
WATERMELON BRINGS THE FIREWORKS TO YOUR JULY 4th PICNIC
PICNIC comes from the French term PIQUE NIQUE which basically means POT LUCK. Now that we are in the heart of PICNIC SEASON, we are going to feature some great side dishes FEATURING WATERMELON. We run a great Kids Cooking Camp every summer here at The Cobblestone Café and this year we added an IRON CHEF COMPETITION. My Sous Chef and I, along with our JUNIOR IRON CHEFS, create a menu for our guest judges built around a theme ingredient. Last weeks ingredient was WATERMELON. It turns out that watermelon is more versatile than we imagined. PROSCIUTTO AND MELON has long been considered a great pairing. Keeping with that theme we wrapped prosciutto around boneless, skinless chicken breast, seared it and served it with a simple WATERMELON SALSA. Well it was a great combination and a big hit with the judges. I hope you will try it at your next picnic.
Additionally, we made a WATERMELON VINAIGRETTE that was the perfect accompaniment for a light garden salad, a terrific addition to any FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC. Just rough chop your seedless watermelon and with the remaining ingredients, puree in food processor.
Sometimes we use hot sauce when our favorite chili peppers are not readily available. Happy July 4th to all our readers and a special shout out to all the FAMILIES OF SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN PROTECTING OUR FREEDOM.
Recipe for Watermelon Salsa
Recipe for Watermelon Vinaigrette
July 4th Grilling Tips
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The most important thing is to rest any grilled meats at least 10 minutes before eating. This allows the natural juices to be reabsorbed into the meat, leaving it more tender and flavorful.
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Keep your grill very clean with a good grill brush and clean damp towel to clean any remaining buildup.
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Grill your favorite vegetables using balsamic vinaigrette as a marinade.
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Use your favorite steak sauce diluted with water as a marinade.
Chef Christopher has been operating the Cobblestone Café and A Culinary Celebration Catering for 10 years now, and he and his wife Elizabeth are excited about the restaurant's new location in the County Line Plaza in Tequesta. If you have any questions or comments about this journal or executing a recipe, please email to: chef@aculinarycelebration.com.