Suggestions needed for Litha treats

[Jrdyn]

Hello,

Well the planning is on - the Litha weekend a handful of the ladies are "single" for the weekend (hubbies are either working or taking the kids camping for fathers day - no wives allowed :thumbsup: ) so we are having a Saturday party. The "boys" and kids will be having fun, so we will lounge by the pool, enjoy some drinks and good food and end the day with a bonfire.

I will be making homemade spicy bloody mary soup (tomatos and peppers juiced, vodka, fresh cilantro and a dolop of sour cream) served cold - yum! :mmm:

But I would like to take some munchies to share as well.

Any suggestions on great summer snacks would be wonderful.

I hope you are having as much fun as us planning your solstice celebrations. :boing:

[cydira]

I'm kinda boring, in some respects, but I'd be inclined towards a tea party, complete with the little cucumber sandwiches and all. As it stands, however, it doesn't look like I'll be able to have a get together with anyone this year. Between the business with getting moved and getting ready for the baby, I'll be surprised if I have enough time to catch my breath. LOL

That said, I'd pick a theme for the food and run with it. If I were using the soup you mentioned as the starting point, I'd probably put together this menu:

Appetizer:
Bloody Mary Soup

Main Course:
Grilled chicken w/ a whiskey based marinade (like the Jack Daniels stuff)
Tequila salad (If you want the recipe, I'll give it to ya! It's a tossed salad with lime and a tequila spiked dressing.)
Mashed potatoes (Bland but a good foil for the chicken and salad!)

Dessert:
Strawberry Sorbet w/ a splash of rum
OR
Bananas Foster w/ vanilla ice cream

And I'd have Planters Punch or Long Island Iced Tea for folks as well.

The menu that I'd put together for my tea party would be fairly simple:

Choice of teas & herbal teas; cream and sugar of course would be available, as well as honey. :)

Finger sandwiches:
Cucumber & cream cheese; smoked salmon & cream cheese w/ orange zest; jam and butter (peach jam, ideally, or strawberry)

Pastries & cookies:
Cheese scones; blueberry scones; shortbread cookies; lemon curd tarts; chocolate raspberry tarts

And the absolute height of decadance:cherry-berry trifle made with vanilla custard, lady-fingers, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and sweet cherries, drizzled with chocolate on top and garnished with mint sprigs

I, however, love food just a little too much at times. :uhhuhuh:

[kristadb]

Now that's a party. :thumbsup:

Litha doesn't really fit my area because nothing local is in season. It's hard to celebrate local summer when you have to buy food shipped from California.

[Jrdyn]

Cydira - I'd love the recipe for tequila salad! It sounds great.

I make a grilled salmon with whiskey and maple syrop - your chicken suggestion reminded me I haven't made it for a while ... maybe that should be on the menu for tonight

[skilly-nilly]

I think foods involving edible flowers are great for the holiday:

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blflowerindex.htm

http://www.blisstree.com/bakingdelights/baking-in-bloom50-best-edible-flower-recipes-ever/

I think it's best to plan ahead and grow your own to be sure they haven't been sprayed--- some grocery stores here sell flowers in the produce section though.

[cydira]

I'll post up the recipe Monday. :) I finally have internet access again! :boing: Move successful! YAY!

[Ivy Artemisia]

My group is hosting another group for Litha circle and afterparty and I'm planning on bringing fruity sort of things. I'm not a chef. I don't cook. But for some reason, I'm way into this Litha. I'm going to try to make chocolate dipped strawberries, a fruity sangria, and a salad based loosely on one they sell at the Nordstrom Cafe with candied pecans and berries.

I was torn between the sangria or a vodka watermelon, but I guess I'll go with a more grown-up choice. ;)

I just hope my friend Rayne brings her kickass hummus rolls. Seriously- they are made of cream cheese, hummus and are on a tortilla "pinwheel" style. OMG the best! But yeah, I'm on a bit of berry kick- even if it means I'll spend most of the day in the kitchen...lol

[Lunacie]

Oooh, chocolate covered strawberries are perfect for Midsummer (Litha). However, my gang has requested that I bring Pink Lemonade Pie. Lots of it. :lol: It's pretty rich so cut thin slices. I'll probably make my own crust in a couple of cake pans and then add the filling. And I usually add a couple of drops of red food coloring to make it really pink.

I may have to buy some strawberries and chocolate for just family dessert though.




PINK LEMONADE PIE
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 sm. can (6 oz.) frozen pink lemonade, thawed (can use limeade)
1 sm. container cool whip
1 can condensed milk
Mix together thawed pink lemonade, cool whip, and condensed milk. Beat until smooth and pour into pie shell. Freeze until firm. Garnish with lemon slices and freshment. Great on a hot, summer day.

[Mahren]

I love caprese in summer and it's very simple. Tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and olive oil and balsamtic vinaigrette dressing. At home we eat it with our fingers but it can be like a traditional tossed salad.

[cydira]

Ack! My cookbook with the recipe is MIA. :P I've been looking and I just can't find it. It's probably in a box underneath the boxes of laundry stuff in my bed room. ah, the fun of moving, it's like getting stuff for Yule, you never know what is in the box! :smileroll

[Tanya]

We have a BBQ with grilled meat/fish and cold soups and salads such as:

Gazpacho

Tomato and Bread Salad (crusty tuscan bread hollowed out. toss tomatoes with olive oil, tones of garlic, balsamic, chopped fresh basil. Add bread hollowed bits at least minute, dump back into hollowed out bread)

Salad Nicoise:
marinate cooked potatoes and steamed green beans seperately in Italian dressing (vinegar, olive oil, chopped fresh Itlaian herbs) put togeter by laying down a bed of mixed greens, potatoes, breen beans, tuna, top with black olives, anchovies and a few curls of parmesean.

[cydira]

I found the recipe! Yay!

This comes from the Betty Crocker's Step-By-Step Cookbook (http://openlibrary.org/b/OL2041249M/Betty-Crocker%27s-Step-by-step-cookbook.).

Tequila Salad


1 (15 1/4 Oz) can sliced pineapple, drained (reserve 1/4 c syrup)
1/4 c lime juice
2 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp tequila
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
3 medium avocados
Lime juice
2 large grapefruit
2 large oranges
Salad greens
Chopped walnuts
Salt


Shake reserved syrup, 1/4 c lime juice, sugar, tequila, oil and 1/4 tsp salt in tightly covered container. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Cut avocados lengthwise in half, remove pits. Peel avocados and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle pieces with lime juice. Cut pineapple slices in half. Pare and section grapefruit and oranges. Cut sections in half if desired.

Just before serving toss avocado pieces with pineapple, grapefruit, and orange sections. Place on salad greens. Sprinkle walnuts and salt over salad. Serve with dressing.

This recipe serves 8.

From Betty Crocker's Step-by-Step Cookbook. 1988 edition. Recipe is on page 206. All rights reserved by the authors of the cookbook.