Delicious Flavors Bursting on the Tongue

This weekend was really all about amazing food crafted from my own two hands.
On Saturday, I needed to use the rhubarb that I purchased from the farmers market the weekend before. I knew a strawberry rhubarb crisp would be my best bet. The boys would eat it, and I like the way strawberries balance out the tartness of the rhubarb. But who's to try? There are so may options when you search on sites like Food Network. So  I decided I'd go to the queen of comfort food ... Ina Garten.

Ina's Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp did not disappoint. It had more orange in the recipe than the other ones I had reviewed, so I wasn't quite sure how it would translate. It also took a little longer to cook. It was worth the wait.

The orange was an extra layer of flavor I had never anticipate and the crispy time was buttery and crispy. I could have eaten the whole pan. I didn't, but I could have. This is the flavor of late spring/early summer and a perfect way to celebrate a great farmers market treat.

Today I decided to tackle my June recipes from Food & Wine. After last month's chicken disaster, I decided to play it a tiny bit safer. I took on two recipes, but I thought both would be easy to execute. First I took on the Georgian dish called lobio (aka as Green Beans with Eggs, Chiles and Cilantro.) You can serve the dish hot or cold, so I decided to serve it cold. It would allow me to make it first and then focus on the main course of dinner. I will admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, mixing scrambled eggs with green beans. And I will also confess, for the last part where you chop the garlic, chiles, cilantro ... I whipped out my Magic Bullet. It made it a much easier job than me hand mincing everything.

I put the dish in the refrigerator as I set to tackle my next item: Cheddar and onion smashed burgers. Okay, I know ... how hard can a burger be. So, I upped the ante on the burger by selecting a local grass fed ground beef. Thank you Thousand Hills. I'm always in search for how to perfect my burger game and I was not surprised when Food & Wine exclaimed that burgers on griddles are juicier and more flavorful than those on the grill. That might be hard for summer grillers to take ... but grills allow the fat and juices to drip down. This recipe added a new technique to my repertoire. First you have to roll the meat into balls and sear them for 30 seconds, then smash them flat.

Of course, D was concerned that they just be cooked thoroughly (I'm one who enjoys a little pink in my bigger ... but I have to respect his wish for a well done patty.)

The burgers were relatively quick to cook (another nice thing about grass fed beef ... it cooks more quickly ... meaning dinner is on the table faster!)

The burger was perfect, the cooked onions that were smashed in it were so yummy. It brought back memories of me just eating cooked onions as a kid. (Of course, K picked out his onions, but one day, he'll like them.) Even O enjoyed his burger and bun. The surprise of dinner however was the green bean dish. It was amazing! The flavors were fantastic. I was hoping it would just be edible, but I cannot believe how much I loved it. I was excited to see that there was just enough left over that I could take it to work the next day for lunch. Even D raved about it. This may become a new summer staple ... particularly when green beans start arriving at the farmers market.

June was a success! I cannot wait to see what treats will be featured in July's issue.