Summer Dinner Party Menu

It is so weird to feel like I'm not working, when all I've been doing is working.  I've been making multiple recipes a day (seems like lots of cookies) and photographing everything... but it is all in preparation for the new product line coming out next week.  So, I can't share them yet.  But (hopefully) next week at this time I'll have a slew of new recipes to show you that feature some of my new products.  Thanks, again, for hanging in there while I'm distracted - not much longer! <br /><br />In the meantime, I'm planning a little summer get together (shocking, right?) and have been sorting through my recipes in search of a menu.  Below is what I've come up with... now I just need an idea for a table setting.  What do you think?  Hydrangeas?  Pots of lavender?  Piles of heirloom tomatoes?!  Humm... <br /><h4 style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3gVFG2QFqQXEIukdcZJkEBBsMZCDnmpeXOQC1Cj-zp3zRmLlj2oFhyphenhyphendMt-fhOi9rGNnliUUcayls0UME0_lNLNxA2zHNhRDS9HES732SMHLpYMc1uwxgcfNgnsDYwaAAXsiOlfpd4Dql/s640/IMG_8682.JPG" width="640" /> </h4><h4 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2012/08/heirloom-tomato-fresh-mozzarella.html">Heirloom Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Flatbread Pizza</a></h4><h4 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EjJ8x5RKXnD1577bEqXublDX46yd9doZWn7u91q0wd72ysEOdNwZzJdP2UF7aFVE5wTzBtWhgP6g_nijOc-F-FzjTW6UfVEjJZpuBKJF2Hao2tmfrYAuxgXTWGpOIkffY7ds36b1jZU/s640/IMG_9432.JPG" width="640" /> </h4><h4 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2013/04/steaks-with-sweet-shallot-wine-sauce.html">Steaks with a <span style="font-size: medium;">Sweet Shallot Wine Sauce</span></a></h4><h4 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEohnuqmFpm5_qkrZ_kQaLrAoLfBcC0d8oiyNPhANP4BaGCaFrGeK3z801JufblGnxRatBXwBNdKwF4xsNjQE_4FmTATCc4dC4LnszbQ9Zs_UAp1fMqzKEc6RumndDckiVzomX81zPHXJI/s640/IMG_8733.JPG" width="640" /></h4><h4 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2012/08/simple-summer-supper-menu-lemon-orzo.html"> Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with Yellow Squash & Green Onions</a></h4><h4 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDs2tPOdasv3LX_kYi5f7e6SqjOuIB289ZFzfijBMI5wKySbCmr5LPNS7gGrgq5reBa5ETHwDPSRW2oP5MTWHEUxDVyJH29oabmLiatYXcyga0BobyZLfZ4L4mGA4LP0eHBHMaWBUM-64t/s640/IMG_4198.JPG" width="640" /> </h4><h4 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/07/peach-crostata-simple-summer-peach.html">Peach Crostada</a></h4>

Summer Dinner Party Menu

It is so weird to feel like I'm not working, when all I've been doing is working.  I've been making multiple recipes a day (seem...

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Another Thief

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jywiEiKdVNfKkD9AnSJ7xU0ZTbdNvT19l77wW_axJku8Vjqy2yJ0oCSmZncvobBJHV3Zqa3iRcdw6kt_TMgFMhu9w9la8RPEBmXXhqPMjeuXsipUB77QHfi2PyVwRzeAnPnbuFzPibs/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jywiEiKdVNfKkD9AnSJ7xU0ZTbdNvT19l77wW_axJku8Vjqy2yJ0oCSmZncvobBJHV3Zqa3iRcdw6kt_TMgFMhu9w9la8RPEBmXXhqPMjeuXsipUB77QHfi2PyVwRzeAnPnbuFzPibs/s640/2.JPG" width="390" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some of you may recall that my entire blog was stolen a few years ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There's another thief on the loose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A kind reader alerted me to the fact that a local contracting company</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">is claiming to have renovated my house in 2.5 weeks and</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">is using photographs from the blog.  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He even moved the location of my house to aid in the deception. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x1CdhofICfyeENWphz_6e1GibIo8k2CN8hMWEkAQXs4kM4FX66Vwo99WLpyqlBjZ2ztpgaDKLNdENLB4Wpe-CWl9K-2BV9NI-v3Y6GVV0Fwk-H9wTHKGkJKLKORaNIbVO1LCKpAP-kU/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x1CdhofICfyeENWphz_6e1GibIo8k2CN8hMWEkAQXs4kM4FX66Vwo99WLpyqlBjZ2ztpgaDKLNdENLB4Wpe-CWl9K-2BV9NI-v3Y6GVV0Fwk-H9wTHKGkJKLKORaNIbVO1LCKpAP-kU/s320/1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A friend of mine was so appalled he called the company and</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">told them to remove the photographs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The thief asserted he worked on every project posted</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">on his Facebook page.  I believe many are stolen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've posted to their Facebook page with a request to remove</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">my photographs.  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a good lesson in watermarking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> *****************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> UPDATE:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As of 10:00 p.m., thanks to comments from many of you on FB,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the photos of my house have been removed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I filed a copyright infringement complaint against the company</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">on Facebook but I'd prefer to believe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">it's a result of your generosity and support.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thank you so much!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Another Thief

Some of you may recall that my entire blog was stolen a few years ago. There's another thief on the loose. A kind reader alerted me to t...

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Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn3y0HP3YC1AjBK8fCK69oBVCw2UJMAnTw5hWJpK6ufIk4Pc8Qa0rU8Nsh0Ved0j-yR7khyphenhyphentGyCoXuxJynZ9wWW6CZ7IJhiuXL9pFTtBZPps_vDXDcLJ7jVdRFO5GHXvAz7vKjbzjzgg/s1600/IMG_9952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn3y0HP3YC1AjBK8fCK69oBVCw2UJMAnTw5hWJpK6ufIk4Pc8Qa0rU8Nsh0Ved0j-yR7khyphenhyphentGyCoXuxJynZ9wWW6CZ7IJhiuXL9pFTtBZPps_vDXDcLJ7jVdRFO5GHXvAz7vKjbzjzgg/s640/IMG_9952.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When produce season is in full swing, it is great to have a recipe that utilizes the vegetables that look great at the farmers markets - this was our loot from last weekend.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhvmg7oyYYuM4k-L7W5sDxd_Yl84T92yC5L4AC4Hz9f0Ptz93hU69GWF-UqRhrBMmZC8gD1SuemCk8bJXC4NFcO2XTE9vUf5gWsONVMmXlC_DJf5HkR9oHfbGLk02Urytf_UDqnhv-Hw/s1600/IMG_9991.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhvmg7oyYYuM4k-L7W5sDxd_Yl84T92yC5L4AC4Hz9f0Ptz93hU69GWF-UqRhrBMmZC8gD1SuemCk8bJXC4NFcO2XTE9vUf5gWsONVMmXlC_DJf5HkR9oHfbGLk02Urytf_UDqnhv-Hw/s640/IMG_9991.JPG" width="640" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Panzanella is the perfect summer salad to serve with anything - a piece of grilled fish, chicken, steak, shrimp... burgers, kebabs, sandwiches, anything.  The homemade croutons just slightly soak in the vinaigrette.  So good.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw9Jg7mZb4CNgd-SNjt-FJSwYMhfGmwxEDWXdeK9o7U7UyBEOWgFw_J_rejhmB3g_XRzdHAtYMyRXkbaaNeH2KIB5mpQg8LjHlzSprHbiPjkkLA10gaCCXtP-47l12B3u2ImOvo5XY6E/s1600/IMG_9976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw9Jg7mZb4CNgd-SNjt-FJSwYMhfGmwxEDWXdeK9o7U7UyBEOWgFw_J_rejhmB3g_XRzdHAtYMyRXkbaaNeH2KIB5mpQg8LjHlzSprHbiPjkkLA10gaCCXtP-47l12B3u2ImOvo5XY6E/s640/IMG_9976.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I saw all of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the market, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtIkHxOjKcVX4hSlHhjh1XvF3gCSXXhEsSoX6qPGaCJAj4SYtbpcy0YO4sc7qfFclMXJY9sgSdCThX18DHD3RxCUTmu7Ad_zlzIGFff6Iulet16FSyNvArXwo0XbOvtlfMrF-EklyfNo/s1600/IMG_9997.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtIkHxOjKcVX4hSlHhjh1XvF3gCSXXhEsSoX6qPGaCJAj4SYtbpcy0YO4sc7qfFclMXJY9sgSdCThX18DHD3RxCUTmu7Ad_zlzIGFff6Iulet16FSyNvArXwo0XbOvtlfMrF-EklyfNo/s640/IMG_9997.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It uses the best summer vegetables & herbs (peppers, tomatoes & basil - you can add cucumbers, too).  The best part is all you have to do is chop vegetables, stir together a dressing and make croutons - which, by the way, is much easier than you'd think! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MpcQ6vrha4WcjFZCqZBzgZEgCaXPSbVBiVsAmoqFxc5QuH69XxinKyMLQEEjIsSJgy0DjZVJpeFzpHp6RivNH66Yw3PU_E9gFXuDPKm2K8m4rAjoUazm51YXdMh-9KMLzuH2N3UjYS8/s1600/panzanella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MpcQ6vrha4WcjFZCqZBzgZEgCaXPSbVBiVsAmoqFxc5QuH69XxinKyMLQEEjIsSJgy0DjZVJpeFzpHp6RivNH66Yw3PU_E9gFXuDPKm2K8m4rAjoUazm51YXdMh-9KMLzuH2N3UjYS8/s640/panzanella.jpg" width="425" /></a>Heirloom Tomato<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Panzanella </span></i></div><a data-pin-config="beside" data-pin-do="buttonPin" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjennysteffens.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F07%2Fheirloom-tomato-panzanella.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-cT5PCU1Di6g%2FUfaKBMH3l-I%2FAAAAAAAATGM%2F6uW62bbT-Wo%2Fs640%2Fpanzanella.jpg&description=Heirloom%20Tomato%20Panzanella"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a><br /><br />Croutons : <br /><div style="text-align: left;">3 tablespoons olive oil <br />1 small loaf of good bread (6 cups)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes<br />Sea Salt & Pepper<br /><br />Vegetables : <br />1 teaspoon kosher salt <br />1 pound of tomatoes (I used heirloom tomatoes)<br />1 yellow bell pepper<br />1/4 red onion </div><div style="text-align: left;">4 large basil leaves </div><div style="text-align: left;">3 cups of arugula<br /><br />Dressing :<br />1 teaspoon garlic <br />1/2 teaspoon Dijon<br />3 tablespoons White Wine vinegar <br />1/2 cup olive oil <br />1/2 teaspoon sea salt <br />1/4 teaspoon black pepper<br /><br />For Croutons : </div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet.  Drizzle the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 7-10, tossing after ever couple of minutes until slightly browned.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the Vegetables : <br />Cut the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers into 1/2-inch cubes.  Cut onion into thin slices.  Add all of the vegetables to a bowl along with chopped fresh basil. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the Dressing : <br />Whisk together dressing ingredients with a fork.  Pour over vegetables.  Add croutons just before serving.  </div><a data-pin-config="beside" data-pin-do="buttonPin" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjennysteffens.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F07%2Fheirloom-tomato-panzanella.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-cT5PCU1Di6g%2FUfaKBMH3l-I%2FAAAAAAAATGM%2F6uW62bbT-Wo%2Fs640%2Fpanzanella.jpg&description=Heirloom%20Tomato%20Panzanella"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a> <script src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

When produce season is in full swing, it is great to have a recipe that utilizes the vegetables that look great at the farmers markets - th...

Read more »