I know what you’re thinking, that summer came weeks ago on the Solstice. But here in Seattle summer rarely shows up before the 5th of July and this year was no exception. We spent the 3rd and 4th in down vests and long pants, enjoying the long weekend but wishing it was warmer. Then, predictably, on the 5th summer came roaring in with temperatures in the 80s and 90s last week.
Yesterday was a gorgeous day. I started it off with a riding lesson on Travis that went really really well. Then I came home and made 14 half-pints of strawberry jam (best ever) and 7 half pints of raspberry jam while Mike was off at the bow range with friends. We wrapped up the day with an impromptu dinner party with good friends. It was the perfect way to spend the first real Saturday of summer…
We started off with Mojitos made with the mint that’s taken over the raspberry row (never plant mint somewhere it can’t take over). The guys were hilarious trying to use Anita’s recipe read on my iPhone. One of the funniest scenes in this kitchen, ever.
The steaks were good, the potatoes well cooked, dessert was fantastic but the star of dinner was a broccoli salad that I haven’t made in years. I was at the farm stand on Friday and they had the cutest little broccoli heads for sale. I bought some on impulse and then remembered the curry broccoli salad that I used to make every summer. I didn’t have everything on hand and so I improvised a bit. I think this version was better than the old one. We all agreed that it’s a recipe that we should make more often.
*****
Curry Broccoli Salad
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
Bacon – 4 strips, cut into 1/4″ slices
Broccoli – 2 medium heads, cut into small florets
Spring Onion – 4 small, sliced in half and then into 1/4
Dried Cranberries – 1/2 cup (can substitute raisins, dried cherries, etc)
Mayo – 1/2 cup
Cider Vinegar – 2 Tbs
Sugar – 2 Tbs
Curry Powder – 1 to 2 Tbs to taste
Fry the bacon until crispy, then drain and set aside to cool. In a medium sized bowl (glass or metal) mix together broccoli, bacon, onion and dried cranberries. In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayo, vinegar, sugar and curry powder. Add dressing to broccoli mixture and stir well to combine. Cover and set in fridge. Best if made several hours ahead and flavors are allowed to meld. Even better left over the next day if you can manage to keep people from eating every last bit.