White Gazpacho (With Grapes)

I've never made traditional gazpacho before - "tomato soup served ice cold". But that didn't stop me from attempting a white gazpacho, made with grapes.  I'm not going to say this dish was a rousing success, but it was a good way to make use of grapes, and it tasted interesting.  

Matt came home from the farmers market with these beautiful Niagara grapes.  They were a little sour to eat as a snack, so I thought I'd make something out of them.  I found this recipe for Spanish white gazpacho and tweaked it a bit.  

Here's what you need:

Simple Prosciutto & Cantaloupe Salad

For the last, lazy days of summer, here's a simple and delicious salad that pairs two of my favourite things: melon and prosciutto.  

Beautiful, ripe summer cantaloupe is amazing with salty prosciutto.  I normally just wrap the prosciutto around the melon and call it a day, but this salad is so much more sophisticated.

Dark Chocolate Gelato

If you're looking for a super-rich dark chocolate ice cream, this is the one.  This was my first time making chocolate ice cream.  I've made chocolate mint and strawberry before.  The consistency of this was very different but the taste was amazing! 

The recipe comes from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.  I only made a few little changes.  

Here's what you need:

Quinoa and Potato Salad with Sausage and Tarragon

This combo may sound a little odd, but it's very tasty, full of protein and makes a nice, filling main course salad.  Leftovers are great for lunch the next day.  

The recipe came from Serious Eats. Since I had almost all the ingredients on hand, I gave it a whirl.  Here's what you need:

Watermelon Feta Salad

Don't be scared.  It may seem weird to mix watermelon with savoury feta but the taste is so delicious!  It is sweet, salty and refreshing.  I highly recommend this for lunch or dinner! 

I used a quarter of a medium-sized melon for 2 generous servings.  Remove the skin from the watermelon. 

Wild Blueberry Puff Pastry Galette

The other day I mentioned I've never made a pie crust.  Even thought we were blessed with some amazing wild blueberries, I've still managed to avoid it.  I plan to make one someday, but until then, this super-simple galette will do for sure.  

A galette is essentially a free-form pie or tart.  The pastry is folded over the filling in a casual way, not crimped and fancy like a regular pie crust. Perfect for my lazy dessert stylings.  

We happened to be in Muskoka recently and saw some wild blueberries available at the roadside.  They came from Sudbury and were not cheap, but they were very tasty!  

Patty Melts

This may be obvious to many people, but patty melts are great!  I'd never had one before and was pleasantly surprised by how simple and delicious they are.  It's not a particularly healthy choice, since it's basically a burger crossed with a grilled cheese sandwich, but it really hits the spot. 

All you need is:
Ground beef
Rye bread
Swiss cheese
Onions
Butter

Spicy Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

Not everyone's husband would be enthusiastic about the idea of cold melon soup. I'm pretty lucky.  

I used to hate cantaloupe more than any other fruit.  In the dead of winter, it just tastes gross in a grocery store fruit tray.  But then I tried a local, ripe summer cantaloupe and I saw what all the fuss was about.  

We found some farm-fresh cantaloupe on a country drive and couldn't resist.  But I knew the two of us couldn't get through a whole melon by just slicing and eating it.  

I found this recipe from Martha Stewart for chilled cantaloupe soup, which couldn't be easier or more refreshing.