CHILLED SHRIMP WITH DILL SAUCE

- one pound shrimp, peeled, tails removed, cleaned and deveined top and bottom (you can use frozen costco shrimp if you like)
- prepare poaching liquid, in pot or nonstick wok type pan: 32 oz chicken stock, 8 oz water, whole fresh parsley (a few stalks), 2 cloves peeled garlic: heat on high just before boiling, remove from stove to simmer.
- once liquid has cooled, add shrimp, lightly poach just until cooked through (or if previously frozen, just until warm, do not let curl completely).
- drain in to strainer. Remove parsley and garlic.
- chill.
- mix with Dill sauce (separate recipe)
- chill in refrigerator 30 minutes or until ready to serve
- serve over arugula and cherry tomatoes lightly dressed with a lemon/olive oil viniagrette.
- can also use rough chopped shrimp and place in pita or wrap with greens, chopped tomatoes, onions, and a sprinkle of feta

DILL SAUCE

This is all about dill, and is fantastic with fish and mixed with chilled shrimp to make a nice salad. You need a great blender for this sauce, to achieve a very smooth texture.

- 2 large bunches washed and trimmed dill
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed chives
- 1 cloves garlic, peeled
- juice of one lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil (minimum)
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- place garlic and a portion of each herb in to blender, add half of lemon juice, half of yogurt, a stream of olive oil, begin blending, add more olive oil, lemon, and herbs, until the mixture easily blends in to a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper, blend one more time. Pour in to bowl. Fold in balance of yogurt and sour cream. Chill until ready to use.

MIXED HERB SAUCE

This is crazy good fresh sauce, and works with fish, vegetables, or even for dipping roasted sweet potato fries. Really good and very green!!! You need a great blender for this sauce, to achieve a very smooth texture.

- 2 large bunches washed and trimmed dill
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed chives
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed tarragon
- 12 large washed and trimmed basil leaves
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- juice of two lemons
- 1/2 cup olive oil (minimum)
- salt and pepper to taste
- place garlic and a portion of each herb in to blender, add 1/2 lemon juice, a stream of olive oil, begin blending, add more olive oil, lemon, and herbs, until the mixture easily blends in to a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper, blend one more time.

DESSERTS

It's been a while, I know. A few ideas for easy, quick, summer desserts. Not exactly my idea of true cooking, but, I don't typically make dessert, so when we need something quick for dinner guests, I typically throw one of the following together:

Faux Pavlova:
- fresh fruit in season, washed and sliced or cubed (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, plum, apricots, pluots, mango, kiwi; or any combination)
- whipped cream, lightly sweetened with brown sugar
- homemade meringues OR purchased vanilla meringues

Per person:

- lightly crush 2 meringues
- in individual trifle bowl, place a layer of meringue
- place a thin layer of fruit on top of meringue
- place a thin layer of whipped cream on top of meringue
- repeat one or two times till full, top should be whipped cream sprinkled lightly with meringue

Fruit crisp
- blend three cups of fruit (any blend of stone fruit or berries you like, I typically will do: blueberry/peach; raspberry/apricot; strawberry/plum)
- lightly grease 8 x8 pan
- combine 1/2 cup steel cut oats/ 1/2 cup flour/1/2 cup brown sugar/1 tsp vanilla/ 1/4 tsp cinnamon/ 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/2 cup butter, cut in to chunks (easiest to mush with fork or fingers)
- sprinkle topping all over pan of fruit.
- bake at 375 until bubbly and crisp
- serve with high quality vanilla ice cream or whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar or grade B maple syrup

Quick trifle (serves 10-12)
- glass trifle dish (full size or individual)
- several packages of fresh ady fingers, or two-three packages dry cookie type italian lady fingers
- 2 cups cups homemade or purchased lemon curd (trader joes or dundee's only, other brands taste like artificial lemon)
- 16 oz container of thick greek yogurt, greek yogurt cheese, or Lebne (mediterranean yogurt cheese)
- in bowl, stir together lemon curd and thick greek yogurt
- very lightly sweetened whipped cream (8 oz whipping cream before whipping)
- fold 1/2 of whipped cream in to lemon curd mixture
- fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
- line bottom of trifle dish with lady fingers, layer with lemon curd mixture, berries, and whipped cream (reserve enough cream for top of trifle). Repeat until reaching the top of trifle dish. Finish with whipped cream and fresh berries on top.
- Refrigerate until serving