Caprese salad is one I make all the time in the summer months once we start getting good Jersey tomatoes.  Burrata cheese is a fresh Italian cheese that is made of mozzarella and cream.  It is very similar to fresh mozzarella but the center is creamy.  Along with roasted tomatoes, burrata cheese adds a nice twist to caprese salad. 

You'll Need:

For salad:
3/4 lb mixed yellow and red cherry tomatoes, or just use regular fresh garden tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
1 pkg baby romaine or mixed greens, enough for 4 small salads
1 lb fresh burrata cheese at room temp (leave out of fridge for about 30 min prior to making salad)
10 fresh basil leaves, julienned (sliced into thin strips)


For dressing:
1/8 tsp dry mustard
salt & fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Half the tomatoes and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a shallow baking pan under broiler for a few minutes until skins just start to get browned.
Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare dressing.  

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

Arrange salad greens on a serving plate, top with burrata cheese and the tomatoes (which should be about room temperature by now).  Sprinkle the julienned basil on top of the cheese and tomatoes.  Then drizzle the dressing over all and serve immediately.  If making ahead, add dressing right before serving. 

This is an easy but delicious summery salad that I KNOW I ate long ago at Emily's beach house, but she has no rememberance of it...who knows where it came from but it was great and here's what i came up with from what I tasted (or perhaps imagined I tasted).   

Ingredients:
1 lb uncooked cheese tortellini
6-8 oz fresh baby spinach
8-10 oz polish keilbasa
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese
Drizzle of olive oil

Cook the tortellini according to package directions being careful not to overcook (test pasta atleast 2 minutes prior to recommended cooking time).  Drain and place in a large serving bowl.  

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and drizzle in a titch of olive oil.  Slice your keilbasa into little disks about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.  Working in batches so you dont crowd the pan, brown the keilbasa on both sides in your saute pan.  Don't stir them too much, just add them to the pan and then flip them when they are browned.  As they are done, add them to the bowl with the tortellini.  Don't wipe out your keilbasa pan.  

Wash spinach well and add that to your saute pan.  Cover with a lid and let it wilt slightly.  This will only take a minute or maybe less.  Add the spinach to your bowl.  

Add the tomatoes to your saute pan and cook just until warmed through, maybe a minute.  Add the tomatoes to your bowl, as well, then top with parm.  

Toss and serve!  

Note: If your keilbasa is leaner (like turkey keilbasa) you may need a drizzle of olive oil over the salad.  Salad can be eaten warm, room temp, or cold.  Serves 6-8.  

There is an awesome ice cream shop in our town that we love to go to in the summer called Washtenaw Dairy.  They are the real deal...homemade donuts, homemade ice cream, a kiddie size that could feed a horse and a line wrapped around the corner every time you go! But...after making this recipe for strawberry ice cream my visits may become less and less frequent!  It's pretty amazing.  And making it with fresh strawberries just adds that little bit of summertime wonderfulness that makes it taste even better!

For the ice cream batter:
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk (the less fat the milk has the less creamy - I used skim and it was still delicious)
2 cups of heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

For the strawberries
4 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup sugar

To make:
Mix the strawberries with the 1/4 cup of sugar and gently mash them up.  Set aside in the fridge for later.

Heat the milk (not the heavy cream) in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Prepare an ice bath by setting a 2-quart bowl over a larger bowl partially filled with ice water.  Set a strainer over the smaller bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl or in your mixer, whisk together the egg yolks and cup of sugar until pale yellow in color and the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the milk from the heat.  Gradually pour the warmed milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.  If you heat your milk too much then when you add it to the yolks some of the eggs may "scramble" - if this happens it's ok - you can strain out those pieces later.

Pour the mixture back into the same saucepan you used to warm the milk. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. (You can tell it's right if you dip the wooden spoon in the batter and then draw a line in the batter on the spoon with your finger - if the line stays you are good to go!).  You don't want the batter to boil or foam or bubble - this means your eggs are scrambling!

Strain the batter into the top bowl of the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and stir over the ice bath until cool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for about 8 hours.

Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to make the vanilla ice cream base.  As the ice cream gets harder and more frozen (like soft serve consistency) add your strawberries and their juices until combined.  

Take a bite...heck, serve yourself a bowl if you are not patient enough to wait any longer...or you can put your ice cream in the freezer for a bit to get it to hard ice cream consistency.  And enjoy!!!

This is a cocktail to be served in a brandy snifter, with a lot of ice.  It's a strong fancy rum drink.... the perfect ending to a long day with the kids! 

For one generous cocktail, you'll need:

2 oz dark rum
1 1/2 oz Liquor 43 

3 sprigs of fresh cilantro
1 lime 

Muddle cilantro and juice from 1/2 lime. 

In shaker filled with ice, combine rum and Liquor 43 and juice from the remaining 1/2 of lime, and shake vigorously.

Fill your glass with muddled cilantro and lime juice, then top with the rum/Liquor 43 from shaker.  Garnish with a piece of lime and serve immediately. 

And relax!

My girl friends and I had an absolutely awesome dinner at this place in Saugatuck, Michigan called Phil's...nothing fancy about the name or the look of the place, but the food was really amazing.  My favorite part of our dinner was a black bean quesadilla (which was our first course, followed by some incredible fish tacos!).  Here is my not-too-shabby attempt at making something just as tasty at home.

For the quesadilla:
Flour or corn tortillas (I used flour)
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced/pressed
1 lime, juiced
2 cups sweet potatoes, cubed 
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped jalapenos (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
S & Pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Shredded cheese (jack, colby, chedder, whichever you prefer - I used a combo of jack and sharp cheddar)
Butter or oil for grilling

Optional garnish:
Sour cream
Cilantro
Salsa

To make:
Pre-heat your oven to 350F.  Mix together the black beans, garlic, lime juice, sweet potatoes, onions,  and jalapenos (if using) along with the cumin, chili powder and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Toss in a bowl with the olive oil and then spread along a baking pan in an even layer.  

Cook, mixing and tossing every once in a while for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender (stick with a fork and taste).   

Heat up a pan or skillet for making your dillas.  Melt butter or spread a thin layer of oil on the pan.  Arrange your quesadilla by layering a tortilla, black bean/potato mix, a sprinkle of cilantro, and finally layer of shredded cheese.

Top with another tortilla and cooked on both sides until lightly browned and perfectly crispy.  You might need two spatulas to turn these puppies over if you use big tortillas like I did!  

Use a knife or pizza cutter to slice into wedges and serve with sour cream, salsa, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.  Step aside Phil...these are darn good!