White Peach Sangria | Summer Cocktail Recipes

I can't think of a better (and easier) drink to make for a Summer party than White Peach Sangria.  It is beautiful, easy to drink, refreshing, can easily be made in large quantities... and as potent as you want.  Sounds perfect to me.

If you're serving this at a celebration (or just a Saturday night...) try using half Proseco, an inexpensive Italian sparkling wine, for a little more festivity.

I served these at my Ladies Night Patio Party in my new rustic French Fleur de Lys glasses- I think they are the perfect casual, but elegant glass for sangria.


White Peach Sangria
the perfect summer drink


1 large 750ml bottle of Pinot Grigio (or any other white wine you like)

1 cup of Peach Brandy

2 tablespoons of sugar (you can add more if you like it a little sweeter)

4 peaches, sliced with skin on

1 orange, sliced

Ice (optional)

In a large pitcher (or two) combine all of the ingredients, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Serve chilled or with ice.

For the complete menu and all of the recipes from my Ladies Night Patio Party, click here!

Happy Friday from Emma!

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip with Vegetables

I think everyone loves crab rangoon.  Except my Dad, now that I think about it.  In fact, he doesn't like cream cheese at all- can you imagine?  Anyway, I'm quite sure that everyone else in the world, or more importantly, everyone at your at your next party will love this Crab Rangoon Dip.  Yes, you could serve it with fried wontons if you really want to do it, but I like it with crisp, fresh vegetables.  

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip
with crisp cool vegetables

2 small (4 oz.) cans of crab meat
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
8 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
chives (or green onions) for garnish

serve with :
carrots
cucumbers
celery
pita chips
fried wontons

In a mixer, combine soften cream cheese with sour cream, green onions, worcestershire and garlic.  Mix until combined.  Drain the crab from the excess liquid in the can.  Add the crab meat and stir it into the mixture.  Place in an oven proof bowl.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

For the complete menu and all of the recipes from my Ladies Night Patio Party, click here!

Tomato, Watermelon and Strawberry Salad by Lorin Fahrmeier of Fahrmeier Farms

I will admit, when I made the salad that I came up with in this photo, I didn't love my recipe... which is why I didn't shared it with you.  Lorin Fahrmeier sent me the recipe (below) as another version to try- it won an award last Spring, so it's gotta be good!  It is very similar to the version I came up with when I took this photo, but the drizzle is a balsamic dressing (yum) with tarragon and feta cheese (yum, yum).  So... The salad in the photo is so, so.  The salad in the recipe is amazing.  I hope that isn't too confusing...  For further clarification, the pictured salad is similar to the recipe below, but is missing the feta cheese and balsamic dressing that is included in the new and improved recipe.

Lorin is the newest addition (besides their new son- 6 weeks older than Emma) to the Fahrmeier Farms crew- she married my cousin a couple of years ago.  Their entire family operates a farm that specializes is growing high quality produce of classic and heirloom varieties.  As I mentioned before, their prize crop of heirloom tomatoes was the inspiration for my Tomato Tasting Dinner Party- they have countless varieties, and know every detail about each one. 

They sell their goods at farmers' markets, grocery stores, local gourmet restaurants and their own farm stands.  Not only are they excellent at growing beautiful fruits and vegetables, but they are truly experts in their field- focusing as much on educating consumers on the importance of eating local as they do sharing great ways to prepare their produce.   They have a vast collection of recipes (probably both out of necessity and abundance of crops...) that they've come up with or that have been shared with them by local chefs and eager customers.  Thanks for sharing this one with me, Lorin - it is much better than the version I originally came up with!

award winning

Tomato, Watermelon and Strawberry Salad
This recipe for a Tomato, Watermelon and Strawberry Salad comes courtesy of Lorin Fahrmeier of Fahrmeier Farms.

Ingredients:

2 beefsteak (or other large variety) tomatoes, stemmed, washed and dried. (I like to use colorful heirloom varieties or yellow tomatoes to add a pop of color and keep the tomatoes at room temperature to ensure the best flavor)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed, washed and dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves (lemon basil is also a good substitute)
1 pint local strawberries, hulled, washed and cut into very small pieces
2 cups cold watermelon, rind removed, seeded and cut into bite-size cubes
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons superfine (or granulated) sugar
1 small container feta cheese

Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (Use a good quality balsamic. I’ve also used a strawberry balsamic before.)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a bowl, whisk together the balsamic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes on a flat surface. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the larger ones into slices. Arrange all of them in a single layer, flesh side up on a serving platter. Season them with salt, black pepper and sugar. Next arrange the strawberries over the top of the tomatoes. Add watermelon cubes as the top layer. Drizzle the dressing over the top. Finally, sprinkle the tarragon and feta over the top to finish the salad. Serve Immediately.



To see the entire Heirloom Tomato Tasting Party with recipes and tips, click here!  

Ladies Night Cocktail Party on the Patio | Summer Entertaining

Sometimes I'm amazed by how things have a way of working out.  Last year, after living in Concord for a couple of months I had met a couple of people.  Literally, a couple of people.  Sure I waved at our neighbors and at the people at the dog park, but I hadn't met anyone that I would've called a friend- someone that I would've wanted to meet for coffee or invite to dinner.  As a person who spends a lot of time by myself working from home for myself, I'm used to braving the 9-to-5 alone until Mike gets home.  After a couple of months I remember saying to Mike - I miss friends.  Not only do I miss our friends- which is a big deal entirely, I miss having friends.

A few days later my neighbor, Jenny (also married to a Mike...), whom I had never met pulls over on the side of the road while I'm walking the Mr. and invites me to a Mom's Night Out- a Friday night at a local restaurant with a group of girls that need a night out.  Sometimes I'm amazed how things work out.

Ladies Night Cocktail Party on the Patio

It has been so fun for me to get out, meet some local ladies and chat-  just the perfect thing for a new gal in town.  This month I invited the crew to my house for sangria and appetizers on the patio.  Stay tuned this week for more details and all of the recipes!

White Peach Sangria

I think Sangria is a great thing to serve when you're hosting a cocktail party.  It's not just wine, it's not just a cocktail... the best part of both worlds and everyone loves it.

White Peach Sangria Recipe >>






























Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip 
with Vegetables

Everyone loves Crab Rangoon.  Period.  This dip version is basically the cream cheesy filling of the crab rangoon served hot with cold veggies... so good!  You can also serve it with fried wontons if you really want to go for the crab rangoon thing. 

Here is the recipe for Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip! 

 
























Summer Tomato, Zucchini & Olive Bruschetta

This is one of my favorites this year.  It is fresh and healthy- always nice to have a light option at a cocktail party so your guests can graze all night without feeling bad!

Recipe for Summer Tomato Zucchini & Olive Bruschetta, here!

























Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Skewers

This was one of my most popular menu items when I was a caterer.  The flavors are amazing with the shrimp... inspired by the Barefoot Contessa, of course.  They work just as well as a main course with pasta or a steak, if you're really going all out.

Here is the recipe for Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Skewers!

Bite Size S'mores

These were the hit of the night!  They are all of the goodness of the messy campfire treat without the bonfire or sticky mess.


Stay tuned this week for more details and all of the recipes!

 Here is the easy to pin strip!
 

Frozen Watermelon Margarita with an Heirloom Tomato Garnish| Summer Cocktail

This cocktail might just be "Summer" all wrapped up in frosty treat.  I've garnished this one with a slice of an heirloom tomato for the Tomato Tasting Dinner Party, but you can go for the traditional salt and lime for any kind of party.

frozen
Watermelon Margarita

makes 6 generous margaritas

1 seedless watermelon, approx. 6 cups
1 cup of tequila
1/4 cup of orange liquer
3 limes- 2 juiced, 1 sliced
sea salt

Cut watermelon into cubes, removing any black seeds.  Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Place the frozen watermelon cubes in the blender with 1 cup of tequila, orange liquer and lime juice.  Blend until smooth.  You may need to blend it in smaller batches, depending on the size of your blender. 

Serve with a salted rim and a slice of lime.

To see the entire Heirloom Tomato Tasting Party with recipes and tips, click here!

Summer Table Setting | Tomato Tasting Party Inspiration

For the Tomato Tasting Dinner Party, I wanted the setting to be very simple- farm-to-table-esque.

-Red Striped Natural Linen Napkins (that I made- see note below)
-A Cherry Tomato
-Herb Box Centerpiece (see note below)
-Match Pewter Bud Vase with White Zinnia
-Pewter Flatware
-White Pantry Plates
-Country Wine Glasses
-French Water Glasses
-Bare Wooden Table

Grilled Summer Vegetable "Bolognese" with Fresh Pasta

This recipe was inspired by a recent edition of Everyday Food magazine.  Sarah Carey called it a Summer Ratatouille pasta.  It has Eggplant, Tomatos, Peppers and Zucchini- all grilled.  The grilled tomatoes and eggplant broke apart and coated the pasta creating an amazingly fresh and very flavorful sauce... Mike and I were both shocked how delicious this was.  The texture and taste was almost like a meaty bolognese sauce- but it is all vegetable.  Really amazing.  This is going to be my 'go-to' pasta for the summer when I'm at the market drooling over all of the beautiful produce- I'll know exactly what I'm going to be making for dinner.  Oh, and if you want to go crazy with this, toss in some fresh mozzarella at the end and sprinkle on some crispy pancetta... makes it really over the top.

my version of...  
Grilled Summer Ratatouille
Vegetable "Bolognese"
with fresh pasta


1 eggplant, sliced lengthwise
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 yellow pepper, seeded and quartered
3 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
sea salt & pepper
......
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1 pound of pappardelle pasta (homemade recipe here, or store-bought)
......
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

fresh basil
fresh cherry tomatoes, halved

Combine 3 sliced cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a small bowl.  Brush the oil on all sides of the sliced vegetables.  Reserve the remaining oil.  Sprinkle each vegetable with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Grill the vegetables for 3-4 minutes on each side until good color has developed and the vegetables are tender.  Remove the vegetables from the grill and bring them inside, let cool.  Cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces. 

Celebrating Tomato Season | Tomato Tasting Party

Recently, I was asked to contribute to the The Party Dress Magazine.  My contribution was to be... a party celebrating Tomato Season.





It was an easy task for me as for the last three years I have attended my cousins' Fahrmeier Farms Tomato Days back in Kansas City- a festival held at their farm with local chefs that prepare recipes featuring heirloom tomatoes picked fresh from their fields.

Many of the chefs had created great inventive dishes- sorbets, spicy gazpachos, soups, etc., but my favorite stop at the festival was the actual tomato tasting tent.  They had out every variety (15+), sliced ready for tasting and comparing- inspiration!  A tasting would be the perfect start for my Tomato Celebration Dinner Party.



So, for the Tomato Celebration Party, I decided to start the evening off with the "Tomato Tasting" instead of hors d'oeuvres.  I displayed a variety of sliced tomatoes and a board, served with sea salt and a bit of fresh basil... the perfect and simplest way to enjoy real summer tomatoes.

With the Tomato Tasting I offered another Summer favorite- Frozen Watermelon Margarita with an Heirloom Cherry Tomato Garnish.  

Fresh Watermelon Margarita Recipe- here!

For the setting, I created a custom Painted Linen Napkin (the easiest craft you'll ever do- see other samples here!) with red stripes on an oatmeal linen.  Click here for more details on the setting.

For the main course, I decided to use the tomatoes in a different way than typically served- they're grilled.  In fact, I used every Summer vegetable I could find- tomatoes, eggplant, squash, peppers- brushed them with olive oil, then they were grilled and tossed with fresh pasta.  The tomatoes and eggplant broke apart, creating this amazingly fresh and flavorful sauce that coated the pasta- it was almost the texture of a meaty bolognese sauce.  It was really amazing- Mike was convinced there was meat in it!

Summer Vegetable Bolognese with Fresh Pasta Recipe, here!

It had never occurred to me to grill tomatoes.  They had such great flavor from the grill and were cooked perfectly- ready to fall apart into a sauce, but not into a mushy mess.  The texture was amazing.

For dessert, a really fresh taste of the best of Summer- a Strawberry, Watermelon and Tomato Salad with a sweet basil drizzle.  Recipe coming later this week!

For more Summer Inspiration, visit my Summer Entertaining Guide home page- I've created links and shortcuts for everything from great Grilled Appetizers, Summer Menus, Tomato Recipes, Simple Summer Table Settings, Summer Travel and more.

Here is the easy-to-pin strip!