Watermelon-Basil Margaritas

Not sure why, but this week’s box has set me to thinking about sweets. Maybe not the traditional reaction to the bounty of squash, cucumbers and greens, but there you are. What may have pushed me to the sweet side was the huge bunch of basil in my box. “Hmm … more pesto? Nah. Chop some into a salad with the beans and potatoes? Ok. But there’s LOTS of basil …”

And then I remembered a drink I discovered last summer, the watermelon-basil margarita. The recipe came out in Martha Stewart Living back in 2007, and like lots of people, I had torn it out and added it to that stack of “recipes I will get to one day”. Well, “one day” came last summer and what a hit! People who were totally not going to try it ended up loving it and we were muddling basil leaves all night long. Here’s the recipe.

Japanese Curry Rice

The recipe for Japanese Curry Rice comes from Marc Matsumoto of norecipes.com. He says: “ I make almost everything I post without a recipe. I think cooking is most fun and innovative when you just wing it. I do recognize that not everyone is as adventurous as me, so I post the ingredients and method to give you a starting point.”

So in that spirit, substitute okra for the carrots, thinly sliced green beans for the peas, use applesauce instead of the fresh apple, or make any other substitutions that appeal to you.. You could skip the protein and still have a lovely meal.

Smoked Spanish Potatoes

If you need a new idea for squash and basil, try this recipe for Squash and Ham Ribbons adapted from the folks at Good Housekeeping, The pesto uses mint along with the basil, pistachios for the nuts and no cheese. It’s a nice variation on the traditional version. (And would be delicious along with your favorite potato salad recipe.)

notes about okra

A note about your okra. There’s been lots of conversation about okra recently, especially with the bounty Suzanne was offering last weekend. Fried okra is great, but don’t think of it as a side dish alone. I loved these suggestions from the July issue of Southern Living.