Sun...Surf...and Sangria

 When I was growing up my family summered at a beach community along the  New York seashore.

                                            After I got married my parents moved there year-round.  I loved it there and we still drive out to sit and watch the surf roll onto the sand and smell the air, scented with salt.  I have sweet memories of my mother packing beach lunches...of my  friends, home from college for the summer, making their way out to visit us... and of the sandy deliciousness of a beach picnic.  I remember parading my handsome new boyfriend (whom I would actually be marrying the following summer!) along the beach for all the neighbors to see...and returning to the house to find my dad at the grill and my mother in the kitchen preparing one of her fabulous summer meals.  My boyfriend (now husband) was awed at ease and fun of the prep, the exciting menu and attention to details...(I was unaware at the time that my future mother-in-law considered adding a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup to a chicken leg, gourmet cooking!)

                                                   
   In later years, my children would frolic on that beach, dig in the sand and chase the surf with their little tanned bodies glistening with sun-tan lotion.  I can still hear their peals of laughter as they watched the sea gulls, built sand castles, and remember the giggles of my two older children  as their baby brother scooted away from the water exclaiming," don't like this pool...the bottom goes away!" ... and watching as they ate with sandy little hands the wonderful beach picnics from my mother's kitchen.
   All of that food plus some of my own recipes comprise my "summer menus".  Easy, cool, light and delicious with not too much prep...this is what summer food is all about...!

 Estelle's COLD PASTA PRIMAVERA

 2 lbs of pasta (different shapes) cooked and cooled
1-2 pints cherry tomatoes
2-3 cups blanched broccoli florets
1 bunch chopped scallions (white and green parts)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Any other veggies you like
1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp salt...1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
juice of 1 lemon

1-Mix veggies with pasta
2-In a large measuring cup, add mayo and all other ingredients and blend well. 
3-spoon dressing onto pasta and vegetables until well blended.  If there is extra dressing left refrigerate.  Refrigerate pasta salad over night or at least several hours...when you remove from 'fridge, add remaining dressing if needed. 
You can add shrimp or chicken to this to serve as a main course.

                                            FAT HOGIES

2 round semolina or any large, round artisan bread sliced in half like a giant hamburger roll...with some of the inside removed
lettuce
3 large tomatoes sliced
1/2 lb. black forest ham
1 medium brie cheese sliced
1 cup peach or apricot chutney
dijon mustard
1 red onion thinly sliced
1/4 lb provalone cheese
1/4 lb. ham
1/4lb Italian salami
1 cupolive oil/... 1/4 cup red wine vinegar mixed
1- on the first bread, separate top and bottom...on the bottom spread dijon mustard, then layer letttuce, black forest ham, slices of brie, apricot chutney, another layer of lettuce and the top half of the bread.
2- On the second bread , separate halves...spoon vinagrette on bottom, then layer lettuce, tomato, ham, provolone, salami, tomato, onion, lettuce, more vinagrette and top.
3-wrap sandwiches in Saran wrap and place 2 sandwiches side by side in large baking dish and place a plate on top of each...on each plate place a very heavy can or object and refrigerate several hours,
4- Before serving remove plastic wrap and slice as you would a pie so each sandwich is like a wedge

                                               PEACH SANGRIA 

1 bottle sauvignon blanc (or any white wine)
10 oz. bottle peach nectar
1 cup orange juice
3 cups ginger ale
2 tbsp. sugar (taste after first tbsp. of sugar and add sugar to taste)
slices of peaches use 4-5 nice ripe peaches
Place in pitcher  and refrigerate 

*HINT: if sangria saturated peaches are left over, they are delicious spooned over vanilla ice cream

...AND... THE ULTIMATE SUMMER DESSERT..

                                                 BAKED ALASKA!


Pam a 12". spring form
2 1/2 packages of Lady Fingers
1 quart plus 1 pint of peach ice cream
1 qt. + 1 pint pistachio ice cream
1 qt. + 1 pint coffee ice cream  (these are our favorite flavors...you can use yours!!!)
5 packages of Heath Bar Crumble if you can find it) or 4 6 paks of Heath Bars which have to be crumbled by you!
6 egg whites
hot fudge
1- let ice cream soften (but not get runny)
2- while ice cream softens line bottom and sides of spring-form with Lady Fingers (Stand Lady Fingers all around the sides and line bottom with same...you will have to break some to make fit on the bottom)
3-Layer in first flavor of ice cream and cover with 1/2 of crumbled Heath bar...then second flavor and cover that with the rest of the Heath Bar crumble and finally third flavor of ice cream... smooth top...cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
4-Just before serving light oven to 500 degrees
Beat 6 eggwites to stiff peaks adding 3 tbsp of sugar as you beat
5-Cover a board  (larger than the spring form) with foil
6-Remove the sides of the spring form but leave metal bottom...and place on the foil-covered board
7- Cover the top and sides of the cake with the meringue..making peaks wherever possible
8-Place in the oven for no more than 5 minutes...should come out with browned peaks!!!
Serve slices with a drizzle of hot fudge!