The Summer Kitchen

Lemons

 

I do a fair amount of entertaining including hosting a wine tasting & pairing event. I love making things that are easy, include lots of fresh seasonal ingredients, and preferably don't heat up my kitchen here in South Florida, especially in the summer.

One kitchen essential is my Cuisinart mini food processor. It takes up so little room on the counter or in a cabinet, everything that needs cleaning goes in the dishwasher for easy clean-up, and it is so much handier than my full size processor that I never bother with anymore. It chops, grinds, and blends with ease. I have "traded in" my full size Cuisinart for this very user friendly mini version.

Cuisinart 4 Cup Mini Chopper

This is a recipe that I love for summer and it takes about 5 minutes to make. Add to the food processor 15 ounces of whole milk ricotta, the juice and zest of a lemon, 1/2 cup of rough chopped fresh basil leaves, and a pinch of salt. Process for a minute. Spoon into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Top with a sprig of basil leaves. Use on crostini, sliced French bread, or crudities. So yummy!!! The perfect summer party dish. Leftovers are great on a burger, pasta, or pizza.