on location: the rose garden - picnic prep

We decided to take an afternoon trip to the rose garden; food and drink were obvious necessities. After a quick trip to the farmers market - see upcoming farm fresh feature post - and with a chilled Vermont craft beer in hand, we set out to make some delicious appetizers. A great way to spend the day. Enjoy!

Italian Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (cooked) cannellini beans (follow below directions if starting with dry beans)
• Olive oil 
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Italian blended dry spices
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Prepare beans as instructed on package. Once beans are cooked, place garlic, cooked beans, and olive oil into the chopper or blender. Pulse into smooth and combined. Depending on the size of your blender, this may take multiple batches. (my mini chopper made it a bit taxing.) Add sea salt, ground pepper, and Italian blended herbs to taste.

Pesto Orzo Salad with Chicken and Tomatoes

Serves a small army.

Ingredients

• 1 lb box of orzo or Israeli coucous
• 6 oz. of homemade or store prepared pesto
• Grilled chicken, cubed into 1 in. pieces
• Halved grape tomatoes
• 1/2 minced red onion
• Juice of one lemon
• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Italian flat leaf parsley
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Prepare orzo or Israeli couscous as directed on package. Drain the cooking water, and place orzo or couscous in a mixing bowl. While warm, pour desired amount of pesto onto warm orzo or couscous. Toss to coat. Add grilled chicken, shredded parmesan, grape tomatoes, minced red onion, and lemon juice. Toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with Italian flat leaf parsley and shredded parmesan cheese on top of salad. Serve warm or room temperature.

Watermelon-Mozzarella Skewers

 Ingredients

• Fresh watermelon, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• Mini mozzarella balls
• Organic basil
• Aged balsamic vingear
• Skewers

Add a watermelon piece, mozzarella ball, and one basil leaf to each skewer. Prepare as many skewers as you care for. Once the skewers are complete, sprinkle sea salt, and drizzle a high quality aged balsamic vinegar over the skewers. Tip: This is also delicious mixed together and served over arugula for a summer salad.


Once prepared, we packed up our prepared treats, bocce balls, and chilled wine, and we headed off to Elizabeth Park. One thing that we did forget was our blanket. You will have to read the next post to see how we improvised (and how we made "friends" with squirrels).

on location: afternoon in the rose garden

Elizabeth Park's Rose Garden is the oldest municipally operated rose garden in the U.S

Today's picnic in the park post seemed perfect for the first week of July! Load up your blanket, magazines, frisbee, and two and four legged friends. We at THS (The Hartford Social) are spending our afternoon playing bocce, drinking homemade cocktails, and indulging in summer apps. This post is the preview for our picnic recipes and afternoon activities. Until then, consider this....

Here in Hartford, we are spoiled. Your park options range from Talcott Mountain and Reservoir 6 on Rt. 44 in WeHa (West Hartford) to Bushnell Park at the foot of the Capital building in downtown Hartford.  This little post is an ode to our neighborhood park, which just so happens to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Elizabeth Park's Rose Garden!

Tucked away off of Prospect and Asylum Avenue near the Hartford/WeHa line, you can discover Elizabeth Park. This 102 acre gem contains a greenhouse, tennis courts, ponds, and a weekend brunch at the Pond House that will impress parents and dates alike. (Hello, BYOB!) Happy weekend after the 4th!

adore the summer barbeque, part 2

The Hartford Social (THS) is all about bringing folks together over a good meal - be it at your favorite neighborhood spot or on your back patio. While we will feature tasty treats from nearby establishments, the best meal in the summer is often on your back patio with a cold drink. For those who are entertaining this summer and looking for a twist to the standard grill fare, mix it up with Asian inspired fish tacos with a mango salsa and lime sauce. It is sweet and spicy, and the salsa was great on my leftover pork from my BBQ.  Add a crisp cabbage slaw in the mix to either throw on the tacos or as a side. Perfect.summer.meal. especially when fresh seafood is always nearby!

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Lime Sauce

Serves 2. Recipe from Love & Olive Oil

Ingredients

• 1 lb. flaky white fish, such as halibut, tilapia, sole, or red snapper
• 4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 10 to 12 corn tortillas

For Lime Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or pressed
• Salt

For Mango Salsa:

• 1 bell pepper (red, yellow, and/or orange), deseeded and chopped into 1/4-inch squares
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
• 2 just-ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch square chunks
• 1 handful cilantro, washed, dried, destemmed, and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste

Prepare the fish marinade by combining the fresh lime juice with the vegetable oil and soy sauce in a rectangular glass or ceramic dish. Add the fish, turn to coat, and leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare the chipotle-lime sauce by combining the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, chipotle chile, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Prepare mango salsa by mixing all ingredients together in a medium-large bowl and season to taste with salt.

Remove fish from the marinade and grill or saute until cooked through. Warm the tortillas, either in the oven, microwave, or saute in oil. Set out individual bowls of the sauce, salsa, and shredded cabbage. For each individual taco, place some of the fish (breaking off chunks of the cooked fillets) on a tortilla, drizzle with the chipotle-lime sauce, and top with cabbage slaw (see recipe below) and mango salsa.

Cabbage Slaw

Yields slaw for 10 fish tacos.

This cabbage slaw makes for a light, crisp addition to fish tacos and is flavorful enough to stand alone as a side salad. It also pairs well with grilled pork with Asian flavors. 

Ingredients

• 1 Small Head of Napa Cabbage, shredded (about 4 C.)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Lime Juice

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the 2 tablespoons lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.

adore the summer barbeque

It's official - July is here and so commences al fresco dining, summer gatherings, and occasion after occasion to enjoy lovely meals and good company in the summer heat. Having enjoyed three barbeques in the last week (it is America’s birthday after all), it has become apparent that not all barbeques are created equal. There appears to be a trend to supplement the traditional barbeque fair – burgers and dogs – with farm fresh appetizers and additional food on the grill. For instance, homemade guacamole, hummus, and fresh mango salsa are laid out hours before the grill is ignited and paired with locally grown veggies and pita chips. Delicious. This serves several purposes really. First, it allows guests to graze as they socialize; and secondly, it allows a summer gathering to last hours and hours without stripping the party of all the gentlemen – who so graciously offer to man the grill.

As a supporter of diversifying the barbeque experience – The Hartford Social will visit Billy Grant’s barbeque week: http://www.billygrant.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Barbecue-Week.pdf

Enjoy.