Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook (25 page)
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Authors: Debbie Macomber
at
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PACIFIC BOULEVARD
and
THE WATERFRONT PARK
with
Troy and Faith Davis
I
love birthdays, always have. Faith Davis (who used to be Faith Beckwith) feels the same way. She’s so good about remembering everyone’s birthday and now that she and Troy are married, there are a lot more of them to celebrate. One that’s especially fun for both of us is the Fourth of July—a birthday the entire country celebrates.
Harry, my cat, hates all the noise and the fireworks, but I keep him securely inside the house. Justine says it’s the same with their dog, Penny, who cowers upstairs under one of the beds. Harry, being a cat, has more dignity but seems to think I’m doing this to him on purpose. However, Harry and Penny are the
only
members of the family who voice any objections to our Fourth of July celebrations.
Believe me when I tell you that no one complains about the community barbecue!
Faith has just begun a new tradition for our Fourth of July celebration. We start with a light brunch at 92 Pacific Boulevard. Not everyone comes to that, of course, just eight
or ten of us, but after the meal we help Faith in her kitchen, marinating chicken pieces and making vats of potato salad. Then we head out to the Waterfront Park.
The entire community of Cedar Cove is invited to join in a potluck picnic down at the park, and we all bring our special Fourth of July dishes. Faith doesn’t
dare show up without her marinated chicken. Troy, Bob Beldon and a few other husbands man the barbecues, and the aroma drifts through the park until all our mouths are watering.
Everyone always asks for my Herb Garden Pesto Rigatoni, too. Peggy’s presence (and Bob’s, of course!) is eagerly anticipated—and it isn’t just because of her Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp. That’s another one of those recipes in high demand. No one makes it better than Peggy and I suspect it’s because she grows both in her large garden.
Corrie contributes a dessert, too. She usually brings a Peach and Raspberry Cobbler and has always refused to share the recipe—until now. To be fair, she didn’t
refuse
to share, she just kept forgetting…or so she says. We love to tease her about that.
Olivia’s contribution is her Grilled Baguette and Tomato Salad, which is just perfect for summer.
We arrive at the park shortly after twelve and have everything set up and ready by midafternoon. For the last few years the men (and a few of the women) have gotten involved in a poker tournament spearheaded by Jack. The rest of us generally just visit in that wonderful way women do. It makes for such a relaxing afternoon and such a great opportunity to catch up on gossip. (Oops! I mean
news
.) Naturally I work on my knitting, and I’m not the only one. Faith, and more recently Troy’s daughter, Megan, also bring theirs.
There’s always food left over for a late-evening snack, so we bring everything out again before the fireworks. And last year there were some private fireworks, too—I saw Troy and Faith cuddling in the dark. I do love a romance; I think everyone does. All I can say is that it took them long enough to realize what most of us already knew. Troy and Faith belong together. I’m so glad they were willing to put their differences behind them. I know Megan agrees with me, as do Scott and Jay Lynn, Faith’s children.
We have a lot to celebrate in our community and our country. The Fourth of July represents the triumphs of the past and all our hopes for the future. I can’t think of a more appropriate way to spend it than with family, good friends and good food.
T
his is a mild salsa; add another jalapeño or extra hot sauce if you want it spicier.
Makes 48 tortilla chips and 2 cups salsa
CHIPS
6 medium flour tortillas
Olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
SALSA
3 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into small dice and drained of juice
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
¼ small red onion, cut into small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1.
For tortilla chips: Preheat oven to 300°F. Stack tortillas and cut stack into eight wedges. (You’ll have 48.) Arrange wedges on a baking sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle with salt. Bake 12 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
2.
For salsa: Combine all ingredients except cilantro in a large bowl. Add cilantro just before serving.
TIP
Don’t let homemade salsa sit for more than 4 hours at room temperature. The texture will soften too much and the bright flavor will dull. You can cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but it’s always best eaten freshly made.
S
tart to finish, it takes about 5 minutes to get this dip in the oven, so you don’t need to make it in advance.
Makes about 6 cups
1 15-ounce can refried beans
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 package taco seasoning mix
½ pound Velveeta or sharp cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, blend beans, cream cheese, sour cream and seasoning mix. Fold in cheese cubes.
2.
Scoop dip into a 2-quart casserole. Bake 30 minutes, until cheese melts and dip is warmed through.
TIP
If you want to shave a few more moments off the already-quick preparation time, use preshredded cheese.
D
on’t refrigerate this salad; the bread will get too soggy and tomatoes will lose their flavor.
Serves 4 to 6
½ French baguette or Italian loaf
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1
/
3
cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
3 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped red onion
Salt and pepper
1.
Split bread horizontally; use ¼ cup of the olive oil to brush each piece on both sides. Grill or toast in toaster oven, until lightly charred, flipping bread to brown both sides.
2.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, vinegar, lime juice, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, onion, salt and pepper.
3.
Cut toasted bread into one-inch cubes; toss with tomato mixture. Let stand 20 minutes, to combine flavors, before serving.
TIP
If possible, plan ahead so that this salad rests for about 20 minutes before you eat it.
That lets the baguette absorb just enough of the tasty juices to be perfect for serving.
A
roll of chili-spiked butter is an easy and impressive addition to glazed salmon. Make the flavored butter up to 2 days in advance.
Serves 4
SALMON
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each)
LIME-JALAPEÑO BUTTER
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped, seeded fresh jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1.
For salmon: In a large bowl, stir brown sugar, salt and pepper until combined. Add fillets to bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl and refrigerate 4 hours.
2.
In a small bowl, stir butter, cilantro, jalapeño and lime juice until blended. Scrape mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap; roll into a cylinder, wrapping log completely. Chill for 20 minutes, until hard enough to hold its shape.
3.
Preheat grill; lightly oil grates. Grill salmon over medium heat about 4 minutes per side.
4.
Slice cold lime-jalapeño butter into disks. Top warm fish with flavored butter disks.
TIP
Whenever you cook salmon, throw a couple extra fillets on the grill. Leftovers make a great lunch or addition to a salad.