by development | Jul 27, 2020 | Harvest Home
It’s the final week of July, which means our Washington cherry season is coming to an end soon. Though the season may have started with some unpredictable weather patterns, we are overjoyed to have had another successful cherry season and we already can’t wait for next year!
To wrap up all the fun, we had to end our Chilled & Cherry Sweepstakes with a tried-and-true, forever-favorite combo: ice cream sandwiches! Because who doesn’t like ice cream AND cookies combined? We’ll wait… 😉
What I love most about this recipe is that it totally surprised me! I had this idea in mind to create Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches, but was nervous I was getting myself in way over my head! Truthfully, you just follow the same recipe for our No Churn Cherry Choco Ice Cream and then add in the addition of these scrumptious chocolate cookies, add a scoop to each cookie and voila – you have yourself ice cream sandwiches!
Not even just that, I was surprised at how clean they were to assemble, and how well they stayed put while I transferred them to my brother’s backyard birthday party 20 minutes down the road. Our family raved about them (and always bug me to ‘bring over the cherry ice cream’ now at every gathering we have!) They know and love this ice cream recipe, and all its summer-wonder. The cookies are just the cherry on top – no pun intended! I love using the Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa powder, and find myself using this as a staple in so many baking recipes.
With the Washington cherry season coming to an end, now is the time to get your hands on fresh cherries, to try out these recipes out and snack fresh on this sweet summertime fruit before the wait for next year’s season begins!
What’s been your favorite Chilled & Cherry recipe we’ve shared? Our FINAL giveaway closes this Friday at 12PM PST – to enter to win, head over to our Instagram post @starr_ranch_growers. Goodluck, and let us know if you try this recipe at home!
by development | Jul 14, 2020 | Harvest Home
It’s
National Picnic Month so naturally, we had to plan our own little spread! I am spending SO much time outdoors these days, and I am
loving it. For all my fellow work-from-home folks, you may feel slightly stir-crazy being confined in your same four walls all day and just have to get outside whenever you can (who’s with me?!) I am loving the excuse to take my spread outside, the challenge of getting creative with entertaining and spending more time in the sunshine – because hey,
we have to make lemonade out of lemons – right?
For those of you with kiddos, I am sure backyard hangs, fort-building, camping and all the outdoor activities are right up your alley these days, and what a positive opportunity to expose the family to nature and getting back to our roots.
When it comes to entertaining, we are having mostly social-distance style BBQ’s – it’s easy, casual, and we feel comfortable outside at a safe distance from our closest family and friends while maintaining some level of social and connectivity. One thing I love doing lately to spruce up the week and adding a date night into the mix within my own household is setting up a simple picnic at our local park. We grab our favorite items and just relax in the sun, play some light music and unwind after our day while snacking on some yummy foods and refreshing drinks. It doesn’t always have to be glamorous – sometimes we admittedly just bring a box of Wheat Thins, cheese and an apple or two! But, the opportunity to make it look extra special sometimes brings back the ambiance of a restaurant setting to our own very backyard!
So, whether you’re planning a date night with your partner in the backyard, the local park, or even a fun afternoon lunch with your kiddos – here are our top picnic ‘picks’ to include in your next outing!
- KORU Apples – Talk about a refreshing snack on a warm day. Our KORU apples exude what summertime should feel like. They’re sweet like sugar, crunchy, juicy, and last forever! You can snag these well before you plan a picnic and always have them readily available for your next spontaneous spread. Pack them whole or slice them beforehand and store in Tupperware along with a scoop or two of creamy PB.
- Picnic Blanket – or a towel, tablecloth – anything to keep you comfortable!
- Cheese & Crackers – Because who doesn’t like an assortment of fresh cheeses to pair with fresh fruits and savory salamis? I personally love anything peppery – I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone with your cheese options when planning your next spread. There are so many varieties and fun flavors that pair wonderfully with different wines and fresh fruits!
- Cherries & Stone Fruit – What’s summertime without seasonal fruits like cherries, peaches and apricots? All these fruits not only make your spread pop with color, but they’re so refreshing to snack on and pair amazingly with your cheese, crackers and meat selections.
- Bluetooth Speaker – Food AND entertainment? We’re there! We personally enjoy having music play softly in the background during our picnics.
- Reliable Cooler or Picnic Basket – You want to make sure your beverages stay cool, right? We also love bringing Koozies for our drinks.
- Nuts & Dried Fruit – The fresh stuff is best, but we like options! I am currently all about dried figs and marcona almonds, and always have a stash ready for picnics.
- Pack the Essentials – This includes utensils, glasses, corkscrew, bottle opener, plates, trash bags and napkins. Not so glamorous but always helpful to be prepared.
There you have it! Those are our top picks and essentials for planning a summer picnic. Gather the troops and get packing for your next outdoor adventure, and let us know how it goes in the comments below!
by development | Jul 13, 2020 | Harvest Home
Ah, summer salads – nothing beats ‘em right? When I find a salad recipe that I love, I typically only eat that for dinner for sometimes 1-2 weeks. (I know, a little redundant to most) but I am a huge salad lover and find them to be so easy and fresh for dinner, and even for a simple lunch. When I get my heart set on a recipe, I go all in – and this recipe was definitely one on repeat. I call this my Sweet Summer Cherry Stone Fruit Salad – not only does it include, of course, cherries and peaches, but also crunchy pepitas, creamy goat cheese, kale micro greens and a sweet and tangy cherry champagne vinaigrette.
Aside from the fresh flavors, vibrant colors and fun mix of textures in this summer salad recipe, I love the fact that it is so easy to make and pairs great with proteins like chicken or fish to create a really filling meal.
A great hack to spruce up any average vinaigrette or dressing is to add fresh fruit to it – in this case, I took my usual Girard’s Champagne Vinaigrette dressing and added it to my blender, along with ½ cup pitted Starr Ranch Growers cherries to add a little extra tangy-sweet flavor and a hint of beautiful light pink color to it. I love getting creative with my seasonal fruits and incorporating them into dishes or applications that are otherwise super simple. During the summer months, I incorporate sliced cherries into an array of recipes from fresh salads, smoothies, ice cream and even cocktails. Their unique sweet and tangy flavor truly makes them the best addition in the kitchen, and have quickly become my new favorite summer staple!
What’s your favorite way to eat cherries? Do you have a sweet or savory dish you love that incorporate these tiny superfruits? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to enter this week’s Chilled & Cherry Sweepstakes on our Instagram @starr_ranch_growers to win your own Summer Salad Prize Package! Sweepstakes contest ends this Friday 7/17 at 12PM PST.
Goodluck!
by development | Jul 6, 2020 | Harvest Home
With entertaining looking a little different these days, ours (and our friends) backyard patios are becoming the weekly hangout spot. We gather our chairs around on the weekend, play some music, and snack on apps and drinks while catching up with one another in the summer heat. Despite the world’s restrictions at the moment, this is truly what we like to do anyway being the mellow folks that we are!
I love hosting even if our home is TINY, and get giddy when presented the challenge of creating a new spread or fun cocktail recipe for us to all enjoy. That said, this Cherry Peach Spiked Iced Tea was a new idea I had just this past Fourth of July weekend and it was such a hit! Simple Iced Tea as it is, is so refreshing and simple – and truly representative of summer! What I love about it, is that it’s such a great base beverage to work with and spruce up in so many different creative ways. Cherries, being my summertime staple and delicacy were a great addition to include in this cocktail – the gorgeous deep red hue and subtle tart yet sweet flavors were absolutely delicious and so refreshing.
The best part is, if you have kiddos or just simply don’t want to spike this drink – you don’t have to! Just serve the pitcher as is, and add 1 oz. liquor to your own individual glass for an added touch. This drink is fantastic either way! Be sure to enter week 5 of our Chilled & Cherry Sweepstakes giveaway this week by heading over to our Instagram and finding this recipe post @starr_ranch_growers. You can also view the full recipe here!
Are you an iced tea fan? I’d love to know how you liked this recipe in the comments below!
by development | Jul 3, 2020 | Harvest Home
Tomorrow is 4th of July and I love this weekend celebration because there is typically no shortage of food and drinks no matter where you are! While this year’s landscape may look a little different with bars, restaurants, and beaches shut down (as well as a fireworks ban – at least where I live) I know that may seem like fun has left the building… but let me tell you – it is all what you make it!
4th of July is typically our first ‘real’ holiday of the summer season, and in years past, we’d head to a friends house for a BBQ, the lake, or even out on a camping trip! This year, I am simply heading over to my parents house for a (social-distance-style) backyard gathering. This is how we mingle these days, but it’s still just as enjoyable and I love catching up with them even if it’s from a few feet a part!
That said, I really liked the idea of bringing or making something for the festivities that was a little non-traditional. Sure, I totally could have baked a classic cherry pie, perhaps made some fruit skewers, or something fun and patriotic (which, I know my mom will make up for!) but I loved the idea of pulling together a vibrant, colorful cocktail that screamed summer!
This Spicy Cherry Watermelon Margarita is summer in a glass. Seriously – this is what I think of when I think of summertime! Cool, colorful, exciting. Just because we’re spending time at home doesn’t mean we can’t paint our canvas any color we want! Which is why I thought this recipe would be so fun to debut at this back yard outing – not to mention – who doesn’t love a good marg?
If you’d like to omit any spice, feel free to hold off on the chili lime salted rim and jalapeño’s. A fun rim flavor would be a ginger-sugar rim if you’d like to stay the sweet route (totally giving this a try next time!)
If you’re heading to the house next door tomorrow, but still want to make a fun cocktail, just pack up a small cooler with some limes, chili lime powder, salt, 1 small watermelon, 1 lb of fresh Starr Ranch cherries, sparkling water and your favorite tequila! It’s a simple recipe with just a handful of ingredients that I know you and your party guests will love. To view the full recipe, follow the link here.
That said, cheers to summertime, family, and good health! I hope everyone has a safe holiday weekend and if you try out this marg recipe, be sure to let us know what you thought in the comments below!
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