Fresh Lemonade

[Recorded June 28, 2010]

1/2 t lemon zest
1 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 oz simple syrup
water as needed
10 ice cubes

Place zest and syrup (sugar to water, 1:1) in a 16 oz glass. Let mull for a minute while crushing with a teaspoon. Add lemon juice, ice, and sufficient water to top up the glass. Stir vigorously to chill. 
Serves one.

Crostini in the manner of Elmo Barnes

Recorded June 28, 2010. Elmo cooks at their B&B with his wife Martha in Beaufort, NC.

2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1/4 t roast garlic paste
6 slices Italian Bread, 1/2 inch thick, cut on an angle

Heat the oil, butter, and garlic for a few seconds in the microwave to melt the butter. Brush both sides of the bread with oil-butter mixture generously. Grill on a panini press set to medium-high for five minutes.
Good with soups and salads. Top with salsa, pico de gallo, grilled queso blanco as a snack or appetizer.

Ingredient: Roast Garlic Spread

Recorded June 28, 2010. Yields a sweet, richly savory product useful for spreads, sauces, marinades, and the like. 

2 heads of garlic
2 t olive oil, divided
1/4 t kosher salt

Remove loose paper from garlic heads. Place each on a small square of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with a teaspoon of oil. Bring up foil from the sides and close tightly around the top.  Place directly on the rack of a toaster-oven preheated to 425 degrees F (218 C). Roast for 15 minutes, turn off heat but let the garlic remain in oven until they cool. Unwrap the roasted heads and separate into cloves. Squeeze each clove out the bottom of the skin by into the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Grind with the remaining oil until smooth and spreadable. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Uses: spread for grilled cheese sandwiches, add deep flavor to sauces, soups, gravies, roasts, crostini and bruschetta.