Happy Fruit and Feta Fourth!

Happy Friday y'all! Aren't you excied for the holiday weekend?!

While I doubt I'll be doing much eating out this weekend, I'm sure I'll go grab a few drinks and I'll DEFINITELY be throwing a little something on the bar-b! My family is notorious for barbecues (even in the winter) and I get unnaturally excited about preparing tasty treats for a pot luck! Here's what I have in mind...

Grilled Nectarines stuffed with Feta

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2009/07/grilled_nectarines_with_feta

I'm really excited about this recipe because I eat feta cheese CONSTANTLY. I'll probably do this with peaches because I saw some REALLY good ones at the market around the corner! Pitted peaches, brushed with olive oil and placed face down on the grill. When they're brown, flip em and fill with some crumbly feta goodness! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. And what's a better way to serve them then in a....

Grilled Peach Salad

I sampled a peach, feta, and arugula salad at Trader Joe's last weekend and fell in love. My take is going to be really simple... arugula and mixed greens tossed in Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinaigrette with some crispy bacon pieces and topped with the grilled peaches. I can't wait to see how this turns out!

Another wonderful addition to any summer time fiesta is...

SANGRIA

I'm thinking about making a white version with...

• fresh peaches
• golden delicious apples
• watermelon
• blueberries
• white grape juice
• lots of lime juice
• chardonnay

I chop all the fruit into about 3/4 in cubes (excluding the berries) and dump it all in a big jug or bowl. I then cover it all in the wine and add the juices to taste.

BornHungry's Sangria tips:

• Be creative with the juices... last time I added a bit of lemonade because I didn't have time to juice the limes.
• Pick your fruit based on what looks good at the market - summer is a great time for berries, melons, and pitted fruits so don't be afraid to switch it up. Always go for fresh fruit - it's worth the effort.
• Consider the crowd - would they like a little more kick to their sangria? If so, go lighter on the juice and heavier on the wine. You can even do it like my girl Jess and add a spiced rum like Captain Morgan to the fruit and let it soak for an hour or so before you add the wine.
• Remember that fruits float or sink based on their density so it is always best to serve sangria in a punch bowl with a spoon. Also, don't go to heavy on the light fruits like apples or raspberries. Nobody wants a glass full of apples when those peaches are lurking in the depths soaking up all that wine!
  

So these will be my contributions to celebrating the 4th! I'll be leaving the grilled meat to the men, cause like my boy Arnold Myint said on this week's TopChef "I'm not a grill guy. It'll clog the pores WAY to fast" Enjoy your holiday weekend and let me know if you have something DELICIOUS!