In The Mix Magazine shared my recipe for Gin with House-made Bitter Lemon & Soda cocktail as a refreshing summer gin drink. Perfect to sip while enjoying the warm summer weather.

For a demo on how to make the House-Made Bitter lemon, check out this episode of Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen.

Cheers Magazine shared some of the #SippingSocial beverage trends that I’ve seen posted on social media and that I presented at this year’s NRA conference’s BAR event. Check out www.LiquidKitchen.com for a link to my presentation and don’t forget to tag #SippingSocial for all the cool drink ideas that you see.

I look forward to our local NW Walla Walla Onions every year. When these sweet onions pile up at the farmers market, I know anything I make with them is going to be SWEEET!

Sweeter than a regular yellow onion, it’s said that biting into a Walla Walla is similar to biting into an apple. I don’t know, but I’ll try it if you do!

I DO know that they are mild and sweet enough to serve raw, thick slices with garden fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, some bright green basil and just a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar and good olive oil. One of my favorite summer dinners.

Another fave is to put a little olive oil and white wine vinegar in a large zip lock bag with thick cut Walla Walla rings and marinate for a few hours. Just before serving, toss in some chopped herbs like basil, tarragon, fresh chives, and Italian parsley. Perfect to serve atop grilled salmon or a steak – or add to a sliced tomato salad.

PS: If you’re an onion crier like me be sure to refrigerate your onions before slicing OR have a pair of onion goggles ready – it helps! –Kathy

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Photo from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table

Herb Marinated Walla Walla Sweet Onions
For a summer buffet table, grill a whole side of salmon and serve it on a large platter, festooned with the herbed onions and fresh herb sprigs. This is also great served with steak.

Makes 4 servings – and enough to top 4 salads, pieces of fish or grilled meats.

1 large Walla Walla Sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil or cilantro
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. 1/2-inch-long pieces fresh chives
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

To make the onions, carefully separate the rings and place in a resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper flakes, and oil. Pour the marinade over the onions and close the bag, expelling excess air. Turn the bag to coat the onion evenly, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Just serving, gently toss the onions and marinade in a large bowl with the chopped herbs.

Recipe from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books.

We have all heard that we should eat our vegetables, but why not drink them too?

Veggie juices are common now in smoothies, adding their healthy vitamins and antioxidants. And there are a ton of veggie juice blends you can buy bottled with everything from kale to carrots to broccoli. But what about other drinks?

I love adding fresh vegetable juices to citrusy drinks like lemon- or limeades, sparkling water, and cocktails too!

Recently I shook up a Honey Carrot Collins to serve at my #SippingSocial presentation at the National Restaurant Association’s BAR show. It incorporated fresh pressed carrot juice mixed with gin, honey, and fresh lemon, finished with a splash of soda. The ingredients are all trending in cocktails right now – it was a huge hit! Visit www.LiquidKitchen.com for the recipe!

Honey Carrot Collins – yes please!
The fresh pressed carrot juice makes the color of this cocktail amazing!

Or how about deep red beet juice added to your favorite margarita with a little splash of orange and a dash of hot sauce too. It’s d’lish!

Homemade lemonades are delicious as well with the addition of kale or celery juice and some fresh basil for an herbalicious and veggie twist.

So think outside of the glass with some fun veggie juice drink experimentation this summer. The markets are brimming with inspiration for your next happy hour! –Kathy

Alright, Father’s Day is coming up. There’s nothing else that dear ol’ dad want more for dinner than a beautiful grilled steak. And that’s great news for you because it’s as easy as pie to cook, if you have your method down. And I’ll say it… EVEN EASIER than pie!

Start with a good piece of meat – a New York, filet, or rib-eye would be perfect! About 20 minutes before you grill, take the steak out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature. This will help you get a good, even cook once it hits the heat.

Be sure to pre-heat your grill to high, and lightly rub your steaks with a little olive oil. Then sprinkle liberally with your favorite seasoning – I like to use my Dish D’Lish French Seasoning Salt.

Place the steaks on the grill and cook until nicely marked on the first side. Then turn over and cook on the other side. Depending upon your steaks thickness and how you like it will depend upon how long to cook it. Good tip: don’t move them around to much.

Remember the meat will continue to cook a bit after removing from the grill and you can always put it back on for more heat – you just can’t go back the other way!

Serve topped with a simple to make herb garlic blue cheese butter, dad’s favorite local veggies and an ice cold local microbrew!

I love a great steak topped with Sweet Onions and Gorgonzola with a little bit of Horseradish Drizzle – super easy to make and uses Demitri’s Extra Horseradish Bloody Mix. –Kathy

Photo from Demitri’s Gourmet Seasonings.

Savory Grilled Steak with Sweet Onions and Gorgonzola
This quick and easy preparation uses one of my favorite products – Demitri’s Extra Horseradish Bloody Mary Seasoning. Yes it’s great in a Bloody Mary – of course – but equally delicious as a steak marinade. It’s super easy! (Demitri’s can be found at well stocked grocery stores or online at www.Demitris.com.)

Makes 4 servings

4 steaks, such as New York, flat iron or tenderloin
1/2 cup Demitri’s Extra Horseradish Bloody Mary Seasoning
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2 large sweet onions, sliced in 1-inch-thick rounds
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 2 ounces)

Horseradish Steak Drizzle
1/4 cup Demitri’s Extra Horseradish Bloody Mary Seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Garnish: coarsely chopped fresh basil

To marinate the steak: Trim the meat of any outer pieces of fat and silverskin. Put the steaks in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Pour the 1/2 cup of Demitri’s seasoning into the bag, press out any air, and then seal the bag. Move the meat around in the bag to coat well. Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight, turning the bag a few times.

To make the Horseradish Steak Drizzle: Mix ingredients together. Cover and set aside.

To grill the meat: Preheat a grill to high. Drizzle the steaks and onions with a little olive oil and lightly season steak with salt and pepper. Grill steaks to the desired doneness. The grilling time will vary, depending on the heat of the grill and the thickness of the meat. Remove steak to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes before serving, allowing juices to settle. Top with cheese so that it starts to melt. Meanwhile, grill the onions till tender and nicely grill marked.

Serve the steaks topped with onions and drizzled with Horseradish Steak Drizzle.

Recipe created by Kathy Casey Food Studios® for Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning

Did you know fennel grows like a weed in the Pacific Northwest? Especially in Ballard. I see it growing along the road on my commute to work every morning and it grows beautifully in my urban parking lot garden! It’s basically a weed – a delicious, anise-flavored weed.

Fennel growing in my urban garden!

If you want to try planting it, find some growing wild and then harvest the seeds in the fall. Sprinkle the seeds around your garden, but be careful. It likes to grow and spread everywhere.

If you happen to have wild fennel in your neighborhood or garden you can use the whole plant. Early tender fennel fronds chopped and added to a salad. Even the coveted fennel pollen picked from the flowers are great in dishes – so elegant and trendy to sprinkle over almost anything.

Harvested fennel seeds

Here is a link to my Liquid Kitchen video on Small Screen Network to see how to make Fennel-Roasted Walnuts – a great nibble to serve with your favorite cocktail.

Later in the year, I love to harvest the seeds, dry them and enjoy all year long! -Kathy

Fennel-Roasted Walnuts
This recipe is from my book Sips & Apps and is one of my favorites. Perfect to take to a party, or even bag up for little gifts.

Makes 5 cups

2 tablespoons fennel seed
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white
1 pound (about 4 cups) walnut halves

Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, or lightly oil it.

Grind the fennel seed in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until finely ground. In a large bowl, mix the ground fennel with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Add the nuts and toss to coat evenly. Using a fine-mesh strainer, drain off excess egg white. Add the drained nuts to the spice mixture and stir to coat evenly.

Spread the nuts on the pan; they will be a little thicker than a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir, and roast for 20 minutes more, until the nuts are golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir the nuts on the baking sheet but do not remove them. Be sure to let the nuts cool completely and become crisp. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If necessary, recrisp them in a 350 degree F oven for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe from Kathy Casey Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books