Drinks: Ashley
Cowgirl Cooler
⅓ c water
⅓ c sugar
5 fresh mint sprigs
4 c pink grapefruit juice
2 ½ c bourbon
12 dashes Angostura bitters
1 c ginger ale
Stir water and sugar together in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Add mint sprigs. Remove from heat; cool syrup completely. Strain syrup into a pitcher. Add grapefruit juice, bourbon, bitters and ginger ale. Serve over ice.
(Adapted from Bon Appetit Dec 2007)
Appetizer: Colleen
Canyon Queso
2 lb shredded Mexican blend cheese
4 small cloves garlic, pressed
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
3 T cilantro, chopped
4 oz can diced green chilies
¼-½ c diced, deseeded tomatoes
3 T pickled jalapenos, dices
1-2 T chili powder
1-2 T cumin
Heat beer in a pot with pressed garlic and green onions. Add tomatoes, chilies, jalapenos, and stir. Mix chili powder, cumin, flour and coat cheese with mixture. Add cheese to pot and stir occasionally until melted. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!
Soup: Erin
Vegetable Chili
¾ c olive oil (I didn’t use this much)
3 zucchinis, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large red/green bell peppers, chopped
2 cans tomatoes w/ juice
1 c tomato juice
1 c uncooked bulgur wheat
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano*
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt/pepper
½ c chopped cilantro
1 ½ c kidney beans
1 c sour cream
2 c grated cheese
4 scallions, white bulb and 3 in green
Heat the tomato juice to boiling. Add it to the bulgur in a small bowl, cover, and let stand 15 minutes. Heat ½ cup of the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the zucchini and sauté until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to another bowl. Heat the remaining ¼ c oil in the soup pot over low heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and bell peppers. Saute until just wilted about 10 minutes. Place over low heat. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, pepper, salt. Cook (I simmered) uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and bulgur. Cook for another 15 minutes. Stir well and adjust the seasonings to taste. Add cilantro. Serve with bowls of sour cream, grated cheese and sliced scallions alongside.
Salad: Tamara
Cowgirl Coleslaw
1 head of red cabbage, shredded or sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 apples, cut in match sticks (I used Fuji)
1 T Dijon mustard
¼ c balsamic vinegar**
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 T olive oil
salt and pepper
Mix mustard, balsamic, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in a jar and shake to mix well. Toss with cabbage, carrots and apples. Serve cold.
**Note: Next time I make this, I would use white balsamic or cider vinegar instead to keep the crisp white color of the apples. The red balsamic darkened the apples too much.
Side Dish: Stacey
Not-too Sweet Baked Beans
1 15.5 oz can great northern beans
1 15.5 oz can navy beans
1 15.5 oz can baby butter beans
1 15.5 oz can pinto beans
2 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
⅓ c molasses
2 T light brown sugar
2 T prepared mustard
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
6 oz bacon
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 350. Reserving two sliced of bacon, cook the remaining bacon in a large skillet. While it’s cooking, place all beans in a colander and rinse and drain. Transfer to a large baking dish.
Pour tomatoes over beans. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper.
When the bacon has cooked, remove bacon from the pan and cook the onions in the bacon drippings stirring frequently. While the onions are cooking, crumble the cooked bacon over the beans. Add onions and combine all the ingredients well. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Allow to stand for 5 minutes and serve.
Adapted from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking.
Entree: Sara
Buckaroo Stew
I cooked both stews partially on the stovetop and partially with charcoal outside.
Vegetarian:
6-quart cast iron Dutch oven
2 carrots chopped
2 potatoes (I used red and russet)
2 celery sticks chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
½ can kidney beans
½ can black beans
1 c red wine
1 c veggie stock
Sauté onion. Add potatoes and carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes, wine and stock. Put about 5 hot coals on the bottom, and 5 hot coals on the top. Cook until potatoes are done and folks are hungry!
Meaty:
12-quart cast iron Dutch oven
1 lb bacon, chopped into 1-inch chunks
1 ½ lbs London broil beef, chopped into 1-inch chunks
4 carrots chopped
3 potatoes (I used red and russet)
4 celery sticks chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
½ can kidney beans
½ can black beans
1 ½ c red wine
1 ½ c veggie stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Fry bacon in Dutch oven, remove. Sear beef, remove. Sauté onion in olive oil. Add potatoes and carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes, wine and stock. Put about 8 hot coals on the bottom, and 10 hot coals on the top. Cook until potatoes and beef are done and folks are hungry!
(Adapted from Grandpa Bob’s recipe)
Dessert: Aven
Wild Berry Honey Buckle with Honeyed Cream
Cake
¼ c unsalted butter
1 c honey
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 c berries (I used raspberries and blackberries)
1 ½ c milk
5 c flour (I used 6 ½ whole wheat pastry & 1 white)
2 c oats
2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
Streusel
⅔ c flour
⅓ c brown sugar
4 Tbsp salted butter
Cream
2 c cream
6 T honey
2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and honey, add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Stir in milk and dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in 2 cups of berries. Grease a 10” springform pan, pour in batter and sprinkle with remaining cup of berries. Sprinkle streusel on top of berries. Bake for 60 minutes (if center is still slightly gooey turn oven off and leave cake in for another 30 to 60 minutes.
Whip cream until soft peaks form, gently stir in honey and vanilla.
Lottery: Lovina
