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After recovering from pork fest 2010, I had to gear up for a backyard barbecue baby shower for one of my besties, Amani. Co-party chef, Cheryl, and I made a bunch of tasty salads, kebabs, and bevies for one hot day. Since we didn't use any recipes, I am providing more of a visual documentation of our buffet. I did manage a separate attempt at the orzo salad today because it was actually pretty tasty and would be nice to have waiting in the fridge on a hot day.
Normally I hate pasta salad because the experience of eating it reminds me of eating Twizzlers, but without the "cherry" flavor. Chewy starch that's under-salted and generally under-flavored is not my idea of a good use of calories (unless the chewy starch is covered in pesto). However, using a smaller pasta like orzo and intensely flavored ingredients like sundried tomatoes and Kalamata olives helps to make every bite delicious.
Full disclosure: This second round of making the orzo salad was actually my third. On Friday night while doing prep, I overcooked the orzo while attempting to make 4 full boxes in a single stock pot. (I didn't realize that I wouldn't then be able to lift the pot of boiling orzo. Ooops.) This latest version didn't turn out quite like the first time, or even the second time, probably because I wasn't stressed out that guests would be arriving while I was still making it. Perhaps adrenaline is the missing ingredient.
White wine sangria with peaches, nectarines, and plums and strawberry lemonade. We made a watermelon lemonade after that ran out...
Watermelon feta salad
Cucumber salad with yogurt, mint, and garlic
Orzo salad
The grilled veggies were cooked on separate skewers for even cooking...onion kebabs, squash kebabs, red pepper kebabs...then unskewered for serving.
Chicken and hangar steak were marinated overnight in olive oil, lemon peel, garlic, parsley, oregano, and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. The kebabs were skewered then seasoned with salt and pepper right before grilling.
Summer Orzo Salad
1 (16-ounce) box dried orzo
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered or 5 plum tomatoes, diced
2 (6-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil, finely chopped
1 cup crumbled feta, goat cheese, or cubed fresh mozzarella
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Strain into a colander and run under cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly.
2. Add the tomatoes, artichokes, olives, and cheese to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the cooked orzo, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basil. Stir, taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serves 8.
I've been meaning to reveal my mystery beverage all summer (well, since I posted about it a month ago), but I couldn't come up with anything clever to call it. And now that summer is almost (un)officially over, the time is now (with or without a witty name)!
I thought at first that I should name it after the fabulous blogger who first introduced me to the inspirational beverage at Emporio. (You can read about it here.) I considered The QueenB, as WendyB, amazing jewelry designer and blogger extraordinaire, often designs with historical queens in mind (here's one of my favorite WendyB pieces), but she actually thought I should name it after myself...along the lines of The Tinagria. Wait. Did I just give it away? Yes...drumroll please...it's sangria! A white version with peaches and nectarines!
Ooooo...Ahhhhh...Was that thud someone fainting with shock and surprise? Oh, nevermind. It's just my annoying upstairs neighbor.
Below is my interpretation of the white sangria at Emporio. I actually have no idea what they put in their sangria, but this is a pretty good version if I do say so myself. I definitely recommend making it the day before you plan to drink it. The flavor is much more pronounced the longer you can allow the fruit to macerate in the wine. However, if you can't wait, or if your fruit is just shy of ripe and not particularly juicy, just add a touch more peach nectar to the mixture. There are only a few more days (weeks?) of fresh peaches, so get cracking! And if you have any clever suggestions for the official drink name, please don't hesitate to let me know!
The QueenB Peachy Picnic Punch Tinagria
1 (750-ml) bottle dry white wine (something that you are happy to drink without added fruit)
1/3 cup Triple Sec (or Cointreau)
1/4 - 1/2 cup Peach nectar
2 fresh ripe peaches, pitted and chopped
2 fresh rip nectarines, pitted and chopped
1. Add the wine, Triple Sec, 1/4 cup peach nectar, and the chopped fruit to a large pitcher and stir. Chill, covered, for up to 24 hours. Taste and add more peach nectar if desired. Serve over ice.*Note: For a lighter, spritzier sangria, top with club soda and stir.
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