Into the Woods

Stuffed Cherry tomatoes with

Crab and Tarragon

Shredded Root Vegetable Salad

Bleu Cheese Chicken Pitas

Pita Bread

Red Potato Salad

Flavored Waters

Tropical Fruit with Honey-Lime Dressing

Lemon Velvet Cream Pie

Gingersnaps

Deviled Eggs

Stuffed Cherry tomatoes with Crab and Tarragon

• 24 cherry tomatoes, about ¾ pound
• ½ pound cooked lump crabmeat, flaked
• 1 TBS. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. finely chopped tarragon, plus 24 whole leaves
• 1-2 TBS. mayonnaise
• Several drops of Tabasco or other hot-pepper sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Cut a slice ¼ inch thick off the top of each tomato and discard the tops. Scoop out the seeds of each tomato, sprinkle the insides with salt and invert onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain.

Mix together the crab, lemon juice, and chopped tarragon. Stir in enough mayonnaise to bind the mixture. Season with Tabasco,salt and pepper. Cover and chill thoroughly.

Fill each tomato with a heaping teaspoon of crab mixture. Garnish with a tarragon leaf. 

Shredded Root Vegetable Salad

For the dressing:

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 3 TBS. red wine vinegar
• ½ cup plus 1 TBS. olive oil
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the salad:

• 8 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 4 small or 3 large beets, peeled and shredded
• 8 – 10 romaine lettuce leaves

To make the dressing, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, parsley, salt and pepper.

In a bowl, combine the carrots with ¼ cup of the dressing and let marinate for 15 minutes. In another bowl, combine the beets and the remaining dressing and let marinate for 15 minutes.

Arrange small, separate mounds of the carrots and beets on a lettuce leaf. Garnish with additional cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of parsley.

Flavored Waters

LEMON-LAVENDER WATER

• 3 large lemons, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh lavender
• 1 half-gallon of water

Add lemon slices and lavender to pitcher; pour water over both and refrigerate for two hours. Sever over ice and garnish with a sprig of lavender.

ORANGE-MINT WATER

• 4 oranges sliced 
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh mint
• 6-8 cups water

Place the orange slices in a large pitcher. Rub the mint leaves between the palms of your hands to bruise the leaves slightly. Add to the pitcher with the oranges and pour in the water. Cover and chill 1-8 hours.

Strain orange-water mixture and discard herbs. Add fresh mint leaves before serving.

HERB AND BERY FLAVORED WATER

• 1 cup fresh blueberries lightly crushed
• two 4 inch sprigs of fresh rosemary, lightly bruised to release more flavor                             
• 1 half-gallon of water

Add blueberries and rosemary sprigs to a large picture; fill with water and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Serve over ice.

Bleu Cheese Chicken Pitas

• 1 ½ cups shredded or cubed chicken (can used grilled, boiled or rotisserie chicken)
• 4 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
• ¼ cup bleu cheese
• ¾ cup plain yogurt
• 2 TBS mayonnaise
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small garlic clove
• Romaine Lettuce
• Sliced Tomatoes

Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, blue cheese, ground pepper and garlic together. Add chicken and bacon.

Put lettuce and tomatoes in pita pocket, stuff full with chicken salad.

Pita Bread

• 1  1/8 cups warm water
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 TBS oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. sugar
• 1 ½ tsp. yeast

Mix above ingredients in a bread maker on dough setting. When finished rising, roll out into a 12 inch long tube. Cut into 6 – 8 pieces. Roll out into circles. Let finished rolled dough sit on a floured surface with a towel on top for 30 minutes, to rise.

Bake at 500. Cook 2 or 3 pitas at a time, on a cooling rack directly on the oven racks. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tops start to golden. Remove from oven, place in brown paper sack to cool, then put directly in plastic for storage.