ready for summer

Summer recipes need to be light and seasonal and easy to make for on-the-go days. Here are some of cookbook author Azure Rountree’s family favorites perfect for brunches, picnics and evening gatherings.

Salad

STRAWBERRY & SPINACH SALAD WITH VIDALIA ONION VINAIGRETTE

There’s nothing better than a summer salad with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Ingredients

Baby Spinach (cleaned & stems removed)

Fresh Sliced Strawberries (halved)

Crumbled Feta Cheese

Halved Pecans

½ cup finely diced Vidalia Onion

1½ Tablespoons Sugar

1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

6 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

¼ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

1 In a salad bowl, toss together the baby spinach, sliced strawberries, feta cheese and pecan halves, then set aside.

2 In a mini food processor, add diced Vidalia onion, sugar, mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Serve with salad.

Savory

HAM & VEGETABLE FRITTATA

Great for a summer brunch, this beautiful dish will wow your family and guests.

Ingredients

8 large Eggs

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Shortening

1 ¼ cups halved Cherry Tomatoes

1/3 cup diced Yellow Onion

2 cups chopped Baby Spinach (cleaned & stems removed)

1/3 cup diced cooked Ham

3/4 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 In a large mixing bowl, beat the 8 eggs until fluffy. Whisk in the heavy cream, salt and pepper, then place in the fridge while the vegetables are prepared.

3 Over medium heat, add the vegetable shortening to a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Once hot, add cherry tomatoes and yellow onion, then sauté for 7 minutes. Add the spinach and cook about 1 minute or until it is starting to wilt.

4 Remove the egg mixture from the fridge, then quickly stir the egg mixture along with the diced ham and cheese into the vegetables. Carefully place the skillet on the 3rd (middle) rack and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes or until the center doesn’t jiggle when you touch it. Let cool slightly, then slice and serve.

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Make your summer picnic memorable with these delicious sliders.

Ingredients

1 boneless Chuck Roast

1 small Onion (sliced)

½ cup Soy Sauce

1 Beef Bouillon Cube

4 Peppercorns

½ teaspoon Crushed Dried Rosemary

1 teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves

1 teaspoon bottled Minced Garlic

1 Bay Leaf

1 cup Water

Shredded Mozzarella

Sandwich or Slider Buns (for serving)

Instructions

1 Trim some of the fat from around the roast, then add the roast to a crock pot. Add sliced onion over and around the roast.

2 In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, bouillon cube, peppercorns, crushed dried rosemary, dried thyme leaves and minced garlic. Stir together, then pour over the roast. Place the bay leaf down in the mixture. Add 1 cup water to the crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours.

2 Remove the roast from the crock pot and place in a large bowl. Trim the remaining fat, then shred the meat with 2 forks. Add some of the sauce to coat the meat. Melt shredded mozzarella on the rolls and add the shredded beef. Reserve some of the liquid from the crock pot for dipping the sandwiches.

Sweet

Strawberry Cake With Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

The moist layers and creamy frosting make this a summer favorite that everyone loves

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) box White Cake Mix

1 (3-ounce) box Strawberry Gelatin

4 large Eggs

½ cup Water

¾ cup Vegetable Oil

½ cup frozen sweetened Strawberries in juice (thawed & pureed) *

Instructions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (8-inch) round cake pans, then line with wax paper. Lightly coat both pans with flour and set aside.

2 Add thawed strawberries to a mini food processor or blender and puree until smooth, set aside.

3 In a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer, beat together the white cake mix, strawberry gelatin, eggs, water, vegetable oil and pureed strawberries until smooth and creamy. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans, then bake on the 3rd (middle) rack for around 24 minutes or until a fork comes out clean in the center. Remove and let cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake layers from the pans and let cool completely. Once cooled, place the cake layers in the fridge to chill so that the cake doesn’t crumble while frosting. Prepare the frosting while chilling the layers.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

11 (8-ounce) box Cream Cheese (room temp)

1 stick Unsalted Butter (1/2 cup) (room temp)

½ teaspoon Strawberry Extract

Pink Food Coloring

2 pounds Powdered Sugar

Fresh Strawberries (for garnish)

Instructions

1 In a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Next, beat in the strawberry extract and pink food coloring. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until completely combined. Remove the cake from the fridge, then frost the layers of the cake as well as the top and sides. Garnish the cake with fresh strawberries.

Cream Cheese Banana

PUDDING

A refreshing treat on a hot summer day

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese (room temp)

1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 (5-ounce) package Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

3 cups Whole Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 (8-ounce) container Whipped Topping

5 Bananas (sliced)

2 (11-ounce) boxes Vanilla Wafers

Instructions

1 In a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla pudding mix. Slowly beat in the milk, then beat in the vanilla extract. Fold in half of the whipped topping until combined. Place cream cheese pudding mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to set

2 In a 9x13 inch dish, spread a layer of vanilla wafers, then carefully line vanilla wafers around the inside of the dish. Next, spread a layer of sliced bananas. Add half of the cream cheese pudding mixture and spread evenly over the bananas. Repeat the process, then spread the remaining whipped topping on the top.

3 Crush 5 vanilla wafers and sprinkle over the whipped topping. Place in the fridge for a few hours so that the cookies can soften, then serve.

Azure Rountree is the wife and mother to four beautiful children. She is a business owner, Autism & Women’s Health Advocate and Public Speaker. She has published two cookbooks, “Family Favorites”, which was published in 2013 and “Kid Friendly Recipes”, which was published in 2015. Her recipes are featured on the Pottery Barn Blog Website and are in ten publications throughout Southeast Georgia. Her famous, “Derby Hat Cake Pops”, have been shared by Southern Living, and she has even been approached by Shark Tank about her business. Azure has a love for cooking and sharing recipes, which is why she is our newest contributor for the Toombs County Magazine.