Hi AJ and Everyone!

I have been having lots of fun thus far this summer; antiquing, junking, gardening, reading, and re- decorating. It has been much too humid to even think about cooking, sandwiches have been my lifesaver this summer...tonight we enjoyed Onion Bagel Sandwiches with Melted Cheese and Sweet Bell Pepper. That and a nice scoop of Seafood Salad and Iced Tea, well, you're done!

I knew I would be busy this summer, just sensed it, so I started planning my menu right after I saw a Martha Stewart segment on her friend Jane's BBQ Brisket. It looked yummy!! So I built the menu around this concept. I didn't want to mess with the burgers and dogs this year...

Here are some ideas for this year...During one of my antiquing jaunts I found an old croquet game so it will come very handy for the visiting children who need something to divert their energy. For a decorative way to light the outdoors, hand some votive lamps on the branches of the trees to invite guests in...twirl wire around the ribbed neck and then put about 1/2 cup sand in bottom of large canning jar and insert a votive candle. Light and hang. Just beautiful....

I also have some galvanized tubs that I will fill with ice and fill with assorted beverages. I thought this year I would make it a little bit more "yester-year" and have the kids make strawberry ice-cream. Then we could enjoy it over Angel Food Cake and Blueberry Sauce. I am making this year's dessert around red, white and blue colors and they have to be refreshing.

I am sure your own celebration of Independence Day will also be very special this year. Enjoy your outing and share some stories with us!

Here is this year's Menu for a grand celebration!Black Bean & Salsa Dip
Lime Dusted Tortilla Chips
Jane's BBQ Brisket
Sandwich Rolls
Best BBQ ColeSlaw
Jack Daniel's Style BBQ Ribs
Pineapple BBQ Beans
Lemon Shrimp Linguini Summer Salad
Blueberry Buckle with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Cherry Cream Pie
Grandma's 1930 Sour Cream Fudge Cake
Jane's Barbecue Brisket

Assorted wines, ice-cold Corona's, summer lemonade and sodas.

Serves 8 to 10
This barbecue brisket, from Martha's banker and friend Jane Heller, gets a Southern twist with a splash of bourbon.

5- to 6-pound brisket
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 medium onions, cut into large dice
2 to 3 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 ten-and-a-half-ounce cans Campbell’s French onion soup or beef broth
1 1/2 cups Sankaty Barbecue Sauce, plus more for sandwiches
1/2 cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey
8 to 10 crusty rolls
Cole slaw, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the brisket in a cross-hatch pattern. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add brisket, and cook until well browned all over, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Remove, and set aside.

2. Add onions, carrots, and the soup. Return the brisket to the pot, and add 1 cup barbecue sauce and the whiskey. Cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until brisket is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Transfer brisket to a platter; set aside. Discard liquid and vegetables.

3. Preheat a grill. Brush the brisket on one side with 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce. Place sauce side down on grill. Cook until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Brush second side with remaining 1/4 cup sauce. Turn, and cook until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Remove from grill. Slice brisket against the grain 1/4 inch thick. Serve on a roll, topped with more barbecue sauce and cole slaw.


Best Barbeque Cole Slaw
8-10 servings

2 10 oz. pkgs. finely shredded cabbage
1 carrot shredded
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 T. white vinegar

Combine cabbage and carrot in a large bowl.

Whisk together the sugar and next 7 ingred. til nicely blended. Toss with the cabbage and carrot. Cover and chill 2 hours.BBQ Peach Glazed Ribs
serves 4

Peach Glaze:
8 tbsp. peach preserves
1/2 cup water
juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and blend. Cook over med. heat til thickened. Stir occasionally. Makes 1 cup of glaze.

2 lbs. pork spareribs
Preheat oven to 450. Place ribs in a 9x13 pan and roast for 40 minutes. Drain any fat and reduce heat to 350, pour glaze over and continue baking uncovered til tender about 1 1/2 hours. Baste occasionally and don't let it burn. Can pour a little bit of water in pan.

Or you can make the Jack Daniel's Glaze for the ribs and really impress your guests....

Jack Daniel's Rib Glaze
Taken from "Cooking with Wine and Spirits"
edited by Barbara Brusehaber Dvorak

1 cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup catsup
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients: mix well. Brush ribs with a thin coating of glaze and place on grill. Continue to baste when turning ribs. Makes enough for 2 racks of 7 to 10 ribs each.

Also great on chicken wings.Pineapple Baked Beans
Source: American Dry Bean Board
Makes 6 main dish servings or 12 side dish servings.

3 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 cup sliced green onions and tops
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans (15 ounces each) Navy or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup pineapple or apple juice
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Fry bacon in small skillet until crisp; drain bacon thoroughly on paper towels. Discard all but 1 teaspoon bacon fat; add onions and garlic to skillet and saute until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Mix all ingredients in 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours, then bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Microwave instructions: cook on medium high for 45 minutes to 1 hour.Black Bean and Corn Salad
A Slice of Paradise, Jr. League of the Palm Beaches
yields: 12-15 servings

3/4 cup Italian salad dressing
3/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
1 tbsp. cilantro
1 (12 oz.) can yellow corn, drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Combine Italian dressing, Tabasco, chili powder, citrus juice and cilantro in a jar and shake well; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients til evenly mixed. Cover salad with dressing and chill at least 4 hours, best if made the day before serving. Serve cool or at room temp. Lemon Shrimp Linguini Summer Pasta
serves 6

1 lb. linguini
1/2 cup olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
1 lb. medium shrimp
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Take the shells off the shrimp, devein and heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the shrimp with the garlic until they turn pink. Steam the asparagus until crisp-tender and cut into bite-size pieces.

Cook linguini until al dente in salted boiling water. Drain well. Combine the shrimp saute, garlic, lemon zest and juice, scallions, parsely, salt and pepper and asparagus with linguini in a large serving shallow bowl. Toss well and sprinkle on the parmesan.
Blueberry Buckle

serves 6

1/2 c. unslated butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. greshly grounded nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. milk
2 c. fresh blueberries

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift together all the fry ingred. and add to the butter mixture alternating with the milk. Stir until well blended. Pour batter into a buttered and floured 9x9x2 baking pan. Top with the blueberries. Cover the batter evenly with the berries and press them in slightly.

TOPPING:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Combine topping ingred. til crumbly and sprinkle evenly over the berries. Bake in center of oven at 350 for 45-50 min. Top should be golden and bubbly! Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.Cherry Cream Pie

1/2 pt. whipping cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. almond extract
3-oz. pkg. cream cheese
9-inch pie crust, baked
21-oz. can cherry pie filling

Blend whipping cream, powdered sugar, almond extract and cream cheese together until smooth. Pour into cooled pie crust and top with cherry pie filling; chill until set. Makes 8 servings.Grandma's 1930's Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

1 stick butter
2 1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 egg
1 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1 1/4 c. sifted cake flour
1/4 t. baking soda

Grease 2 layer pans or bundt pan. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Beat egg, add sugar and beat well. Add sour cream and beat. Sift flour with baking soda and mix in by hand, do not beat in. Add melted butter and chocolate and hand mix. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 45 min. for bundt pan or 30 min. for the layer pans. Cool 10 min. Invert and cool completely.

Old Fashioned Frosting:
3 1/2 oz. unsweetened bakers chocolate
3 T. butter
3 c. sifted confectioner's sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
dash of instant coffee granules

Melt the chocolate and butter. Blend all the remaining ingred. and add to the hot chocolate mixture. Let stand in cool place until ready to use.