Beginning the Long Slide into Autumn

Labor Day......., no more white shoes, no more white pants, (oops, I better dirty up my new walking shoes in a hurry). Today begins the countdown to those cooler, crisp days of fall. These last couple of weeks of summer are quickly slipping by. You know me, the summertime girl that loves 80+ degrees, born in July and rarely ever complains of the heat and humidity( I think of it as cozy). I start getting cold about the end of this month and don't get warm again till June. So, my plan is to enjoy every single second of what is left of summer 2010.


Tonight's summer menu went like this:

Western North Carolina Style Low Country Boil*
Creamy Pesto Spread
Crusty French Bread
Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon Ice Cream

Western North Carolina Style Low Country Boil

2 quarts vegetable stock (I like Kitchen Basics)
3 quarts water
1/2 stick butter
1 bag crab boil seasoning (Zatarains)
2 Tbsp. Old Bay
1 Tbsp. kosher salt or to taste
2 jalapenos (sliced lengthwise)
12 little red potatoes
2 large onions - quartered

In a 12 quart stock pot, preferably with a strainer basket, combine vegetable stock, water, butter, crab boil seasoning, Old Bay, jalapenos, potatoes and onions.Make sure to cover with liquid, add water as needed.
Cook 10 minutes.

Add:
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 lb. smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa - sliced in 2-3 inch lengths
8 small ears of sweet yellow corn - fresh is best but frozen will do

Cook an additional 8 minutes.

Add:

1 tsp. celery salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. medium uncooked, unpeeled, deveined shrimp

Cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Drain and pour out on butcher paper. Serve with cocktail sauce some crusty bread for dipping and have a party!!


Serves 4-6

So, until tomorrow............,

S~~~