Eloté {Mexican Street Corn}
Local, non-GMO Colorado corn is here! I always get so excited this time of year. I love corn, but usually am too afraid to buy it in the off season since 88% of all corn that is grown is genetically modified- yikes! Luckily there are still a few local Colorado farmers growing corn the right way- including Olathe sweet corn. Sweet corn is a little whiter than normal corn and, like the name suggests, is much sweeter. Plus, you can’t beat the 2 ears for a buck price tag!
Strawberry Vodka Mojitos
There are few things better than coming home from a long day at work, making a delicious cocktail and sitting out on the porch. With our short summers up here, I try to take advantage of the sunny afternoons as much as possible. With a view like this, who wouldn’t!?
Heirloom Tomato Salad w/ Nectarine & Proscuitto
After being back in Colorado for a couple of weeks, I finally was able to go to the farmers’ market! I went to the Vail Farmers’ Market last week and stumbled upon some really great produce and meat. The Vail market is nice because you are so much closer to the farmers from the Western Slope. I was able to fill over half of a grocery bag with all kinds of veggies for only $10! I also got some great wine-poached goat cheddar and sage goat cheddar from Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy, as well as a delicious grass-fed leg of lamb from Crystal River Meats. While all of this was fantastic, I have to admit that the perfectly-ripe assortment of heirloom tomatoes were the highlight of the market for me.
Quarter-Life Crisis & Dreaming of Summer {Giveaway Closed}
I am sure many of you have been wondering where I have been. No, I did not drown or get eaten by a tiger shark. No, I did not move away to a remote village with no internet. No, I did not abandon my blog. I know it is shocking that none of these things happened. Here is what has actually been up.
Spicy Adobo Shrimp Cocktail
This spring I worked at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage for a few months before heading to Africa. After being in restaurants for so long, this job seemed unbearably slow at times. In order to pass the time, I would read through all of the cooking magazines at the registers for recipe ideas; probably not what I was supposed to be doing in my down time, but nobody ever said anything. Over these few months I accumulated a giant stack of torn out magazine pages and recipe notes. I am still trying to work my way through them without adding too much to the stack.
Feta-Basil Bison Burgers
Poolside grilling is always a good time. I like to make burgers when grilling at the pool because they are easy and don’t need a plate. I have made these bison burgers a few times in the last week and they have been a hit each time. Bison has a higher protein and mineral content per calorie than many other meats. I like bison burgers because they are a little bit healthier than regular beef burgers, but still give you a similar flavor.
Kiwi-Raspberry Sorbet
This has been the most bizarre summer I have seen for a while. It hadn’t stopped snowing in the mountains here in Colorado until about last week. After the snow stopped, a serious heat wave hit and took everyone by surprise. Lucky for me, I was puppy sitting at my parents’ house during this heat wave. This meant access to all of my mom’s cooking appliances, including an ice cream maker. I took full advantage of this and decided to make a nice cold treat for the heat.
Baked Shrimp w/ Tomatoes
This week the weather has gotten nicer and it is starting to feel a bit more like summer, finally! The sunshine and warm weather has caused a shift in my food cravings; I’m sure many of you experience the same thing each season. For me, warm weather makes me crave light food and summery flavors, such as citrus.
These individual dishes are light, and not to mention kind of cute! They are great for a dinner party. It does not take long to make and the individual gratins make serving much easier. This recipe is very light and healthy, perfect for summer. The balsamic vinegar gives a great tangy kick to the dish as well. I also baked some extra tomato slices to drizzle with balsamic and serve with the dish. These go great served with roasted asparagus with lemon or a nice salad.