September is here, which means it’s back to school and the question is “what’s for lunch”? For your kids, that is! This school year, hold the bologna and PB & J and put a fun twist on the old favorites in their lunchbox.

To make lunchtime unique for them and easy for you, why not pick up some prepared veggie sushi rolls at the grocery store? Mix a little (not too spicy) sweet chili sauce with some soy for dipping and you have a faboo meal that your kids will love! Pack them some cute plastic chopsticks (or those disposable wooden ones from take-out that we all have in our kitchen drawer!) to make it even more fun.

Next, let’s talk sandwiches – lettuce and tomatoes can get soggy, soggy, soggy! Instead, try some crisp cucumbers, flavorful roasted peppers or even some fresh arugula for tucking in. You can turn ordinary sandwiches into wraps for a fantastic portable lunch and a great way to incorporate leftovers such as roasted chicken.

You can get creative with spreads too; pesto, hummus, almond butter, light mayo mixed with fresh herbs… even artichoke parmesan dip makes a good smear! Just be mindful of your school’s allergy regulations as you send your kids off with their lunch bags.

For a healthy snack alternative, pack up some fresh snow or snap peas – they are super-crunchy, healthy and lots of fun to munch on. If you like sending fruit along, try Cuties Kebabs with Honey Mint Yogurt Dip for a sweet treat. Juicy strawberries, tangy-sweet clemetine segments and fresh mint make a delicious combo and the honey yogurt dip is the perfect accompaniment!

So whatever you pack up for lunch this school year, make it d’lish! -Kathy

Cuties Kebabs with Honey Mint Yogurt Dip
Makes 8 kebabs

4 Cuties clementines
2 large strawberries, quartered, or 8 raspberries
8 fresh mint leaves
8 (6-inch) fun picks or skewers, such as bamboo

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Honey Mint Yogurt Dip (recipe follows)

Peel Cuties then cut in half crosswise. Cut each half into 4 chunks. Thread onto a skewer in order: 2 chunks of Cuties, 1 piece of strawberry, 1 mint leaf and then finish with 2 additional chunks of Cuties. Repeat with remaining skewers. Serve with the dip of your choice.

Honey Mint Yogurt Dip

Makes 1/3 cup

1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
3/4 tsp finely minced Cuties zest

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.

Recipes by Kathy Casey

Infusing waters is a simple, yet very effective way of adding just a bit of flavor to water by adding in market-fresh ingredients. The flavor combinations are endless! Check out this article in the Times-Picayune for more information on how to infuse waters.

Well, I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, we haven’t had much sun this summer… but there’s a silver lining – I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of green tomatoes! Of course, they are much-loved and celebrated in the South, but with such a short growing season that often results in more green tomatoes than we know what to do with, we should have festivals dedicated to them, too!

No matter where you live, though, there are some surefire ways to ripen green tomatoes. For smaller and cherry varieties, you can cut the vine and hang it up in your kitchen window. They’ll ripen slowly (and look pretty!).

For bigger tomatoes, one of my favorite tricks is to individually wrap unblemished green tomatoes with their stem still on. Store them in a box in a dark place and check them often for any molders and to see how the ripening is going. Using this method, I have enjoyed fresh garden tomatoes as far along as Thanksgiving!

If you’re ready to try your hand at cooking up some of those green tomatoes, they make a wonderful addition to chow chow relish or homemade green tomato mincemeat. You can even pickle the smaller ones for a really fab martini or Bloody Mary garnish! And who can resist them in the most famous preparation – Fried Green Tomatoes! I love serving them fresh out of them pan with a d’lish remoulade dipping sauce – the perfect late summer appetizer or a fun afternoon snack!

So don’t worry if your tomatoes are green – there’s lots of ways to enjoy them just as they are! – Kathy

Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce
Makes about 4-6 servings

1 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika or smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
4 – 5 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick crosswise slices (about 16 slices)
Vegetable oil or a mixture of oil and bacon drippings for frying
Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat an oven to 165° to 200°F. In a plate or shallow bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and paprika with a fork.

Dredge the tomato slices, a few at a time, in the seasoned flour to coat well. Set the tomatoes aside on a lightly floured baking sheet. Reserve the flour mixture.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 to 1/3 inch oil over medium heat. Fry the tomato slices in batches for about 2 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown on each side, turning as necessary. As the tomatoes are done, transfer them to a cake rack set on a baking pan to keep warm in the low oven.

Divide the tomatoes among individual plates and serve immediately, accompanied with the remoulade.

Remoulade Sauce
I also like to add a touch of horseradish to this for some extra kick!

Makes 1 cup

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsps finely chopped dill pickle
1 Tbsp drained capers, chopped
1/2 green onion, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/8 tsp celery seed
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients.

Chef’s Note: The sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated until needed.

Recipe from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books, San Francisco. Copyright © 2006 by Kathy Casey.

August is Washington Wine Month, so I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about sangrias!  I love wine by the glass, but for a truly refreshing, light sip, a Summertime White Sangria is the way to go. It is perfect for a big bash (it batches up super-easily!) or a casual summer day on the patio. Local, in-season fruit like peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines mingle so nicely with Stonecap Chardonnay, local honey and a touch of liqueur until you’re ready to serve – then just add some ice and voila! Instant party in a pitcher! If red is more your thing, this sangria is also d’lish made with StoneCap Merlot or Cabernet wine.

For more information or to purchase StoneCap wines, made in the beautiful Columbia Valley, visit www.stonecapwines.com/ or check your neighborhood Fred Meyer or QFC. Happy summertime sipping! – Kathy

Summertime White Sangria
Makes about 6 servings

1 bottle (750 ml) StoneCap Chardonnay
1/4 cup liqueur, such as Tuaca, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or St. Germain
2 – 3 tablespoons local honey
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup cut up local fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums

In a large pitcher, stir the wine, liqueur and honey together until honey is dissolved. Add the fruits and stir, crushing some of the fruit. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to let the flavors marry. Serve over ice, including some of the fruit in each serving.

Recipe created by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen™

Water is essential for all the beverages that we drink from flavored sodas to well-balanced cocktails. Make water stand out by infusing fresh ingredients with it then add a bit of a spirit and you’ll have a simple but tasty drink! Check out this article in Class Magazine for a variety H2O cocktail recipes, including my Berry Purity H2O and Pineapple Cilantro H2O cocktails!

Canning is a fantastic way to preserve the flavors of the season and an age old custom. Lots of people learned to can from their friends or family – I learned to can from my mom and grandma, making jar upon jar of preserved peaches, apricots and yummy jam… there’s nothing like a PB&J with jam you’ve made yourself!

If “putting up” some of summer’s delicious bounty sounds like a fantastic idea to you, there’s no time better than the present to jump right in – head to Pike Place Market on Saturday, August 13^th and Sunday, August 14th for National Can It Forward Day! Canning Across America and Jardin America, the makers of Ball home canning products, have teamed up to present two days full of fun, educational canning and cooking demos.  But don’t worry if you can’t make it – the entire event will be streaming live at freshpreserving.com from 8:00AM to 4:00PM on Saturday. For the full event schedule, click here!

If you just can’t wait to get started canning, check out my easy and delicious recipe for Strawberry Lemon Poppyseed Jam! And don’t forget to visit Canning Across America to join the Canvolution and find mouth-watering recipes, gorgeous photography and a warm, welcoming community of like-minded canning enthusiasts.

So fire up your canner and here’s to preserving our local flavor! – Kathy

H₂O Cocktails are perfect for those looking for alternative to “skinny” drinks filled with artificial sweeteners. Check out this article in Drink of the Week featuring the seminar that I did with Tony Abou-Ganim at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail, including a Mandarin Hibiscus H₂O cocktail recipe!

Fresh cherries really signal summer! Plump, juicy cherries, icy cold, are my idea of the perfect snack. Just sitting around on a hot day popping them in one by one is the start of a wonderful summer.

How about a big bowl of cherries for dinner? Why not! When the season is ripe enjoy them from beverages to baked goods.

One of my favorite easy apps is Cherry Bings – so easy you don’t even need a recipe!

Pit big Bing cherries (and if you don’t have a pitter use one of those disposable to-go chopsticks – I know you have in your kitchen drawer – to just poke out the pit!) Enrobe in some goat cheese and then roll in some toasted almonds! My idea of the perfect summer appetizer with a great glass of Washington wine!

One of my favorite cocktails to serve up in the summertime when friends stop by is Cherry Mojitos for a Crowd – make this ultra-refreshing sip up to three days ahead of time for your next barbeque or picnic – it serves about ten!

And of course dessert ideas abound …  you know shortcakes aren’t just for strawberries. Fresh, pitted cherries tossed with a little sugar and kirsch liqueur make an excellent shortcake filling. But if you’re in the baking mood try my recipe for Summer Cherry Triple-Ginger Upside Down Cake.

Here’s to a summer filled with cherry-licious times. – Kathy

Photo courtesy of Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table – Armstrong Photography

Cherry Mojitos for a Crowd
Makes about 10 servings

1 bunch fresh mint (about 1 1/2 cups sprigs)
3 cups Bacardi Limón rum
2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh lime juice
1/4 cup clear cherry liqueur, such as Maraska maraschino
3 cups pitted fresh sweet cherries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Loads of ice for serving
Two 10-ounce bottles soda water

Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, fresh cherries on the stem

In a large nonreactive container, such as a glass pitcher, combine the mint, rum, sugar, lime juice, liqueur, and pitted cherries. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For each serving, fill a large rocks glass or tumbler with ice and measure in 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of the rum mixture (I like to use a ladle to do this), being sure to get some of the cherries into each glass. Top with 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of soda. Stir, then garnish with a mint sprig and a cherry.

Chef’s Note: You can make the cherry-rum mixture up to 3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated—the flavors will just get better and better.

Recipe from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books

Summer Cherry Triple-Ginger Upside Down Cake
Makes 1 cake

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed, brown sugar
1 pound fresh cherries, pitted (about 2 cups)

For the batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 tsp baking powder1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp very finely minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup very finely minced crystallized ginger
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk

Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, and reserve.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat then stir in brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and then immediately drizzle into the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to distribute sugar mixture. Place the pitted cherries evenly around on top of sugar mixture. Set aside.

To make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and salt, and set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat together the fresh ginger, crystallized ginger, sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. Then add flour mixture and milk, alternately, in 2 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Spoon batter evenly over cherries in the pan. Spread batter gently, being careful not to move the cherries around too much. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack 15 minutes. Run a small knife around edges of pan to loosen cake. Place a large platter or serving plate over cake and invert cake onto platter. Serve warm or at room temperature with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Recipe © Kathy Casey Food Studios