4th of July

We celebrated with 4th of July with friends and family.  We enjoyed an afternoon at the pool followed by a dinner of portobello mushroom burgers, a multigrain side with herbs and lemon, and watermelon arugula salad.  My friend, Andi, provided the portobello mushroom burgers, home baked cookies, and hand dipped patriotic strawberries.  I provided the pool, fireworks, and salads.

Watermelon Arugula Salad

½ of a large watermelon cut into bite size pieces without the rind

4 cups of loosely packed arugula

2 green onions (scallions) finely chopped

1 cup of loosely packed mint, torn into small pieces

½ cup of crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, sprinkle with feta cheese, and pour dressing over salad and serve immediately.

Dressing:   ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon of sea salt. 

Thank you neighbor for the fresh herbs!

Multigrain, Herbs, and Lemon (6-4-2 Salad)

6 cups of cooked grains (brown rice, barley, quinoa, kamut)

4 cups of fresh herbs finely chopped.  Use a combination of parsley, dill, basil, mint, chives.

2 lemons, squeezed.  Combine lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and sea salt.  Add lemon zest for added lemon goodness.

Portobello Burger and Beverage

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

I didn't prepare the burgers, but Andi did share a few secrets.  She marinated the mushrooms in a generous amount of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and herbs.  They were grilled on the cap side for about 7 minutes and another 2-3 minutes on the bottom side.  Serve just like a regular burger.  Well, almost...we added goat cheese and declined the ketchup and mustard.  The kids had those condiments with their hot dogs!

The evening ended with a view of the entire community’s vast array of illegal, aerial fireworks exploding in the air.  It was quite a show.

The simple, legal kind...