Recipe Review 7/9/07

The weather has gotten way to warm to be doing much more than salads, but a mid-week holiday offsets that because you can make lots all in one go! Especially if you have company.

For the 4th of July I made:
Rose Sangria
Grilled Eggplant Stacks
Grilled Shrimp and Scallop skewers
a blueberry, blue cheese and spicy pecan salad with a maple vinaigrette


Grilled Eggplant Stack (Ckng Lght July 07, pg 145) 8
These were excellent. Eggplant is cut into 1/4 inch medallions, zucchini and summer squash sliced the long way, red pepper quartered and flattened. A good goat cheese is blended with oregano and basil. While the eggplant and squash are grilled, a balsamic and red wine vinegar reduction is made on the stove top. The medallions and squash slices are thinly spread with goat cheese and a little sandwich is created, with the reduction topping all. The cheese melts so very nicely and everything together is just a wonderful combination of flavors. I served this as a side to grilled shrimp and scallops and it was perfect.

Rose Sangria (Ckng Lght ??) 8
Another sangria recipe (I'll have to look up the particulars again) that turned out really good. Strawberries, oranges and raspberries are combined with triple sec, orange juice and a dash of sugar and chilled for a good hour. Then cold sparkling white zinfandel is added and everything is served over ice. This recipe said it served 8, but I think realistically 4 would be a better estimate (three of us were very happy). I liked the simplicity and ability to make most of this ahead of time.