Oh wonderful Caprese Salad….

If there is anything I am more obsessed with right now then stripes (I’ve been trying to tone it down, but ever since I was introduced to Pinterest, I had to make a whole stripes board) it is the caprese salad!  The caprese is the perfect summer snack or meal.

So let’s talk… tomato, we’re at the tail end of regular tomato season here in Utah.  It is short lived in these parts, first they come from the southern part of the state, and then from the northern part, and then they are done.  That is…until it’s heirloom tomato time!!! So, for your caprese, take your thick tomato slice, OR if you want to do a cute app, your plump little cherry tomato.

So you have your tomato, and then you take some mozzerella… big thick slices OR your ball of cheese.

Then you take your basil, mmm basil, and top it on your big think slices OR skewer it with your cherry tomato and ball of cheese.

Drizzle with a little olive oil, a little balsamic, a little salt and pepper…as S would say “muy deliciouso!”

Via Pinterest - http://terristable.blogspot.com/

Via Pinterest - http://terristable.blogspot.com/

But don’t stop at eating this for just an appetizer, I like to pair it with an over-medium egg for breakfast. (Is there anything better then an ooey-gooey egg yolk?)

photo: hh

Or for lunch or dinner, throw it onto some Italian bread and make it a sandwich or panini!  Anyway, hit up your local farmer’s market, grab some tomatoes and basil and if they have it mozzerella, and commit to a wonderfully delicious, fresh, and local appetizer or meal on these hot August days.

-h

A month of wonderful food, drinks, family and friends…

It’s been nearly 4 weeks since we left Park City on a road trip across the west part of the states, through Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and now into Montana.  It’s not often the opportunity for a trip like this, so, I celebrate this.  We have been able to experience a couple of truly wonderfully pleasing cocktails and bottles of wine in the process of this trip including…dun, dun, dun… this top 5:

1.  Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria’s Bengal Lounge Empress “1908 Tea Cocktail”.  This sounds weird, a cocktail made with tea?!  However, this is in a class of it’s own.  The Empress Victoria is known for their traditional English High Tea, served in the afternoon, however, the bartender’s have taken tea time to the next level by using the Empress’ tea to infuse vodka, shaken with a bit of lemon juice, simple syrup, egg whites, and served up garnished with a sugar rim and lemon peel and a tea biscuit, this is light, refreshing, frothy, and awakening.  It’s tea time gone naughty.

2.  Honig’s Sauvignon Blanc – end of story. It’s light, crisp, fruity, and Honig’s story is full of environmental flair.

3.  Laurelhurst Market in Portland’s Smoke Signals cocktail – the market’s Evan Zimmerman created this by first making smoked ice – not an easy feat. Taking some serious trial and error, he learned to slowly melt a frozen chunk of water by smoking it with hickory chips and then re-freezing the melted water.  He then chips off a manhatten glass sized piece for your glass, then adds Tennessee whiskey, pecan flavoring, sherry, lemon, and who knows what else. Did I mention he smoked ice?!

4.  Winery to visit – Frog’s Leap in Napa.  Not a lot of people know the story behind Frog’s Leap, basically owner John Williams started at Stag’s Leap and then created his own wine which was a success.  Their merlot is fantastic, their chardonnay their knight in shining armor, and the actual winery is a gem.  The name, comes from the location, a former frog farm supplying the delicacy to San Francisco restaurant’s in the 1800’s.

5.  Bubbles? Duh, there has to be bubbles. Domaine Carneros, done in the French fashion, mmm bubbles.

What have you been drinking this month?! Something wonderful, I’m sure.

-h

Sofia Blanc de Blancs….in a can! Plus other wonderful bubblies!

What can I say? I looove bottles that involve bubbles. So, I thought I would highlight some of my personal favorites:

Photo: Coppola

Perfect for slipping into your purse to watch the latest flick with the ladies or significant other, taste the wonderful fruity flavors while sipping it through the included straw! $20 for a 4 pack.

photo: Zardetto

Zardetto Prosecco, delicious Italian prosecco that is soft and delicate. $14.

photo: Cupcake

 

Cupcake Prosecco is fruity and citrusy at the same time and absolutely reminds me of eating cupcakes. Absolutely delightful. $11.
Just a few of my favorites, be sure that this is not the first time bubbly will be spoken of!
-h