Tennessee Locavore

Keeping cool with Watermelon Margaritas

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Please come visit me at my new site, Mouth From The South!

Like a lot of the rest of the country, we're melting here in Knoxville.  It's been a miserable summer with dry, hot weather and since we live in an old house with only a few window units, we try to keep cooking to the minimum when it gets hot out.  In fact, it's been so bad this past week, we haven't felt much like eating at all.  Add in the fact that we're currently in the middle of some major demolition work and a minor disaster that allowed plaster dust to rain into our kitchen and I hope you can understand why I'm having trouble getting motivated to turn a stove on.

What I can get motivated about is cool drinks, preferably with a little booze in them to take the edge off.  These are easy to make, refreshing and strangely addictive.  In fact, I recently made them for a get together and an avowed beer drinker came back for seconds and thirds.

I've made them several times and it wasn't until last night that I thought that freezing the watermelon might make them even better.  Unfortunately, I was not able to test this theory out as I had just finished making a batch and didn't want to drink myself under the table.

Using tequila around the rim of glasses is a tip I picked up from Alton Brown.  It works much better than lime juice and it's what I use whenever I make margaritas.

 

If any of you have a surefire way to keep cool in the kitchen, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Watermelon Margaritas
Adapted from Cooking Light
Yield:  6 servings

2 teaspoons sugar
3 1/2 cups cubed & seeded watermelon
1/2 cup tequila plus 1 tablespoon extra
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Triple Sec

Place 2 teaspoons of sugar in a saucer.  Place 1 tablespoon tequila in a saucer.  Wet the rim of your glass by placing it in the saucer of tequila and then place in the saucer of sugar so that the rim of the glass is coated with sugar. Set aside.

Combine watermelon, 1/2 cup tequila, 2 tablespoons sugar, the lime juice and Triple Sec in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Fill each prepared glass with 1/2 cup crushed ice.  Fill glasses and drink.  Feel cooler already!

Please click here for a printable recipe!

 

 

I Get By With a Little Help from my Friends, and some Peach Basil Sangria!

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Please come visit me at my new site, Mouth From The South!

 Pardon the glass - it's the only one not packed up or covered in plaster dust right now!

The past few months have been some of the most stressful my family has ever dealt with.  I've mentioned before that I can be an irritatingly positive person and I can usually roll with the punches.  Lately, it's just felt like the hits keep on coming.  I refuse to be beaten but I do feel a little battered at this point.

I've been doing a lot of soul searching about my life and this blog.  I miss blogging but I oftentimes allow things I love to become a huge stressor in my life.  I've let that happen with this blog and I hate it because there are so many things I enjoy about food blogging.  Cooking soothes my soul & I get so much joy cooking for my loved ones or hearing that someone tried a recipe I posted and loved it.  I've also rediscovered my love for writing.  I've gotten to the point where writing for the sake of writing has become very fulfilling.  I'm also so grateful at the relationships I've formed because of this blog.  Some of the nicest people I've met have been because of this blog.  And I absolutely hate it that this blog has become another thing that I feel guilty about not getting done.

I'm an expert at perfectionistic procrastination - there are so many times in my life where I feel like I live by a quote from Voltaire  "The perfect is the enemy of the good".  I'm hesitant to post any post when it doesn't live up to my impossible standards.  So what happens is I don't post. Which is a completely moronic way of dealing with it, but there you go.

I'm making things way too complicated <sarcasm>which comes as a HUGE shock to my husband </sarcasm>  A lot of times I'll try 5 or 6 different recipes for a particular dish in order to get the best one.  I also like posting original recipes but between running my own business, renovating a 100 year-old house and dealing with the latest events in our lives, I don't have time to do this very often right now.

I'm also hesitant to post the simpler dishes that my husband and I eat on a regular basis because I usually assume that everyone knows about them already.  Every summer my husband and I live on watermelon and feta salad - I figured that everyone knew about this dish until I mentioned it to a few of my friends and they had never heard of it and were intrigued.

I also like posting more than just recipes - my favorite blogs are those that tell the story behind the recipe or those that share their lives along with their recipes. So many of my favorite blogs are favorites because of the writing behind them.  And that gets into my biggest fear - my fear of writing poorly.  To say I'm insecure about my writing would be putting it mildly.  I know that the only way to get better is to write but there are so many times I feel like banging my head against the wall because what I want to write just doesn't get executed the way I want it to.

So the solution to all of this?  I'm going to suck it up and just post.  I may cringe before I publish something but the only way to get over my fear of writing poorly is to just freaking write. So that's what I'm going to do. 

I've been drinking Sangria since my college days.  I remember one memorable evening when I was in college in DC.  Finals were over and I went out with a bunch of friends to celebrate at one of our favorite open patio restaurants.  I learned a very important lesson that night - it's never a good idea to eat all the fruit out of a pitcher of sangria! Otherwise you end up in the middle of Massachusetts Avenue with your friends taking pictures of you looking like this:

I've also learned that I'm not a fan of boozy sangrias for other reasons - sangria seems like such a summery drink to me and lots of alcohol in it just seems to weigh it down.  One of the reasons I love this Peach Basil Sangria so much is that it's so refreshing and light.  It also celebrates summer without being cloying - don't leave the basil out.  The basil is what makes this drink so delicious.

This recipe is dedicated to all of my friends who've laughed with me, cried with me and just let me be me over the last few months.  When life handed me lemons, you all squeezed lemons and drank sangria with me - both virtually and in real life.  You all are the best.  

Basil Peach Sangria

I've had this recipe on my computer for years now and I have no idea where it came from.  Thanks to wobbely at the message board I run, I think I may have found where it originally came from.

Note: Do not use a white wine that's overly sweet.  It makes the sangria way too cloying.

1 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice(make sure to use freshly squeezed juice)
2 cans peach nectar (23 fluid ounces total)
1 (750-ml) bottle chilled dry white wine
2 peaches, peeled & diced

In a small saucepan, add basil, sugar and lemon juice.  Mix together, bruising the leaves with a wooden spoon as much as possible to let out all the essential oils in the basil.  Add one can of peach nectar and bring to a simmer.  Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and let sit for at least five minutes.  Pour mixture through a sieve into a heatproof container.  Discard basil leaves.  Stir in wine, peaches and other can of peach nectar.  Chill for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.  Serve with friends.  Laugh lots.

Please click here for a printable recipe!

For a different take on this drink, check out EatWisconsin's version!

Snuggling in on a Snowy Day with Three Cheese Fondue with Champagne and Brie

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Please come visit me at my new site, Mouth From The South!

The past couple of weeks have been the kind of weeks that make me feel like my hummingbird status (so named by my husband) has been revoked and all that's left is me as a giant dodo bird.  I feel slow, stagnant, frustrated, anxious and overwhelmed.  Part of that is situational - we've recently gotten bad news about Marcus's Dad's health and we've both been struggling with a virus that will not go away.  And part of it is this time of year - late winter is never the best of times for me. I'm ready to go to bed and you can wake me up in April. 

All of this has left me feeling like I'm not me - I feel like an alien in my own body.  Normally, I'm the type of person that can be irritatingly positive.  Embarrassingly enough, I've even been described as perky. I prefer spaz.  I'm usually wildly passionate about life - now, the only thing I seem to be passionate about is a nap.

I've learned through the years that when this time of year comes around, I have to be kind, but firm to myself.  The one thing I try desperately not to stint on is exercise.  Please don't get me wrong - I've never been the type of person who jumps with glee at the thought of exercise.  But I allow myself no excuses this time of year. As crappy as I feel now, I know that I'll feel even worse if I don't make myself move in some way.  I've recently upped the number of yoga classes I'm taking and my husband has been given full nagging rights in order to guilt trip me into going to them.  On the days when I feel worst, I try to make myself go outside and walk, even if it's just ten minutes.

I've also learned to ask for help.  I had a project that was weighing down on me and instead of turning into a seething ball of anxiety, I asked for help.  I hated to do it but it had to be done.  I've also learned not to pretend like everything is ok. I no longer reply with an automatic "Fine" when someone asks me how I am.  I like to think that giving myself permission to not always be happy and peppy gives other people permission to let down their guard.

Most importantly, I've learned that no matter what I do or what I try, I'm never going to feel full of energy this time of year.  So I'm trying to let that ideal go - with degrees of varying success.  I expect a lot of myself but I also know that setting myself up for failure isn't going to do me any favors.  I'm never going to feel like 100% Kristina this time of year so I let that go.  It's ok to feel the gloom a bit.  Because Spring is coming.

I wanted to get this posted before Valentine's Day - obviously, that didn't happen.  We didn't even end up eating this for Valentine's Day. Both my husband and I were so sick that we made do with dumplings (for good luck for the Chinese New Year) and egg drop soup from the closest Chinese restaurant.  Instead we made this a few days later while clouds overhead spit down snowflakes and the temperature dropped.  As perfect as it would have been for Valentine's Day, it was even more perfect on a snowy, cold night a few nights later.

This is one of my favorite fondues.  The shallot and champagne give a wonderful depth to the nutty, buttery cheeses. And please don't forget the nutmeg - the nutmeg makes this dish SING! 

Three-Cheese Fondue with Champagne
(Adapted from Epicurious)

4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups dry (brut) Champagne
1 large shallot, chopped 
2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 7 ounces) 
1 1/3 cups coarsely grated Emmenthal cheese (about 5 ounces) 
1/2 cup diced rindless Brie or Camembert cheese (about 3 ounces) 
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg(freshly grated nutmeg is wonderful on this)
Pinch of ground white pepper 
1 French-bread baguette, crust left on, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
Anything else you want to dip - we also had pieces of apple & pear, grapes, steamed potatoes, green beans & brocoli

Put bread cubes in a baking pan in single layer.  Put pan in oven preheated to 300 degrees.  Keep in oven until toasted to a light brown. 

Mix cornstarch and lemon juice in small bowl and stir until dissolved.  

Bring everything out and put in place so you're ready to eat when the fondue is done.

Mix champagne and shallot in fondue pot and heat on medium until simmering.  Simmer for two minutes then remove from the heat. 

Immediately add all three cheeses and lemon juice and cornstarch mixture(give this a quick stir right before adding).  Stir until combined. Cheese will partially melt but you will need to put back on the heat over medium to finish.  

Heat over medium until the cheese is melted and fondue thickens. 

Add generous sprinkling of ground nutmeg.  For best results use whole nutmeg freshly ground using a microplane grater.  

Keep over low heat while eating. We needed to keep ours on warm and turn up the heat for about 30 seconds about every 5-10 minutes to keep it nice and melted. Dip in! And make sure to finish off that bottle of champagne!

Please click here for a printable recipe!

There is nothing...I repeat, nothing more awesome than Neil Diamond.

My love for Neil Diamond knows no bounds.  In my younger, much cooler days, I used to be horrified by the musical selections of my father.  He had a deep and abiding love for Irish folk music and James Taylor.  And Dad - seriously, could you turn down the Carly Simon?!!  Now that I fully embrace my dorkdom, I'm free to love whatever music entertains me.  Which is why Neil Diamond's "America" will always have a place on my July 4th playlist, along with The Bruce's "Born in the USA" and 2 Live Crew's "Banned in the USA".

Unlike the merry band of corporate shills at The Center For "Consumer Freedom", I celebrated my freedom by eating my way through a day where as many foods as possible were produced by local food producers.  We kicked off the day by heading to our local farmer's market where we stuffed ourselves with locally produced baked goods.  I even convinced myself that the carrot cake I had for breakfast had to be healthy because it lacked cream cheese icing.  

For lunch, we had leftovers from the day before - grilled local lamb and onions, flatbread made with my sourdough and tomato salad made from tomatoes and herbs in our back yard.

For a snack, we had grilled local corn.  It was the first corn of the season.  I think the splotches on the porch floor made by butter dripping off our elbows might wear off by summer's end.

We managed to make it to about 3pm before imbibing any booze and when I got a taste of the Basil Peach White Wine Sangria made with local peaches, I wish we had started drinking earlier.  The basil we picked from our garden made this drink - it kept it from being too sweet and cloying.

For a late dinner, we made our traditional 4th meal - smoked turkey legs.  For some medieval reason, I really love turkey legs.  They really bring out the T-Rex in me.  We served it with homemade baked beans made with local honey, local tomato sauce, frozen local shelley beans and local bacon.  We served it with one of the best potato salads I've ever had(made with local potatoes and herbs from our garden of course!).  

I don't hate potato salad but the majority of them are too heavy for me and I always feel like the potatoes in those salads are just the excuse for mainlining as much mayonnaise as possible.  Smitten Kitchen's Horseradish Potato Salad is just what I've been looking for.   The focus is on the potatoes but the sour cream dressing makes this dish sing.  I've always been a fan of the sinus tingling properties of horseradish and when you combine it with the chives, dill and onion in this dish, well - I'm just glad no one but my husband saw me scraping the plate with my finger.

Horseradish Potato Salad (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

3 pounds small (2-inch) potatoes
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Boil potatoes until they're fork tender.  Cool them room temperature and quarter. Mix remaining ingredients and fold the potatoes into this mixture.

After we finished eating, we waddled upstairs onto our upper porch where we had one of the best views in Knoxville of the downtown fireworks.  There are times where I wonder why we bought this ramshackle old house but every time we get to relax, away from crowds and get such a great view of the fireworks, my faith in our decision is restored.

I hope you all had a great 4th and you all got down with your bad old selves!  Let Freedom (and 2 Live Crew) Reign!

Route 69 Cherry Limeade

My husband thinks I have a very annoying habit.  When it's hot out, one of my favorite things to drink is a Route 44 Cherry Limeade from Sonic.  It just screams summer to me.  I've noticed though that they aren't nearly as good as they used to be.  They also always forget to put cherries in it which to me, is half the fun of the whole thing. But liking Cherry Limeades is not the annoying habit that irritates my husband.  Along with mispronouncing Crappie and calling a bobber a float, whenever he goes to order a Cherry Limeade for me, I make sure to tell him I want a Route 69 Cherry Limeade.  I'm hoping that one day, just because I've put this idea in his head, he'll head to Sonic and instead of ordering a Route 44 Cherry Limeade, he'll pull up to the drive-in speaker box and ask for a Route 69 Cherry Limeade.  And then die a little death of shame.

So far, he hasn't fallen for it.  So I figured a little more indoctrination is necessary.  Since Sonic seems to be slipping in the quality department, I wanted to create my own version of the drink.  It will also help me use up the giant bag of un-pitted sour cherries I have in my freezer.  And if you're going to call it a Route 69 Cherry Limeade, you might as well throw a little liquor in it.  Here's the recipe:

Route 69 Cherry Limeade:

First take 2 cups of sour cherries and 1/2 cup of sugar.  Mash them up a bit and simmer with a lid over medium low for about an hour.  Strain out the bits and save the syrup.  We froze the extra to use later.

Use a 16 oz glass.  Take 2T cherry syrup.  Add 2 T fresh lime juice.  Add 1 shot vodka or to taste.  Fill glass 3/4 full with soda water and add ice.  Garnish with a slice of lime and as many cherries as you would like!

Enjoy!  And don't blame me if you slip up at the drive-thru!