Summer Goals Achieved!

I've never been a huge fan of cold soups.  But I live in Florida now.  I want to have lunch options in the dog days of summer that 1) don't involve heat from the oven or stovetop and 2) are icy cold.  (I'm choosing not to talk about the fact that I might be experiencing some temperature fluctuations due to my stage of womanhood.)

I studied a few gazpacho recipes and decided to try one.  I loaded up my blender with tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, jalapeno, red onion, basil, some sherry vinegar and crossed my fingers.

I loved it!  I added a bit more jalapeno for some heat and topped it with diced cucumber and more basil.  It was summer in a bowl and so refreshing for someone who desperately needed a cool down.

Speaking of basil, I bought a few bouquets of it and made big batches of pesto this summer.  I loved being able dip into it whenever I needed to pep up a dish.  I drizzled it on my morning eggs.  I stirred it into my lunchtime orzo along with some peas and parmesan.  I dropped it by the spoonful on pizza and tossed it with green beans or spinach.

Yes, two photos of pesto.  It just makes me so happy.  I'm going to have to make more after I finish writing this post.

Another new dish I tried was a stovetop shrimp boil.  All I had to buy was the shrimp.  Cobs of corn are a given in the summertime and I always have potatoes, lemons, garlic, and Old Bay on hand.  This version of a shrimp boil was a one pot meal with easy prep that we devoured.

I halved the shrimp boil recipe in case it didn't work or we didn't love it, so I had more shrimp for another dinner.  I cooked a few pieces of bacon in a skillet, added corn kernels straight from the cob, a tiny bit of jalapeno pepper, and the shrimp.  I garnished it with basil and scallions.  Another big hit!