Strawberry Moon !

Gratifying , healthy , desirable , easy and lazy green summer cooking days are rolling out in front of us ... and a fantastic week , with Full Strawberry Moon tonight the 17th of June & Summer Solstice the 21th of June , so happy-hippie summertime in bloom , hopefully without hot stoves and burning ovens in the kitchen ... just the grill outside .. quick and cold lovely dishes please , for a wholesome , salutary feeling without too much fuss !

Green Gazpacho with Avocado & Mint

1 avocado

2 cucumbers

3 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup mint

1/3 cup cilantro

3 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove

3/4 to 1 cup water

a little chopped jalapeno and seasalt

all in a blender and mix until smooth , add more water if you want it thinner , chill before serving , garnish with thinly sliced beetroots !

Chicken Pesto Dip

Combine & mix until a paste

1 cup raw shelled walnuts

4-5 garlic cloves

3 cups fresh basil leaves

2 cups fresh baby spinack or kale

2/3 cup olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

some sea salt

add some shredded chicken and parmesana cheese , perfect as a side or even in a baked potatoe , I put it some times on baked carrots with mozzarella , it would probably be perfect on a bruschetta as well , fantastic !

Another little useful salsa is Pico De Gallo

finely chopped white onion , tomatoes without the seeds and juice , jalapenos , cilantro & lime , you can season it with cumin or coriander if you want , adding black beans is also an option ... healthy , nourishing for a fit feeling !

You can also use ovenbaked feta cheese to a lot of things as a starter or simply just crumble it over a salad , when the feta cheese is baked it get an interesting texture also the taste of it change a bit , it is easy done I put a piece of feta cheese in an ovensafe dish sprinkle some oregano and olive oil on top then leave it some minutes on quite high heat until it starts to melt and with a golden tone , in Greece they make this in a million different ways , with tomatoes , peppers .... but I prefer the clean feta cheese fresh out from the oven .. if I or my company want we can always add whatever after .. with feta cheese there is so many options and dont forget that it is the healthiest cheese you can eat !!

Grilled Portobello burger with cheesy cream !

Brush the mushroom tops with an oliveoil , garlic-herb blend some salt & pepper and put on the grill , make a cheese cream from creme fraiche and parmesana cheese , some drops of good oil salt and pepper maybe a dash of cayenne , assemble the burgers on grilled bread if you like , start with some fresh romain salad , thinly sliced tomatoes and red onion , the grilled portobello , cheese cream and if you like some pieces of red onion on top just for the look .. Xxx dont have a grill .. do it in the oven , 250c 10 min.

Ice cream from leftover bananas , well I dont really eat a lot of ice cream , thanks god ... since it is enough with all the chocolate - you would think ... but I have made a lot and served a lot and its lovely to work with , this one is a favourite even for me with a topping of chocolate sauce and nuts ..

so if you have left over bananas , cut them up and freeze , throw into the mixer right from the freezer and mix until it simply looks like ice cream .. done now top it up and serve or eat !!

How we spend the first 20 minutes of our day can set us on a fun , loving , successful , present-course or it can send us into self-involvment ... for me personally I do some " cat-stretching " still in bed and while doing that I try to let go of the old , the day before things , I also try to let go of all the expectations of me , the goals for perfection , judgments and the regrets ... just let it go , and then I just am & I let myself be - me .... puuuh and after that it is time to run into the kitchen and make a big lovely cup of coffe ...

These days in between fullmoon and summer solstice , please take your time and really indulge in all the summer freshness , the strawberry moon is all about wild love and feelings .. and to make your longterm dreams come true we should be dancing & singing in the fields or on the beach in long dresses with all the fine bells , charms and flowers in our hair , it is said to be lucky times .. perfect times for hugging , smiling , kissing ... the days will soon be shorter so live them now ...

If you are a reader , and want something to dig into ...I am going to re-read these very good books Donna Tartts " The secret history " & JRR.Tolkiens " The Hobbit "

I have been listening to :

Donkeyboy " Ambitions "

Aaron Simon Gross .. " If Thats What It Is "

Einar " Problems "

Faith Hill " This Kiss "

Bruce Springsteen " There goes my miracle "

Step away from drama , relax & enjoy the long , light summer nights ...

I will try to find time to keep you updated with my adventures in the busy-summer- kitchen .... and my roadtrips coming up in July !!

Big love from

Chris

GrammasKitchen in a super green and beautiful Sörmland.