beet juice

If you make carrot juice, try adding in a beet for amazing color! My kids drink it up!

wax beans and red bell pepper

This is one easy way we have been eating our beans. It is so fresh and delicious (and is great room temperature)! Enjoy!

Steam beans for 5-7 minutes until just tender. Squirt juice of key lime (or any other citrus), sprinkle a bit of olive oil, red bell pepper chopped up and lots of pepper and salt. Eat all at once!

how to keep greens fresh

Here is a link to one of my favorite food blogs and an excellent article about how to keep greens fresh. It seems a bit lengthy but is actually quite simple and really worth it. I am going to add the paper towel to my greens - I love that tip!

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2008/03/on_greens_and_how_to_keep_them_fresh.php

wax beans with mint

Every weekend during the summer, if we are lucky, there will be a good supply of wax beans at the farmers market. These golden yellow (and sometimes purple) versions of green beans are harvested young, and are sweet and tender. Here is a simple way to prepare them, with the subtle flavor of a mint infusion.

1/2 pound wax beans
Several mint leaves
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt

1 A little bit ahead of time, crush a few mint leaves (reserve some for garnish) with a mortar and pestle. Put the crushed mint leaves into a small jar and add a couple tablespoons of high quality olive oil to cover. Let sit for at least an hour if you can. The longer the mint is in the olive oil, the better the infusion.

2 Prepare the beans by cutting off and discarding the tips and ends. Snap the beans in half, if necessary, to have pieces about 2 inches in length.

3 15 minutes before serving bring an inch of water in a saucepan to a boil. Place the beans in a steamer basket in the saucepan. Cover and cook, until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Check for doneness after about 8 minutes or so. If a fork easily goes through them, they're done.

4 Remove beans from pan and place them into a serving bowl. Use a strainer to drizzle the mint-infused olive oil over the beans. Sprinkle salt over the beans to taste. (Fleur de sel would work really well with this dish.) Chop up a few more mint leaves to add as garnish.

Serves 3-4.

from www.elise.com

Cuban Mojito

from www.tasteofcuba.com

the original authentic recipe from Havana Cuba

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves

1 sprig of mint
white Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda

There are countless recipes for the Mojito (pronounced moh-HEE-toh), but this version is for the one Hemingway himself enjoyed at the Mojito's place of birth: La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. If you are throwing a Cuban theme party (Havana night themed party), definitely plan on serving mojitos.

Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a "collins" glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You'll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime. Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device pictured below, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda (you can also stir the club soda in as per your taste). Garnish with a mint sprig.

from www.tasteofcuba.com

How about sitting on your porch sipping this refreshing drink while the breeze kicks in and you are listening to Buena Vista Social Club? I hope to be doing that sometime this weekend!