STARS AND STRIPES
The fourth of July is my favorite holiday. Living in the mountains, it means summer has finally arrived. The smells of summer swirl in the air and laughter resounds. It is a special time to gather with friends and catch up on life’s adventures while sharing a meal together next to some water or in the backyard. This year I wanted a menu that could be prepared in the morning and then easily shared with friends and family, so I wasn’t in the kitchen all day. I landed on spicy buttermilk fried chicken with several salads and a fruit dessert (all of which can be made in advance). This menu was decided on after going to my friend Carla Malloy’s farm Elder Flat Farm in Los Alamos,California, and harvesting local kale, radish, mint, lemon verbena, lemons, nasturtiums, and calendula.
I set the table with oversized wooden plates and tied the silverware in navy blue bandanas. I filled buckets with Topo Chico and the simple syrups for the beverages so people could easily make their own. For an elevated gift, I made a tin camping candle with essence of Citronella and White Sage and wrapped those in blue bandanas and tied them with a leather hang tag. I filled a jar with flowering lemon verbena and used this simple flavorful herb as the centerpiece.
Menu
Spicy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Summer Crostini with Goat Cheese and Radish
Tomato and Strawberry Salad with Mint
Emily’s Kale salad
Blackberry, Peach, and Thyme Crostata
Watermelon Slices with Calendula Flowers
Drinks
Blackberry Ranch Water
Watermelon Lemonade
Elevated Gift
Citronella and White Sage Camp Candle
SPICY BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN
Originally I was intimidated to try to make fried chicken. I was worried it would be raw on the inside and had a hard time getting the stove up to temperature when frying. I found a recipe from Ina Garden and modified it with different spices and herbs. This fried chicken is finished in the oven which makes cook through while staying tender and juicy with a beautiful crispy skin.
INGREDIENTS
1 package chicken thighs bone-in (about 6-8)
1 package of chicken drumsticks (about 6-8)
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
1 jalapeno cut lengthwise (optional)
Vegetable oil
Maldon Sea Salt for sprinkling on top
METHOD
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and jalapeno if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece thoroughly with the flour mixture. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed stockpot to a depth of 1 inch and heat to 360 degrees on a thermometer.
Working in batches, carefully place several pieces of chicken in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven). Don’t crowd the pieces. Remove the chicken from the oil and place each piece on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan. Allow the oil to return to 360 degrees before frying the next batch. When all the chicken is fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
SUMMER CROSTINI WITH COAT CHEESE AND RADISH
This recipe came to life with the beautiful purple radishes from Elder Flat Farm. The lemon and goat cheese and fresh herbs make it a delicious appetizer.
INGREDIENTS
Sourdough baguette sliced ¾ inch think
1-2 cup goat cheese
Sliced radish
A few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme or chives
Maldon Sea Salt
Lemons
METHOD
Lightly brush your bread slices with olive oil. Toast in your broiler until golden. Smear with goat cheese, top with sliced radish, drizzle with lemon, olive oil and top with salt and herbs
GOLDEN TOMATO AND STRAWBERRY SALAD TOPPED WITH MINT
This salad is bright, very simple to throw together, and a huge hit with the children.
INGREDIENTS
1 package of sun gold tomatoes
1 package of cherry tomatoes
1 package of baby strawberry’s
Olive oil
Juice of one lime
Mint to garnish
METHOD
Cut the cherry tomatoes length wise and add to the bowl. Cut the strawberries in half. Toss together in a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and the juice of a lime. Garnish with mint
EMILY’S KALE SALAD
A salad is a staple in our home, my sister has been making this salad for years. The best part is it will keep for about three days and get better over time as the dressing breaks down the greens.
INGREDIENTS
2 heads of torn kale
1 small shallot, diced
¼ cup of Bragg Liquid Aminos
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup of olive oil
¼ Roasted sesame seeds
½ Pepitas seeds
METHOD
Combine Bragg, oil, lemon juice, and shallot in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Tear or chop kale and rinse. In a large bowl, top kale with dressing. Let sit stirring often for several hours. Toast sesame seeds in a pan and add the seeds and pepitas to the salad. This salad will last for up to three days in the fridge.
BLACKBERRY PEACH AND THYME CROSTATA’S
What better combination than colorful blackberry’s and peaches. Thyme adds an unexpected herbal bite!
INGREDIENTS
For the Dough:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, frozen and cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup ice water
1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
FOR THE FILLING
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 ripe but firm peaches, halved,
pitted, and cut into ½ inch wedges
6 ounces fresh blackberries⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
METHOD
Dough:
Place the four, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in pea-size pieces. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and ice water. Slowly pour the vinegar water into the food processor, pulsing to combine. Pulse just until the dough begins to hold together. Transfer it to a clean work surface and pat together. Shape the dough into a round and cut it into four equal pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Filling:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a small bowl, rub the sugar and thyme together with your fingers to release the herbs oils. Place the peaches and blackberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the thyme sugar, salt, lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract, and four over the fruit. Toss to coat.
Roll each piece of dough into a ¼-inch-thick round and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Divide the fruit evenly between the circles, mounding it into the center of the dough and leaving a 1½-inch (4-cm) border all around. Fold the edges up around the filling. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle them with the turbinado sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes
WATERMELON MINT LEMONADE
The kids could not get enough of this lemonade, it is sure to be in the rotation all summer long.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 4 lemons)
5 to 6 cups of watermelon, cubed
2 sprigs of mint
METHOD
In a pot on high heat, bring sugar and water to a light boil until the sugar is dissolved and your mixture is clear—this will be your simple syrup. Turn off the heat and toss in the sprigs of mint. Allow mint to steep for 15 minutes, then remove it from your simple syrup and discard sprigs. Allow mint-infused syrup to cool for about 10 minutes and then pour into your blender with the watermelon. Blend until smooth and then pour mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher to get rid of any unwanted seeds or pulp. Add lemon juice to the pitcher and stir. Serve immediately over ice with a sprig of mint for garnish.
BLACKBERRY RANCH WATER
I first had Ranch Water in Marfa,Texas, on a girls trip. It was made with silver tequila, Topo Chico, lots of fresh squeezed lime juice and a corse sea salt rim. I added a touch of sweet with the homemade blackberry simple syrup and topped it with some mint.
INGREDIENTS
Blackberry simple syrup:
Blackberries
1 cup sugar
2 cups of water
Cocktail
Silver Tequila
Topo Chico
Garnish with mint, lime and fresh blackberries
METHOD
Add simple syrup ingredients and simmer for 20 min mashing the blackberries to get all the color and flavor out. Strain and pour into a glass bottle with tight fitting lid. Mix your desired amount of tequila, Topo Chico, and simple syrup and top with garnishes
