So, every now and then I like to make a nice dinner. If you are an avid reader, you have seen some of my creations – if not, you can reference them here.
Last night was a special occasion for Lucy and me – it was we-are-both-in-town-and-don’t-have-any-plans-so-we-can-just-come-straight-home-from-work night. I believe it was the first time in nearly a month. We enjoy our busy lives, but it is nice to have a calm night occasionally.
Given that it is summer and very hot I wanted to make a light meal that didn’t require much heat to be generated inside the house. Also, I have a pretty awesome grill that is perfect for just about anything.
I really enjoy cooking, but I oftentimes make the same things. I tried to branch out a little bit last night. After gathering some necessary items from the grocery, I came home and began my cooking ritual in the same way that I normally do.
I am a big believer in fresh ingredients (not free-range, or organic – but fresh is always better). One of my favorite summer foods is a good fruit salad. I like my fruit salad a bit different than most – light on the apple, no melon, heavy on the berries and other fruits. This particular fruit salad consisted of the following:
- 1 green apple cut into small pieces - 2 fresh local peaches - 2 nectarines - 1/3 carton red raspberries - 1/3 carton blackberries (these guys were so big I had to cut them in half) - several strawberries
Lets just say it was awesome.
I also got some fresh dill and a lemon at the grocery and seasoned up some salmon fillets that cooked up quite nicely on the grill. I was able to sear the top and then drop the heat and cook through. It really held in the natural juices and the flavor. I topped them with a little bit of dill butter that I threw together.
The coupe-de-gras was a recipe that Lucy sent my way late in the day – a Spinach-Orzo salad. Actually turned out to be pretty easy, it made a ton, and was yum-yum-yummy.
I do my best to not only prepare something tasty but also have it look appealing on the plate. Lucy picked out our dishes and I think they are great for showing off some of my creations.
Here is the final product. Who’s hungry?
Needless to say, we had a very nice dinner for two at the newly painted green house...