Summertime is Burger Time! Dust off the barbecue, light it up, and get grilling – you know that there’s nothing better than home-grilled burgers!

Why not ask over friends and family for a burger bar? You provide the burgers, buns and toppings and then ask your guests to bring a fun salad or delectable dessert, and you’ve got the city’s hottest new gourmet burger bar right in your own backyard. This is a great way to let family and friends build their own dream burger with the only limit being their imagination!

Alaska Salmon Sliders are a Favorite Way to Switch up your Burger Repertoire
Check out this great recipe we did for ASMI

Here are some of my favorite burger party tips:

–Pick up some artisan buns from one of our great local bakeries, such as Macrina or Essential. I love a variety of soft and fluffy brioche buns and pretzel buns.

–Offer different types of patties like local grass-fed beef, salmon patties, portabella mushrooms and even housemade veggie burgers.

–Put out different spreads so guests can create their own masterpiece. Try garlicy aioli, pesto, pimento cheese, and harissa ketchup.

–Don’t forget the cheeses. Local Beecher’s aged cheddar (a personal fave!), pepper jack, creamy goat, or tangy blue are some of my go-tos when hosting a burger party.

–And of course the toppings! Load it up with thick sliced tomatoes, all kinds of pickly things, sliced onions, crunchy lettuce, bacon – skies the limits. I love adding Flaming Hot Cheetos for super spicy crunch!

So whether you’re hosting a hungry crowd or just making dinner interesting, go forth and grill up some gourmet burger goodness. Cheers! –Kathy

From Bings to Queen Annes, cherries are one of the Northwest’s most famed exports, and also one of our most valuable crops. Needless to say, they’re luscious, sweet & tart, and decadent.

Cherry Mojito photo from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table.

Eaten out of hand is always tasty but I love them crushed in fresh lemonade or in one of my favorite summer cocktails, Cherry Mojitos for a Crowd! Just combine pitted cherries, light rum, fresh squeezed lime juice, and simple syrup. Let this sit for an hour or so, and then add a big splash of soda water and ice. Now, you’re ready for summer sippin’!

Have you ever made cherry salsa? Make my Sassy Bing Cherry Salsa just like you would tomato salsa, but sub out fresh chopped cherries for the tomatoes. Toss with some fresh lime juice, fresh minced jalapeno, a little red onion and some cilantro–great on grilled chicken or salmon.

Or hey, how about just a big bowl of cherries for dinner? Why not! So head out to the market and pick of a big bag of fresh local cherries and taste the season! –Kathy

Cherry Mojitos for a Crowd
Makes about 10 servings

3 cups pitted fresh sweet cherries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 bunch fresh mint (about 1 1/2 cups sprigs)
3 cups silver rum
2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh lime juice
———————————————–
10-ounce bottles soda water, chilled
Loads of ice for serving

For Garnishing: fresh mint, fresh cherries

In a large nonreactive container, such as a glass pitcher, lightly crush the cherries with a potato masher. Then add the mint, rum, sugar and lime juice. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours – or overnight. (You can remove the mint before serving if you like and then garnish with fresh ones.)

For serving: add the soda water to the pitcher of drinks. Add ice and serve immediately.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen® – www.LiquidKitchen.com

Congratulations to chef friend and author Trevis Gleason for winning the Prestige Award by the International Jury at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards! Held in China last month, this is the world’s only international culinary publishing awards ceremony. Trevis’ award winning book Chef Interrupted shares stories about living with multiple sclerosis, some of his favorite recipes, and his travel adventures in moving to Ireland. Yay Trevis!

Everyone loves a good “Q.” Grill masters gather round to stoke the coals and debate when to flip the food, and everyone shares their recipes for amazing barbecue. From hot dogs to burgers to sides of salmon during summer nights in the Northwest, everything tastes better cooked on the grill. And that grill is not just for meat, anything can be grillable!

Start your evening off with some rustic bread, crusted over the coals. Served with a selection of tasty toppings, such as an artichoke and lemon tapenade paired with creamy chive studded goat cheese and a fresh tomato Mediterranean salsa.

Then it is time to move on to the main course. Pick your favorite grillable and get that going, but let’s serve up some charred corn as a side. Serve this with the “every so tasty” Mexican Corn Spread – a mixture of mayo, Cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro, and garlic. Spread this all over and serve with a lime wedge. Yum!

Here is a great photo from the Domestic Curator’s Blog.
Check it out for the recipe and step by step instructions.

And while the coals are still hot, how about a “grilled” dessert? Skewer a few bananas and slice up some pineapple. Get some good caramelization going. Now serve these up with some good old fashioned vanilla ice cream, some sexy caramel sauce, and a sprinkling of toasted pistachios. Now that’s grilling!

So get the grill warmed up, it’s time for Q! –Kathy

People are always asking me, “What’s your favorite food?” and give me that puzzled look when I tell them, “Berries, love them all!” Obviously this response isn’t as exotic or avant-garde, but I really, truly do love berries!

The season starts with our super sweet strawberries, and boy are they sweet with our high temperatures already this summer. The season is early so if you’re looking for a fun family or friend outing head this weekend to a local U-Pick field. If you like to preserve and are a jam maker like me, then try adding a few dried lavender flowers to your favorite strawberry jam recipe – super yummy!

As soon as our strawberry season passes by, then we move on to “caneberries:” raspberries and blackberries, and their cousins – tayberry, marionberry, boysenberry, and loganberry.

My favorite way to eat raspberries!

I have to say that raspberries are my absolute favorite and I am lucky to have an heirloom variety growing in my backyard. Juicy, dark red, and full of flavor, they may not look as perfect as some of the new “hybrids” but they exude flavor like you’ve never had before. A handful of these will make you fall over swooning with berry-delicious goodness, especially when piled up “shortcake fashion” over chocolate chip scones.

It’s easy. Grab a box of Fisher Scone Mix, stir it up, and add in some mini chocolate chips, dollop it out in rounds, sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake it up. Then toss fresh berries with some local honey or a sprinkle of sugar, or just naked is just fine too. Whip up some heavy cream with vanilla or a splash of liqueur like Grand Marnier or try some bourbon with brown sugar. Dollop it up your shortcake and you’re in for some serious berry yum!

So whether you comb the side streets in search of big, fat, wild blackberries, grow marionberries in your backyard or buy raspberries from your local farmers market – I hope you cook up some berry-licious dishes this summer. –Kathy

It was not long ago that ciders were far and few between, but now, ciders are popping up everywhere across the country. From dry, tiny bubble-style (like a fine French Champagne) to spiced, and fruit-forward (think pear or raspberry, and even chai). There’s something for everyone’s taste.

A Rhuby Rum Cider Cocktail featuring dark rum,
grapefruit and pomegranate juices, and chai cider!
Photo by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®

Cider is also fantastic as a mixer for cocktails too! Cider cocktails are a growing trend in bars and restaurants, and I have had so much fun creating new cider twists. For instance, have you ever had a mojito with a splash of crisp dry cider instead of the usual soda water? Or how about a whiskey sour topped with a blackberry cider.

Ciders are just the thing for sunny weather sipping. Friends and family gather for picnics, and patio parties – all of which call for cocktails batched for a crowd. One of my favorites is sangria, like in my Pear & Blackberry Sangria! It is so delicious to make this time of year with all the great fruit that is coming to their peak. Grab a local cider at the farmers market, add in a little light rum, and then sliced seasonal fruits. If it needs a bit of sweetness add a touch of local honey. Let it sit overnight to infuse in the refrigerator, then fill up a big pitcher and bring it out on the deck for leisurely sipping in style!

Cheers to summer with some sunny ciders. And for more inspired sipping, make sure to check out my Spiked column in CIDERCRAFT Magazine! –Kathy

Pear & Blackberry Sangria
Blackberries can be switched out for raspberries or strawberries depending upon what’s peak of season at your local market.

Makes about 4-6 servings

1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup blackberries
—————————
1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp. blackberry honey
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. brandy or cognac
—————————
1 (22 oz) bottles Crispin Natural Hard Pear Cider Lion Belge
Garnish: fresh blackberries and sliced pear

In a blender cup combine the water, lemon juice and blackberries. Process until smooth. Then strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids. Add the honey, orange juice and brandy and stir until honey is dissolved. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

When ready to serve combine the blackberry mixture with the chilled cider in a large container. Add the berries and pear. Serve over ice

Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen® – www.LiquidKitchen.com