Summer is here
So the Calendar tells us that summer is finally here, but depending on where you live it felt like a long time coming. But for most of us now:
Schools out - check
Graduations are over - check
Pools should be open across the country - check
Vacation plans made, whether backyard or traveling - check
Gas Prices are up again in many places so summer’s definitely here - check
We Ladies might/should be getting a break from cooking since it’s Grill Time which is MAN’s work - check
My recipes for kielbase and beans, both with gluten free beer are easy and since they are cooked with beer, I think the men will happily do the little extra cooking required. Then the dessert is easy as well and takes advantage of all the wonderful fresh fruits available now. Go fruit picking with the kids, eat to your hearts content while you pick, make this dessert (my 4th of July flag dessert), freeze some fruit for winter time, make home made freezer jam and indulge in Summer’s simple pleasures.
And with the heat and the grills, cooking gluten free should be easier for us. Real food on the grill should be naturally gluten free - but check for any marinades on bought raw meats, or solutions that might have been injected into the meat as well as cross contamination on the grill from breads or other meats. Last weekend when we finally got some sun after too much rain again in the North East (I know it doesn’t compare with the flood victims down South), we were working in the Yard. Sunday dinner got downgraded through tiredness. We had chicken I had already roasted, huge mixed salad with fresh vinaigrette, Kettle brand gluten free BBQ chips, plus regular beer for my husband and a gluten free hard cider for me. Sitting on the deck, evening sunshine, citronella going, no bugs, hummingbirds at the feeders and scent of herbs and flowers from all my flower and herb containers. You really can’t beat it. To further enhance your summer dining, start yourself a herb garden. You can buy pots of herbs for about $4 per herb plant, from Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes or garden centers. Several can go in large containers and they really appreciate the sun as long as you water. I leaned over from my chair and plucked fresh chives, thyme, cilantro and spicy basil and sprinkled them over my salad. What a pleasure, what a burst of flavor. Yes, I would normally have rinsed all the herbs indoors, but I felt the herbs had been washed with the rain, so didn’t bother. I buy several parsley and basil plants, since one pot of each is not enough for me. Regular thyme and lemon thyme, sage, rosemary, lavender, garlic and regular chives. They last me through October normally, then I harvest them for the freezer or make pesto and freeze that. Now I can overwinter them indoors in my hydroponic growing system.
So go ahead, make the most of the Summer.