the restaurant, all I could think of was a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie.  I  had to have one.  Or three.  Seeing as it was kind of late, there were no bakeries open, and I was out of luck.  B didn’t give up, though!  We drove all over and racked our brains.  I love that guy!  I finally realized I’d just have to make my own.

Which reminds me--someone really needs to open a chain of quality, late night bakeries!  I can’t be the only one that gets these cravings!  We could have headed down to Boston--there are a million late night craving solutions there, but it was already late and we needed to be heading home.

So!  Cookies it is, then.  I couldn’t think of a better way to give the Tamarin Spread a try in baking.  (Though I’m positive there are many.)   Chocolate chip cookies, with cinnamony good Tamarin, and the kicker--candied pecans from Trader Joe’s.  You don’t need to use candied pecans, but if you’re using regular pecans, it would be great to toast them first, for extra nuttiness.

Tamarin Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 40 3" cookies

2 1/2 cups   all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Tamarin Spread
1 cup chopped candied pecans (or regular toasted pecans)
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and set aside.

Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, mix well, then mix in the Tamarin Spread.

Add the flour mixture in, about half at first, then the rest, and beat at low speed to mix well.
Mix in the nuts and chocolate chips.

To bake, I used a 2 inch cookie scoop to make large cookies--9 per sheet, baked for 18 minutes--makes about a 3" cookie.
You can also drop by a teaspoon on the sheet and bake for about 10-11 minutes. 

Don’t over bake--just let the edges get a nice golden brown.  The cookies will continue to cook as they cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet.  They’ll be nice and chewy in the center this way.  So--let the baked cookies sit on the sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

• The cookies are perfect by my standards.  Crispy edges, chewy centers, and fully loaded with nuts and chocolate.   Also a slight hint of cinnamon, but nothing overwhelming.  More like a “mystery ingredient.”
• My kids love them.  Yeah, I know-what kid doesn’t like cookies?  You’d be surprised!
• The cookies themselves aren’t vegan, but that could easily be done with a switch to Earth Balance Sticks, egg replacer, and vegan chocolate.  The Tamarin already is vegan, so no worries there.

As if cookies weren’t fun enough, there’s MORE!

The generous folks at Tamarin Speculoos Spread were very cool and offered to send TEN of you each a jar of Tamarin to try!

There is one catch:  you must be willing to use the jar to create a recipe using the Tamarin Spread.  Get your thinking caps on! 

##Since I've reached 10 willing participants, I've decidede to end the giveaway today, Monday the 16th.  That way none of them get left out.  So the giveaway is now officially closed>  Thanks for entering!

The recipes will  be added to their blog, and one winner will be chosen to receive a case full (that’s 12 jars!) of Tamarin Spread! 

That’s 12 jars to bake and cook with, eat right out of the jar, or share with friends and family if you like.

*I did receive a free jar, but my opinion is not in any way influenced by this.  I am not receiving any compensation for my post or opinion.

**Who shall now be referred to as “B” on my blog.  I feel way too formal typing out “my husband,” and really cannot stomach calling him “hubbie.”  His name is Billy, if you’re wondering.  Or Bill, to everyone else. ;)

Truthfully, I love soup so much that I do eat it all year long.  I suppose if we didn’t have air conditioning, it would be a whole other story!  There’s something so comforting about a pot of soup, stew, chili, or tomato sauce simmering all afternoon on the stove, isn’t there?  Takes me right back to childhood and cold weather.

This soup, on the other hand, cooks up quickly.  No long simmering time here!  There are a few separate steps, though.  Easy ones, I  promise!  You need to boil the squash for a few minutes, and roast some of the vegetables for about twenty minutes, but the soup itself only simmers for ten minutes.  Simple, yet so delicious.  And I know it looks rather…orange?  Bright orange, really!  It’s just all the goodness from the pureed squash. 

I ran across the butternut at the farm we always shop at--and so sweet of them--they’d already peeled and sliced it.  I couldn’t resist.  I had everything else on hand that you’ll see in the recipe.  If you can’t find the coconut creamer, go ahead and use coconut milk.  Not the sweet stuff, but just the plain coconut milk--you can find it in the dairy/refrigerated section, or in a can by the Thai ingredients in your grocery store. 

I found a recipe online at Vegetarian Times, and changed it up a bit to suit what I wanted to do--because I felt like it.  Ha!

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Cauliflower

adapted from Vegetarian Times
serves 5-6

2 lbs peeled and sliced butternut squash
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets*
3 leeks--white parts, cut into 2 inch lengths
4 large garlic cloves, very coarsely chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth (you can use vegetable, too!)
1/4 tsp thyme
3 cooked ears of corn (remove the corn from the ears, discard cobs)
    OR 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups coconut creamer (original plain flavor)
2 green onions

*Don't waste the stalks! Cut off the outer parts, and slice the stalks into approximately 1/4 inch pieces.

Heat oven to 400.

Place the prepared butternut squash in a pot, add enough water to cover, and boil for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from water and set aside.

On a large sheet pan with sides, toss the cauliflower, leeks and garlic with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast for 20-25 minutes.  ***Remove the cauliflower from the pan and set aside to stir into the soup later.

Puree the squash with the roasted leeks and garlic, and the 2 tbsp flour.  An immersion blender would be perfect here, but since I don't have one, I used my food processor.

Add the pureed mixture and the broth to a soup pot, stir in the thyme.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.  Stir in the corn and the coconut creamer.

You have a choice in this step--you can stir the cauliflower into the soup, like I did, or serve the soup in bowls, and top each serving off with some florets.
Top with green onions.

• Slightly sweet, super fresh tasting--this soup will be as comforting this fall and winter, as it is fresh tasting this summer.
• Don't let the cooking the squash and roasting the veggies steps put you off as too much work.  They’re quick, easy, and mostly hands free work. 
• If you haven’t had roasted cauliflower yet?  You’re in for a huge treat!  it takes cauliflower from boring to “Wow, I never knew it could taste this good!”
• Also, in my notes, I wrote “Top with green onions.”  But I apparently forgot to do that before taking photos.  Oops!

This is how it goes--for me, anyway:  You buy buttermilk for some recipe or another (in this case, chocolate zucchini bread), and you have almost an entire quart left with nothing to do, nowhere fancy to go--it’s just sitting there in the fridge, staring you in the face every time you open the door.  As you do open the door, you can almost hear it saying, “Still here.  Hello?  I’m waiting.  I’m aging as we speak.  What are you going to do with me?  You can’t let me go to waste, I’m only 1/2 cup short of a whole quart!  Hello?  Hellooooo???”  Hiding it behind the other stuff doesn’t help much, either.

It tortures me, that silly tangy buttermilk.  And then it hit me!  An idea, not the buttermilk.  Ice cream!   I’ve seen it around the blogosphere.  It intrigued me, for sure.   All of the recipes I saw required some type of heating stuff up before you freeze it.  Sigh.  I’ll be the first to admit it, I can be supremely lazy--I want instant (or pretty close to it) gratification.  It’s hard enough for me to let fresh homemade ice cream sit overnight before I dig in!  I forged ahead and decided I didn’t really need to cook anything or make a custard.  I hoped and prayed that my lack of patience wouldn't let me down.  It didn’t!  In fact, my 15 year old daughter said that this is her favorite of all of the ice creams I’ve made so far.   How’s that for an endorsement?

Since I had a brand new jar of espresso powder that was also bugging me, I figured I’d use that, too, and make it happy.  Tastes amazing with the sweet and tangy buttermilk ice cream, if I do say so.  I also swirled a salted honey caramel into the ice cream, for good measure.  As I was making the caramel (which means--I’d already started) I realized I didn’t have enough Golden Syrup.   I could swear I did!   You could use all corn syrup, if you like, which is what the original recipe calls for.  The Golden Syrup filled my 1/3 cup measuring cup only halfway, so I improvised and filled it the rest of the way with honey.  What’s one more experiment when you’re already in the middle of one?   Worked perfectly, and the fresh taste of the honey shines right through!

Let’s get to the recipes:

Espresso Buttermilk Ice Cream with Salted Honey Caramel

Caramel Sauce
adapted from Epicurious
makes approx 1 cup

1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp golden syrup
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp honey
1/4 cup water
7 tablespoons heavy cream + 2 more to stir in later
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 generous pinches of kosher salt
piece of aluminum foil

Make the caramel:
Take a piece of aluminum foil, and shape it around the pan you'll be using.   Using a knife, poke a hole large enough to pour cream through in the foil near the side of the pan.  Why?  Because after you've started, and you need to pour the cream into the boiling mixture, it'll steam and bubble up, and this way, it won't splash back on you.  Remove the piece of foil until you need it.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan, boil the sugar, golden syrup, honey, and water over  medium heat--stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the mixture, without stirring, gently swirling pan, until the color is a deep caramel (this took only about 5 minutes for me).
Remove the pan from heat, place the pan's foil hat back on, and carefully pour cream and vanilla down side of pan through that hole you made earlier.  After a few seconds, remove the foil.

Return to the stove and simmer the mixture, stirring for a minute or so, until it's nice and velvety.
Remove pan from heat and cool for about a minute--then stir in the remaining 2 tbsp of cream and the salt--stir to mix thoroughly.
Let it cool, then store it in a container in the fridge until you need it.
You can make this up to one week ahead and store in the fridge.  Bring to room temp before using.

Espresso Buttermilk Ice Cream

3/4 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tbsp espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk all of the ice cream ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.  If it's nice and cold, proceed with freezing according to manufacturers instructions.
If it's not very cold, chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours, then go ahead and freeze it up in  your ice cream maker.

After freezing, transfer the ice cream to a covered container and allow it to sit for about 4 hours or overnight.
Bring the caramel to room temp, and pour some over the ice cream.  Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the caramel into the ice cream.  Use as much or as little of the caramel as you like.

Notes:

My caramel was sinking to the bottom, but it was nothing that a few stirs of the ice cream couldn't fix.  The ice cream itself sets up nicely, but still retains enough softness that stirring it around is actually pretty easy.  Anyone know a fix for that?

• If you prefer, you can leave the caramel swirl out entirely and just use it as a topping.  Or eat it by the spoonful.  Not that I was doing that.
• The ice cream has a tangy taste from the buttermilk, but nothing overpowering. 
• It’s deliciously creamy and rich on the tongue, and goes beautifully with the espresso and caramel. 
• Make this ice cream and make your ignored buttermilk happy!

Let’s take a trip through the pantry, shall we?  Hmmm…besides all of the regulars (flour, sugar, baking stuff, cooking staples, etc.), I managed to scrounge up a small amount of mini marshmallows, a few lonely graham crackers, and big bonus--two Hershey bars! 

How in the heck had all four of my four kids missed the chocolate bars?   I must have hidden them really well!  I should work in witness protection or something where you have to be ridiculously good at hiding things that people really want.  “What?  You witnessed a major crime and need to go into hiding?   Let’s put you up on the top shelf in the pantry behind the grown up cereal.  No one will ever check there.  It’s true!”  Ha!

These are super easy to make.  It’s the usual method--stir the dry, whisk the wet, add the two together.  I toss the extras (marshmallows, chocolate, and grahams) into the dry ingredients just to make sure everything’s coated and not stuck together when they hit the wet ingredients. 

I decided to make the muffins themselves chocolate.  Chocolate overload paired with the Hershey bars?  No way!   There’s never too much chocolate in any one thing.  Ever.  They’re not sweet at all, either--just right!  You get hits of the milk chocolate, the pieces of graham cracker (which you want to be able to see, so don’t pulverize them, ok?), and the sweet, little bursts of marshmallows.  Which,  by the way, are the reason you don’t want to leave these to sit in the muffin tin for too long.  If there are any melty mallows on the edges of the muffins,  they’ll hang on to that pan for dear life once they’re completely cool.

Chocolate S'mores Muffins
makes 12

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini marshmallows
2 (1.55 oz) Hershey milk chocolate bars, broken into chunks
3 whole graham crackers, broken into chunks, but not too small
2 eggs
1 cup milk
6 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, stir all of the dry ingredients together (flour though brown sugar).
Gently fold in the marshmallows, chocolate chunks, and graham cracker pieces.

In a smaller bowl, whisk all of the wet ingredients (eggs through vanilla).
Stir the wet mixture into the dry, and gently fold till everything is incorporated.
Divide mixture between the 12 muffin cups, and bake for about 17-18 minutes.
Do the toothpick test.  Should be clean.
After baking, cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges, remove the muffins from the pan, and continue cooling on the rack.

YOU MUST remove them from the pan after the 5 minutes or so, or they'll want to stay in the pan forevaaah!
Trust me.

The verdict:

• The kids (and grown-ups) loved these!  They’re a quick snack that incorporates the elements of a S’more without the sticky mess. 
• They’re not too sweet, believe it or not!  The cocoa in the batter adds the chocolate without the sweetness. 
• These make me want to bake with milk chocolate more often, which is something I rarely do.
• All in all, a nice little tasty snack that comes together very quickly.  

I happened to be talking about it on twitter, and Chris (@BlogWellDone) said “So what’s stopping you?”  (I love twitter!)

Well.  Nothing was stopping me, was it?  Nope!  Soon we both decided to make some, because you know, every once in a while, you’ve gotta have some junk food.   Soon, Renee (@RJFlamingo) had joined in, too.   I guess we all have to be extra good this week since indulging over the weekend, right?  My lunch today?  A big bowl of steamed broccoli.  But, I just had three Oreos.  Kind if cancels it out, doesn't it? 

I was racking my brain trying to decide what to top my fries with.  I mean, put some loaded fries in front of me?  I’ll happily dive right in!  But ask me what I’d really like on them?   My mind was running in so many directions, and I couldn’t nail one idea down. 

Finally, yesterday morning, I’d figured it out.  Grilled chicken, bbq sauce, bacon, jalapenos, cheddar, sour cream and green onions.  Yeah, baby!   The final delicious loaded fries were:

• Crispy fries
• Shredded, grilled chicken tossed with bbq sauce
• Crumbled thick sliced Applewood Smoked Bacon
• Diced jalapenos
• Cabot Horseradish Cheddar
• Sour cream
• Green onions

My husband grilled the chicken in the afternoon, and we had the fries last night.  Looking back, I wouldn’t try to make a meal out of them?  But cravings make you do weird things. 

Anyway!  Super easy.  Are you ready?  This is so (not) complicated, so pay close attention: 

Loaded Fries, Elle's Kitchen Style

Your favorite fries (don't have to homemade-I used frozen)
Chicken thighs, grilled w/ bbq sauce, then shredded and tossed with more    bbq sauce
BBQ sauce (Trader Joe's Kansas City style)
Bacon (I used a thick cut Applewood Smoked Bacon)
Jalapenos, diced (I used 2)
Cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Cabot Horseradish Cheddar-yum!)
Sour Cream
Green onions, sliced

Prepare your fries.  Like I said, I used frozen.  Get them as crispy as you can so they hold up well to the toppings.
When they're ready, transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Top with chicken, bacon, jalapenos and shredded cheddar.
Place under the broiler till they're done to your liking.  Keep an eye on them-this step is only a couple minutes long!
Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Dig in!

See how easy?  Again, this is one of those recipes where you’re only limited by your imagination.   Want chili?  Go for it!  Spiced shrimp?  Yeah!  Thinly sliced or bite sized chunks of beef?  Mmmm!  Or go vegetarian! 

Be sure to check out Chris and Renee’s amazing fries, too! 

Mango Raspberry Soda. A splash of OJ in this is great, too!

It’s super refreshing!  Also--ridiculously simple.  I started doing this last summer, when I became obsessed with Raspberry Lime Rickeys.   Raspberry and lime are one of my favorite flavor combinations, and I’ll try any Raspberry Lime Rickey given the chance.  If it’s on a menu, I’m having it!   What to do if you’re not out, but still want one?  Make your own!

I was doing a bit of research today on the origins of the drink, and details are a little sketchy.  Sometimes they’re served as mixed drinks with alcohol, and sometimes made with soda water, sweetened syrups and a splash of lime.  I also read that sometimes the base is a lemon lime soda, but I’ve never had one like that. 

Accounts tell that the drink was originally named in 1883 for a Colonel Joe Rickey, who was an English officer based in Washington DC for a time.  It was later reported that he’d said he had never had a Lime Rickey--he instead enjoyed Bourbon, carbonated water and lemon.  Rickey said he’d rather be remembered for his political contributions instead of a drink.   I can think of worse things for a politician to be remembered for, but I can see his point. 

Besides DC, Boston/New England, New Jersey, and Brooklyn all seem to have a stake in claiming the Raspberry Lime Rickey as their own.  I say it doesn’t matter, as long as I still get to have them!

So what do we need to make them?  Three things:

1. Sparkling Water or Soda Water
2. Fruit puree
3. Lime juice

That’s it--unless you want to sweeten your fruit puree, which I do.  I’ve been using frozen fruit, because it’s very economical, but you can certainly use fresh!  What kinds of fruit?  What kinds do you like?!   You’re only limited by your imagination.  Fresh watermelon would be amazing here, especially since, compared to some other fresh berries, it’s relatively cheap--and you get a lot of fruit in one melon.  It’s usually pretty sweet, too, where some berries can be pretty tart. 

Mango Raspberry Soda

Since it’s summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the perfect time to experiment with fresh fruits.  Peaches, nectarines, strawberries, seedless grapes, melons, mangos…try what you like! 

Don’t be afraid to mix in some ultra refreshing cucumber, too!  Basil?  Oh, yes!  One of our favorite refreshing drinks in the summer is to keep a pitcher of water in the fridge, and add some sliced cucumber and lemon, and a few muddled basil leaves.  It’s so cooling when the the temperature is soaring, like it has been here for the last three weeks or so. 

Ready?  I’ve only got two photographed to show you today, but use your imagination and have fun experimenting.

There’s no set recipe, but here’s what I do:

• If you’re using frozen fruit, let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften up.  If using fresh, clean and chop/slice your fruit.  Remove any pits or large seeds!
• Pour it into your blender or food processor, and go ahead and puree the fruit.  You may need to add a few tablespoons of water in your blender to get things moving.
• Taste and adjust sweetness using your favorite sweetener.  We like agave which blends easily, but if you’re using granulated sweetener, be sure to blend it in well while the fruit is still in the blender/processor.
• I like to strain the fruit after pureeing, especially if using berries with a lot of little seeds.  I press it through a fine mesh strainer, but in my case, a few seeds always stay behind.  No matter--a small amount of seeds in the bottom of your glass won’t be a deal breaker.  Pour your puree into a covered container, preferably something that pours easily.
• The rest is up to you, as far as how much puree and soda you like.  I pour ice in my glass, then some puree.  Top off the glass with sparkling water and a splash of lime juice, stir, and that’s it! 

Soda Water and Fruit Puree. Good container for storage!

• You can also use the puree as a fruit sauce with desserts--just the other night, I had some with a slice of lemon blueberry pound cake. 
• If you’re in a party mood, go ahead and add alcohol for a more adult drink!

See how easy that is?  Far better for you than sugary sodas and artificially sweetened syrups.  So cool and refreshing, too!

Drink up--cheers!

Raspberry Lime Rickey

Baby Arugula and Cauliflower Salad (click on photo to see recipe)

Giveaway Closed...congrats to Jessica, comment #2-her comment was randomly chosen!

It’s no secret that in my house, we love salad.  We have it at least 2-3 times per week, and usually--it’s the main dish that night.  We’ve found that a big salad a couple times a week is a simple and quick way to incorporate fresh, raw foods into our diet. 

And I do mean BIG.  It’s so satisfying and filling--and always enjoyable.  We make full use of the vegetable and fruit bins, not to mention nuts and other crunchy things when it comes to additions to our big salads.   That’s aside from the usual suspects, tomato and cucumber.   No offense to those two, though!  I absolutely love cucumber in my salads, and as long as the tomatoes are fresh, they’re welcome in the salad bowl, too.

Don’t feel stuck in a rut when it comes to your salads.  Fruits like apples, pears, mangos, nectarines, peaches, berries, grapes--whatever you like--add wonderful flavor and texture to a salad.  Toss in some nuts, sesame sticks, or other crunchy little snack-type things you may have lying around.  It all makes your salad interesting!  Oh!  Dried fruits are good, too--and I don’t mean the usual old raisins.  Look around and see what you can find.  We’ve used dried blueberries and cherries, which add a really nice flavor and a bit of something unexpected.

Olivia’s Organics.  Who are they?  They’re a local company based in Chelsea, MA.   Olivia’s great grandfather Giovanni started the business 70 years ago in Faneuil Hall.  He began by selling celery hearts out of a produce stall.  The business still thrives today selling the freshest, organic greens directly to us.  They give back to the community, as well.  Their charitable organization helps many charities, both local and nationwide.  

All of Olivia’s Organics products are certified organic and come in earth friendly packaging.  Food safety is also a very important part of bringing their greens from farm to consumer.   Also?  Out of all of the packaged salad greens we’ve ever tried, Olivia’s remained the freshest for the longest amount of time.  I’m serious--fresh, crunchy, tender, just perfect.  The salads to go are great to grab on your way out the door in the morning!  Each includes the greens, a dressing packet, (some have croutons, too!) and a fork to make your lunch painless and delicious.

How do they taste?  Incredibly fresh, just like you want your salads to be.  The greens are tender, crunchy, sweet, spicy--like good greens should be.  I wouldn’t hesitate to buy anything from Olivia’s Organics, ever.  In fact, I’m going to bug my local grocery store to start carrying their products!

Since Olivia’s Organics aren’t available nationwide yet, Rachel at Olivia’s has generously offered to send one winner a package of a week’s worth of salad, a $25 value. This will arrive packed with frozen gel packs to insure freshness.  This can only be shipped in the US, though.  

We thoroughly enjoyed our week of salads from Olivia’s Organics, and I’m positive you will, too!  Check for them in your area, in the meantime.   If your store doesn’t carry them, talk to the manager and ask them to look into it.  In my experience, many stores are more than willing to stock things for their customers.

Be sure to check out all of Olivia’s Organics available products!

Three ways to earn entries:

1)  Leave a comment here telling me which of their products you’d be most anxious to try, and also--your favorite add-ins to salads.  I’m always on the lookout for more ideas, so let’s hear them!

2)  You can tweet about this giveaway once a day, and get one additional entry for each tweet.  Leave a comment for each one.

3)  For one additional entry, you can follow Olivia’s Organics on Twitter and Facebook.  Leave one comment letting me know you did.

4)  Be sure to leave a valid email address where I can reach you!

One winner in the US will be randomly chosen on Tuesday, July 20th, and notified by email. 

Note: I was not paid by Olivia’s Organics for my opinion.  I did receive an assortment of their products to sample.  Photos courtesy of Olivia's Organics.

Do you remember your mom’s stuffed peppers?  I do.  I was just a kid and wouldn’t touch the peppers.  No way!  I loved the filling, though--and it was so simple.  Tomatoes, rice, ground beef, seasonings…I loved that part!  My mom gave me a pass and let me skip the peppers without a big showdown, thank goodness!  She used green bell peppers, which are good in some things, like sausage and peppers, but to eat them stuffed--they’re just too “green pepperish.”  Do you know what I mean?  Bitter. 

In fact, growing up, my mom always bought green peppers.  Were red bells not very common then?  I have no idea!  Red bells are just green bells that have been allowed to ripen--were growers too impatient back then?  In my opinion, green pepper overwhelms most dishes.  I know--a lot of you will probably disagree, but red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are so much sweeter.  We even love them raw!  Plus, they’re good for you:

• They’re great sources of Vitamins C, A, B6 and Folic Acid
• They contain Beta-Carotene and Lycopene
• These are all good things that do good things for you!
• Eat some peppers today.  (That’s my PSA for the day.)

I saw these stuffed peppers in the June edition of BBC’s Good Food magazine.  It’s one of my all time favorite food mags.   Every single issue I have is “well read” and full of dog eared pages and a few cooking spills.  Living in the US, it’s a bit pricier to buy here, but it’s well worth it.  It’s a large magazine--and I dare you to look at one issue and not find ten recipes you want to try immediately.

The original recipe uses couscous as the base for the stuffing.  I opted for quinoa.  Haven’t tried quinoa yet?  You should!  Why?  Quinoa is all at once creamy, a little chewy, tastes sort of nutty--and is so good for you:

• It’s related to leafy greens, like powerhouses spinach and Swiss Chard.
• Quinoa is an ancient “grain,” and once referred to as “the gold of the Incas.”
• It’s high in protein and contains “complete protein,” which means it has all 9 essential amino acids.
• Quinoa's a good source of magnesium and riboflavin, reported to help with easing migraines.
• It’s a good source of manganese and copper, two minerals very important in superoxide dismutase enzyme, which is an antioxidant.
• There’s 12 grams of dietary fiber in 1 cup of quinoa.

So you see?  This dish is a nutritional powerhouse!  The recipe will make a bit more stuffing than you need for the peppers, but the leftovers make a nice light lunch the next day.  Also, measurements aren’t exact for the add-ins, so go ahead and eyeball those to your taste.  The original recipe uses pine nuts, which were nowhere to be found at TJ’s that day, so pistachios agreed to be stunt doubles.

Mediterranean Style Stuffed Peppers
adapted from BBC Good Food
serves 3

1 each red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, halved, seeds and membranes removed (leave stems on)
1 1/2 cups dry quinoa
Vegetable or chicken broth (for cooking the quinoa in--I needed 3 cups)
1/2 cup pistachios (this is approximate-you can add more if you like), lightly toasted
1/2-3/4 cup black olives, roughly chopped
Feta cheese (about 3/4 cup, divided) (I used an herbed feta from Trader Joe's)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded (stack leaves, roll them up, and slice across for ribbons)

Heat oven to 400.
Rinse your quinoa and prepare according to package directions--using your choice of broth in place of water.

Place the prepared peppers on a plate and microwave on medium for about 5 minutes, until slightly soft.
Place them on a baking tray, open side facing up.

When the quinoa is done, stir in the remaining ingredients, leaving some of the feta aside to sprinkle over the top of the peppers.
Stuff the peppers--really pack them full, you'll have more than enough stuffing!
Top with the rest of the feta.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the feta looks browned and delicious.
Serve with a nice green salad, if you like.

These aren’t your mom’s stuffed peppers!  Well, not my mom’s, anyway.  If old school stuffed peppers make your spine tingle--in a not so good way, give these a try! 

I do believe I’ve found my favorite ice cream.  At least, until I make the next one.  Still though, this one has just grabbed the #1 spot, and will definitely stay up in my top five favorite ice creams of all time.  Any upcoming contenders will have to fight hard to knock this one off the top of the heap!  I mean, come on--pistachio nut brittle?  Made into a paste?  Whisked right into the ice cream? I’m in love.

While thinking about what kind of ice cream to make next for Scoopapalooza, I had pistachio in mind.  Since cherries are in season, it was a natural progression to add those in, too.  Though I love the the pure flavor of pistachio ice cream--so light and fresh, and pretty much perfect--I wanted to do a twist on the classic.   I just can’t leave well enough alone when it comes to my ice cream recipes.  At least, not for now.  I’m having way too much fun experimenting!

I was researching pistachio ice cream recipes, and many of them infuse the flavor of the nuts right into the ice cream base.  Some soak the nuts (even ground nuts) in the base for a length of time, then strain them out and continue from there.  I saw one that had ground nuts added in and left in there to be a part of the finished recipe.  Reviews were that while the flavor of that one was incredible, it wasn’t smooth.  It was gritty from all of the nut pieces.  I wanted creamy, but I needed a way to infuse the ice cream to give you a full on pistachio experience.

So.  I had a flash of brilliance.  I think so, anyway!  I remembered making a pistachio praline brittle for a Daring Bakers Challenge.   It was amazing!  The cake was supposed to be made with hazelnuts, but--we were hazelnutted* out at the time, so I’d decided to go with pistachios.  (*Heck yes, that’s a real word.) We had to make a nut praline, which in this case is a powder made by grinding up sugar coated nuts--think nut brittle, not the creamy, chewier ones usually found in the South.  Once you grind the brittle to a fine powder in the food processor, let it keep going, and it turns into a lovely, smooth paste, much like a nut butter.  It’s not hard to make at all.  It takes a little time, though, because you have to wait for the sugar to start melting.  Over low heat.  Which takes time.  And watched sugar never melts.  So they say.   Once the brittle is done, it cools quickly, and the paste is super fast to make.  You DO however, need a food processor to make the paste, unless you have something like a Super-Mega Vita Mix. 

Once you have the paste, it gets whisked right into the ice cream base.  Yeah, this is where the full on flavor comes in!  The brittle makes just over 1/2 cup of nut paste, and I used all of it.  ALL of it.  Except for the 4 or 5 or 6 bites that I ate before I measured it out.  In the interest of taste testing, of course.  Ha! 

Pistachio Praline Cherry Ice Cream

Ice Cream

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
Generous 1/2 cup of Pistachio Praline Paste (Recipe below)
Generous 1/2 cup of pistachios
Approx 1/2 cup fresh, pitted cherries--diced (optional)

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl for 1-2 minutes.
Add the sugar a little at a time, whisking after each addition, then continue to whisk for about a minute more.
Pour in the cream and half & half, whisk to blend.
Pour about 1 cup of the cream mixture into a separate bowl and add the pistachio paste.  Carefully whisk until it's all incorporated, then add this back to the rest and mix to combine.
Keep this mixture cold until you're ready to use it.
Freeze according to manufacturers guidelines.  In the last few minutes of freezing, add the nuts and cherries. 
Mine took a little longer to freeze up in the machine, but it was a very warm day, and the paste is stirred in at room temp.  So chilling before freezing may be a good idea in this case.
Transfer to an airtight container and let the ice cream freeze for at least a few more hours, but overnight is best. 

Pistachio Praline Paste
1 cup pistachios (I used dry roasted and unsalted-cheap at Trader Joe's if you've got one nearby!
2/3 cup Sugar

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment.
Pour the sugar in a heavy 10-12 inch skillet, and heat it over low heat for about 20 minutes.
The sugar should start melting around this time.  If you're impatient like me, you can turn the heat up a little, but watch it carefully.
Swirl the pan around if the sugar seems to be getting too dark.
If the sugar isn't melting in the center, stir it just a but with a wooden spoon.  Whatever you do, don’t use plastic spoons!
When the sugar is all melted and caramel colored, remove from heat and stir in the nuts, again--using a wooden spoon.
Return the pan to low heat and stir to coat the nuts.
Heat until the caramel starts to bubble.
PLEASE remember that this is extremely hot, so be careful.
Pour it out on to the parchment, and separate the big clumps.  Let it cool completely.
When it's cooled, break the brittle into pieces and add it to your food processor.  (Of course, you should reserve a few pieces just to eat!)
Pulse the brittle until it's a fine powder.  Continue processing until the powder starts to come together in a smooth paste.  This will take a few minutes. 
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

• The flavor of this one is like a cross between your favorite pistachio ice cream, and a deep caramel.  Sweet, but not too sweet. 
• It’s truly creamy--no grit from ground nuts!  This has the mouth feel of a premium ice cream.  You don’t even need to soften it to scoop it.  It scoops like a dream! 
• I only had a small amount of cherries, so I took about 2 cups of the just frozen ice cream, and added the cherries and some nuts to that.  I love that version, but the one without them is equally as wonderful--so don’t sweat it if you don’t have cherries!
• While the directions seem wordy and long, this is really a very simple ice cream to make.  Don’t be scared off, because you will be rewarded with a truly heavenly ice cream.   The most time you’ll spend on this is waiting for the sugar to melt, and the ice cream to freeze.  That’s not hands on work.
• My husband and #1 Taste Tester has declared this THE best pistachio ice cream he’s ever had.  And he’s tried a lot!
• Just like my Peanut Butter Candied Bacon Ice Cream?  You could also rule the world with this one, I swear.

These two photos are from that Daring Bakers post I mentioned above.  I didn’t feel the need to photograph them again this time.  I will say, though, that my praline--or brittle--came out darker this time, and not as green, so that’s why the ice cream has no green hue.  No matter, because I could still eat the brittle or nut paste as-is.  They’re that good.  So if you’ve never made a nut brittle or praline paste--try it!  Add a new skill to your repertoire and impress yourself, and your friends.  

  Again, this tastes better than it looks. Honest! ;) Like green Nutella. Ha!

Beringer Vineyards is having an amazing contest to find the best steak recipe and wine pairing.  There are some fabulous prizes to be awarded, as well--right here on my blog!  More about that in a bit, but first, a little history.

The Beringer Winery was founded in 1876  by Jacob and Frederick Beringer.  Jacob was enticed into moving from his home in Mainz, Germany in 1868 by his brother Frederick--who had  moved to New York five years earlier.  Jacob left the east coast in 1870 and headed west to Napa Valley and found that the terrain was very similar to that of his native Rhine Valley.  Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley, and in 2001, the estate was placed on the National Register for Historic Places as a Historic District.  How amazing is that?

Now that we have a little background on Beringer, let’s talk about wine and food.  Steak, in particular.  Now, I may have cut drastically back on the amount of meat my family eats, but yes, we still enjoy a fabulous steak once in a while.  Paired with the perfect wine, it’s a memorable and very enjoyable meal.   If you’re only going to have steak once in a while, you may as well make it a fantastic one, right?

Steaks in these photos simply, but deliciously seasoned with Oxford Falls London Dry Steak Seasoning, complete with it's own grinder on the bottle:

We love this seasoning on so many things!

Beringer is currently running a contest called The Beringer Great Steak Challenge.  What’s it all about?  Submit your best steak recipe and you could be chosen as one of the ten finalists to compete in the Finale Great Steak Challenge grill-off held at beautiful Beringer Vineyards in Napa Valley and broadcast on national television. 

A few things to remember:

• Steaks must be prepared on a standard outdoor grill.
• Each entry must include a recommended wine pairing from the Beringer Founders' Estate portfolio that best compliments the steak recipe.
• Each recipe must prepare for 6 servings & must be completely made within 30 minutes including cooking time.
• Recipe must be composed of beef steak and may include toppings. Recipes will be judged based on the following criteria:
  25% Taste Appeal, 25% Wine Pairing, and 50% Simplicity.

   

One hundred contestants  will be chosen from across the US and will then advance to 1 of 10 regional finals.  The very best steak recipes will be chosen to compete at one of the 10 regional semi-finals at exctiting food and wine events and venues across the US.  Contestants will receive up to $1,000 to travel to the exciting grill-off in their area.

Each finalist in the regional competitions will win a trip for two to Beringer Vineyards in Napa, CA--including transportation, accommodations and exclusive winery tours.  How cool is that??

Judges will be members of the Food and Wine world, including Food Network Stars, the Deen Brothers. 

Photo: Mary Steinbacher Photography

Prizes are:

• National Grand Prize (Overall best recipe): $15,000
• National Runner-up Prize: $7,500
• National Second Runner-up Prize: $2,500

So pull out your best steak recipes, or come up with new ones--and enter the contest!  You have nothing to lose!   Find a regional Grill-off in your area, and catch up with Beringer on Twitter.

So what about the prizes I mentioned earlier?

To celebrate the contest being in full swing, Beringer is giving away nine beautiful carving sets.    I tested one myself.  They’re beautiful pieces, and they made quick work of cutting through this grilled steak.  You’ll enjoy them for years to come--imagine carving your holiday turkeys and roasts with this pretty set!

The wood grain case provides an elegant display for the stainless steel cutlery at the serving table. The 12" long utility knife is perfect for cutting poultry and vegetables, and the 5.5" carving fork holds food steady while carving. Triple-riveted handles provide strength and stability. The legendary Laguiole bee, a symbol of superior craftsmanship, is etched intricately into each knife. Includes wooden case.

 

How do you enter? 

1) Leave a comment here telling me your favorite way to have steak.  Feel free to link to your favorite recipes in your comment.  One entry this way.

2) Tweet about the giveaway--you can do this once a day.  Come back here and tell me you’ve tweeted.  One entry this way.

3) If you’re on Facebook, you can post this on your wall.  Same thing, come back here and tell me in your comment.  One entry this way.

This gives you three ways to get entries!  The contest will run until Wednesday, July 7th, and then 9 random winners (US only, sorry) will  be chosen.

Note:  I’m not being paid for my opinion.  The folks at Beringer are supplying the carving sets and the shipping costs to the winners.