Porch Party Summer Sips and Bites Booklet To make the recipe booklet, print pages 2 5. For sign cards, print pages 6 7. To make the recipe booklet shown in the August 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens : Print out the following PDF (pages 2-5), and cut out the individual pages. Use a mini hole punch or the sharp point of a pair of scissors to make a small hole in the upper left corner of the stack of pages, and bind pages together with a pronged scrapbooking brad. For the food signs, left, print the custom card pages, and cut out cards. (We ve included some blank cards so you can write in your own recipe names or use them as place cards.) Punch a small hole near the top and bottom of each card, and thread a small skewer through the holes to hold the sign in each dish.
Porch Party Summer Sips and Bites Watermelon Agua Fresca 10 cups peeled watermelon chunks, from about 2 melons 1 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup sugar 8 cups water Ice cubes Fresh watermelon or lime wedges and/or orange peel twists* (optional) Add the melon in batches to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add the lime juice and sugar and process again. Pour the melon mixture into a large serving container. Add the water and desired amount of ice; mix well. Add additional ice as needed. Serve in small cocktail glasses. Garnish, if desired, with watermelon or lime wedges and/or orange peel twists. * To make orange peel twists, use a vegetable peeler to remove a 4- to 5-inch strip of peel from an orange (avoid getting any of the white pith). Tie strip into a knot. Nannie s Pimiento Cheese 1/4 cup chopped white onion 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded, stem removed, and chopped (optional) 1 2 cloves garlic, chopped 8 oz. medium yellow cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup) 4 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup) 1 4-oz. jar diced pimiento, drained 1/3 cup mayonnaise, or more to taste 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper, or more to taste 1/8 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce (optional) 2 3 medium cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick Celery leaves (optional) In a food processor, combine the onion, jalapeño (if desired), and garlic. Cover and process with several on/off turns to finely chop. In a large bowl place the cheese and pimiento. Add the chopped vegetables and mayonnaise and mix until just combined. Season with white pepper and, if desired, bottled hot pepper sauce. Serve atop cucumber slices. Top with celery leaves if desired. Great Guacamole 5 6 ripe avocados 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro 1 2 medium fresh jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced 1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped (optional) 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (optional) 2 3 Tbsp. lime juice 3/4 1 tsp. salt Fresh cilantro (optional) Purchased sweet potato chips Cut avocados in half. Scoop pulp into a bowl and dice into small pieces or mash with a fork or potato masher, as desired. Gently fold in cilantro, jalapeño peppers, and garlic. If desired, add onion and tomato. Add lime juice and salt to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes (or keep refrigerated for up to 4 hours, letting sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving). If desired, sprinkle with additional cilantro before serving. Serve with sweet potato chips.
DIY Mojito 2 Tbsp. Simple Syrup* or 4 tsp. superfine sugar 8 large or 10 12 small fresh mint leaves, or 8 small or 6 large fresh basil leaves 1 11/2 tsp. fresh lime juice 2 3 Tbsp. light, light-spiced, coconut, or fruit-flavored rum 1/2 cup chilled club soda Lime wedges Mint or basil (optional) DIY Mojito (continued) Squeeze and drop in additional lime wedges and stir again. Garnish drink with a few extra sprigs of mint or basil if desired, mostly so you can drink in their aroma. * Simple Syrup: In small saucepan, combine and simmer 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. Set saucepan in bowl of ice water until syrup is cool. Grab a tall glass and add Simple Syrup or sugar. Toss in mint leaves or basil leaves, torn in two if necessary, and lime juice. Use muddler to gently bruise the herbs against the glass to allow their flavorful oils to meld with the liquids. Fill glass three-quarters full with ice. Add coconut or fruit-flavored rum and top off with club soda. Use a sugarcane skewer, swizzle stick, or cocktail spoon to combine. June Bug 3 cups ginger ale 4 Tbsp. grenadine 4 Tbsp. orange juice 3 scoops orange sherbet Blend together ginger ale, grenadine, orange juice, and sherbet. Pour into ice-filled cocktail glasses. (To make a version with alcohol, add white rum.) Mimosas 12 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 2 oz. frozen limeade concentrate, thawed 2 cups cold water 6 cups pink Champagne and/or Champagne and/or sparkling apple juice, chilled 1 recipe Strawberry Ice Cubes* or ice cubes In a large container combine orange juice concentrate, limeade concentrate, and water. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Just before serving, carefully add the pink Champagne. To serve, transfer mixture to 2 large pitchers. Add Strawberry Ice Cubes to each glass before serving. * Strawberry Ice Cubes: Fill two ice cube trays with small fresh strawberries; add white grape juice or water. Freeze until firm. For other variations, use fresh blueberries or raspberries.
Poteet Strawberry Cakettes with Strawberry Glaze 11/2 cups cake flour 11/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup pureed fresh or frozen thawed strawberries 1/4 cup sour cream 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. lemon extract 1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel 3 egg whites 1 recipe Strawberry Glaze* Mint sprigs (if desired) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour (or coat with nonstick spray for baking) two baking pans that each hold 12 small (21/2-inch) bundt cakes. In a medium bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Poteet Strawberry Cakettes with Strawberry Glaze (continued) Add pureed strawberries, sour cream, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon peel. Add the flour mixture and beat just to combine. In a cold and clean bowl, use cold beaters to beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula. Pour batter into each bundt pan opening, filling only two-thirds full. Smooth top of batter with spatula to ensure evenness. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until cakes are set, very light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks 5 minutes. Invert onto cooling rack and cool completely. Drizzle each cakette with Strawberry Glaze and garnish with small sprigs of mint, if desired. * Strawberry Glaze: In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup pureed strawberries, 11/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/8 tsp. lemon extract until smooth and combined. Pour into a pastry bag with small tip or a self-sealing plastic bag. Makes about 3/4 cups. Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce 1 lime 2 mangoes, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped 1/4 cup honey 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper Snipped fresh cilantro 12 oz. fresh or thawed frozen peeled and deveined large shrimp Salt 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (4 oz.) Lime wedges (optional) Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Finely shred 1 tsp. peel from lime; set aside. Squeeze juice from lime. In a blender combine lime juice, 1 cup of the chopped mangoes, honey, and cayenne pepper; cover and process until smooth. Place 1/4 cup of the mango mixture in a shallow dish. Transfer remaining mixture to a bowl; top with lime peel and snipped fresh cilantro. Set aside for dipping sauce. coconut shrimp with mango sauce (continued) Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Place coconut in shallow dish. Dip shrimp in the 1/4 cup mango sauce and then in coconut, pressing to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until coconut is golden and shrimp are cooked through. Serve with dipping sauce, remaining chopped mango, additional cilantro, and lime wedges if desired.
Ricotta, Gorgonzola, and Honey spread 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese 6 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 1/2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed 1/4 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or 1/8 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed 1 Tbsp. honey 36 toasted baguette slices Sliced apples, fresh thyme, and/or toasted walnuts Honey Place ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in Gorgonzola, thyme, and rosemary until combined. Fold in honey until just combined. Spoon mixture into a serving bowl. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours. To serve, spread on baguette slices and top with apple slices, thyme, and/or walnuts. Drizzle with honey. Avocado Quesadillas 4 soft flour or corn tortillas 4 oz. Manchego cheese, sliced 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into chunks 16 canned or jarred jalapeño slices Lay 1 tortilla on a work surface. Place about a quarter of the cheese on one half, not too near edge so cheese will not melt out as it cooks. Top cheese with a quarter of the avocado and four jalapeño slices. Fold tortilla in half over filling to form a semicircle. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Slide uncooked quesadilla onto the pan. Squish down with a weight or just press briefly with a spatula. Cook 1 minute, then flip the quesadilla and grill 1 minute more or until cheese is melted. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and slice into 6 wedges. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sweet and Spicy Pecans 4 cups pecan halves 1/3 cup natural cane sugar 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary 1 Tbsp. sea salt, plus more to taste 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper 4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract sweet and spicy pecans (continued) Spread coated pecans on the same baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until toasted and fragrant, stirring once halfway through. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired. Cool pecans completely; they become more crisp as they cool. Store cooled pecans in an airtight container up to 1 week. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven for 5 to 7 minutes to lightly toast. Meanwhile, for the spice mixture, in a small bowl combine the sugar, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; stir to mix. In an extra-large bowl, combine the melted butter and vanilla. Add the toasted pecans to the bowl with butter and vanilla; toss to coat. Add the spice mixture; toss to coat nuts evenly.
Nannie s PIMiENTO CHEESE poteet strawberry cakettes great guacamole Ricotta, gorgonzola, and honey spread coconut shrimp with mango sauce Avocado Quesadillas
sweet and spicy pecans