Peach and Lavender Sangria Popsicles

A text came in from my mother the other week with a picture of my niece.  She was holding her first popsicle, which, not surprisingly, she was enjoying tremendously. It brought back such sweet childhood memories.  As a kid, I could eat those one after the next on a blistery summer day and never get tired of them.  Ones with pieces of fruit in them were pure perfection.  I'd plop down in front of the television and lick and chomp and slurp before it melted all over the floor.

One of the many fun treats that came out of my cookbook shoot from a few weeks ago was a popsicle maker. I'd been holding back on purchasing one, thinking that it was kind of lame and gimmicky. That was until, of course, I actually tried making my own... on a 90 + degree day. And how magnificent that first bite was. Eric and I immediately looked at each other and blurted out with big silly grins on our faces: boozy popsicles.  He suggested making a batch with sangria, which I thought was a fabulous idea. Instead of sweetening it with regular simple syrup, though, I decided to infuse them with some beautiful lavender my friend sent me from their trip to Hawaii.

There were a few points during the heat wave we experienced last week when these came in handy.  At five o'clock (or - ahem - maybe a little earlier than that), we'd get home and rush to the freezer.  Needless to say, I expect a few more batches will be prepared over the next month and a half.

Enjoy and stay cool everyone!

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Peach and Lavender Sangria Popsicles

Servings 10-12 ice pops, depending on the size of the mold

Tools Ice pop molds Food processor Whisk Mixing Bowl Pitcher

Ingredients

1 cup water 3 tablespoons dry lavender 1 cup sugar 2 ripe peaches 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1 bottle of dry white wine

Instructions

1. Make the simple syrup by bringing the water and lavender to a boil in a pot.  Whisk in the sugar until fully dissolved.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let steep for another 30 minutes.  Once it has cooled, strain the syrup.

2. While the syrup is cooling, peel one ripe peach and cut it into large pieces.  Place the peach into the bowl of a food processor along with the orange juice.  Puree until blended smooth.

3. Transfer the peach mixture to a pitcher. Add the white wine and 1/2 cup lavender simple syrup.  Stir to combine.

4. Thinly slice the remaining, unpeeled peach.  Place three peach slices inside the cup of each popsicle mold.  Fill each mold with the sangria and put in the freezer until frozen.

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Corn and Kale Panzanella

There was a point a few weeks ago when I just wanted to call a timeout.  What was already a pretty packed July was rapidly getting busier.  The e-mails, the requests, and the invitations kept coming in.  I have trouble saying no. This is especially true when it comes to work, but it occurs with other engagements as well. A dinner? Sure! A trip? Of course!  I want to agree to it all, afraid that declining will result in a missed opportunity.  But I hit a point when I just had to politely inform folks that I was booked for the next month.

Today, however, marks a number of deadlines for me.  I've been working on a few marketing campaigns and a cookbook shoot for the last month and a half and the majority of the work wrapped this past weekend.  I'm taking the day off before I gear up for three full days of work.  Despite the heat and humidity, I'm heading outdoors, picnicking in the Boston Common where a music festival is currently underway.

Before leaving you with today's recipe (or, in this case, a link to a guest post I did), I wanted to direct you all to the summer issue of FoodieCrush Magazine.  If you don't already know about it, stop whatever you're doing and check it out.  It's a beautifully designed publication from my friend Heidi and I'm so honored to have contributed photography for the last couple of issues.  Oh, and it's FREE! Check it out here (and page 42 for the article I contributed to).

Now, onto the guest post! The folks at Better Homes and Gardens asked me to take one of their recipes and give it a twist.  Originally, I had thought that a lightly dressed panzanella with some kale thrown in would do the trick, but I found that it actually wasn't all that interesting.  Shaved corn and some chopped roasted red pepper added the sweetness (not to mention a shock of color) that the dish needed.

Click over to see the original panzanella recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and to check out some of my alterations.

Potato Salad with Dill + Horseradish Aioli

What a week!  Actually, what a month!  I can't believe May is wrapping up.  Feels like I always say that.  It's so odd how time just flies by.  The burst of travel hasn't helped with slowing things down.  And next week I pack up for a few days in Vegas, where I'll be attending the Saveur Blog Awards (our little project, The Boys Club, won the Best Cocktail Blog category).  As soon as I mentioned the win to Eric, he scurried off to his computer to look at flights.  Having never been to Vegas, we're doing it up... fancy dinners, theater tickets (Eric's birthday is coming up as is our wedding anniversary, so this is our big celebration).  No gambling though... I'm not a fan, though I have a feeling he might hit the tables while I'm off doing foodie things.

There are no words to express how excited I am to finally get to meet the bloggers going to this event.  Some of my favorites are going to be there, including David and Luise, creators of the blog Green Kitchen Stories, who have just come out with their book, Vegetarian Everyday.  Often when I'm asked which sites are my favorites, I rattle of a long list, but between you and me, GKS is at the top.  I've been a fan of theirs for a long time and am so thrilled for their much deserved success (a wonderful mobile app, a cookbook, and a Saveur award all in twelve months).  So, yeah, I'm kind of psyched to meet them next week.

While flipping through Vegetarian Everyday, the dish that tantalized me the most, surprisingly, was their potato salad.  It's a stunner... never had I seen a potato salad with such vibrant colors and flavors. I knew immediately that I had to make it and get it up here before the Memorial Day weekend.  I've taken some liberties and incorporated homemade aioli into it.  Their recipe is definitely healthier than mine, but I'm a mayo fan and it's not potato salad in my world without a little of it thrown in.

Potato Salad with Dill + Horseradish Aioli

Source: Adapted from Vegetarian Everyday by David Frenkiel + Luise Vindahl

Yield: Serves 4

Tools A pot, large enough to cook the potatoes Medium bowl Whisk

Ingredients 2 lb - 3 oz small new potatoes 15-20 red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 2 cups fresh sugarsnap peas, sliced lengthwise 1 large handful of fresh dill, coarsely chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Horseradish Dressing 2 egg yolks 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¾ cup canola oil 1 tablespoon prepared horesradish

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with just enough cold salted water to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.  Test with a small sharp knife. If the potatoes fall off the knife, they're done.
2. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. To make the horseradish dressing, whisk the egg yolks, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt.   Slowly drizzle in the canola oil while whisking nonstop until the mixture begins to emulsify.  Continue to whisk in the oil until mixture has achieved a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency. Whisk in the horseradish and, if necessary, season with additional salt and pepper.
4. Combine the tomatoes, peas and dill in a large serving bowl.
5. When the potatoes have cooled, transfer them to the serving bowl.  Pour the dressing over them and toss with your hands to coat with the aioli.  Serve.