use real butter

Recipe: shredded brussels sprouts salad

The crush of self-imposed holiday-related deadlines looms large at Butter headquarters. We don’t even celebrate anything in particular and I’ve got a little bit of the freak out going on. So I needed something easy and full of crunchy vegetables to balance the ungodly amount of baked goods I’m cranking out of my kitchen.

brussels sprouts, walnuts, pecorino, lemon, salt, pepper, mustard, olive oil

The first time I had Brussels sprouts was in the NASA cafeteria during a summer internship. I generally loved vegetables as a kid because my mom didn’t cook them to death, but served them bright, fresh, and full of flavor and nutrients. I popped a sprout into my mouth and *squish*. It didn’t taste bad, it tasted sad. Fast forward a decade to my reintroduction to the oft-maligned Brussels sprouts – that time roasted – and we’ve been enjoying a love affair ever since.

peel any discolored or blemished outer leaves

slice thin by hand, by mandoline, or by food processor (slicing or shredding blade)

separate the slices in a large bowl

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Recipe: heirloom tomato and corn salad

It’s good to be back in Colorado. It’s good to be home. I had a lovely and exhausting working trip in Maine last week and will write that up for you shortly. I know some people think these trips are vacations, but 1) I never relax and 2) I never relax. You knew this, right? Right! Now that I no longer feel like everything around me is rocking back and forth, I’m trying to get back into the groove over here. Kaweah was super waggy to see me again, sniffing my bags and my pants to figure out where I’d been. It was nice to cuddle my pup, hug my guy, and sleep more than 5 hours (in my own bed!).

kaweah hanging out in the yard

the house got a new stain while i was away

It is now officially September, The Month of Awesome. Awesome for so so so many reasons that I can’t even list them all here. Awesome because we still get the last dribbles of summer splendor in the markets. Awesome because the light and the weather has changed subtly. Awesome because our leaves will turn at the end of the month. Awesome for the birthdays, and the crisp cool nights, and the smell of fireplace smoke on the air, the stillness, the arrival of my favoritest season ever: autumn, which sounds a lot like awesome. So yeah, there’s all of that and more. But I won’t shock you with apple cider and pumpkins just yet. We’re going to milk summer for all it is worth. I’m talking tomatoes.

heirloom tomatoes, corn, and basil

I hope you aren’t sick of tomatoes by now, because I am never ever ever sick of tomatoes… EVER. Aside from eating tomatoes straight up like you would an apple, another way I’ve been enjoying them this summer is in a non-lettuce salad. It takes no time to prepare and it is fabulous enough to serve to dinner guests. The corn could be optional, but I can’t resist those sweet ears as the season winds down. You could serve the corn raw, but I like to either give it a quick nuke in the microwave (30 seconds) or a blanch in boiling water.

cut the kernels off the cob

slice the tomatoes

Slice your tomatoes however you see fit – wedges, rounds, chunks – it’s ALL good. Personally, I’m a fan of the shape that can easily fit into your mouth. Then chuck them into a bowl or arrange them on a plate or platter, drizzle some balsamic vinegar, some olive oil, and sprinkle the corn on top.

arrange the tomatoes

drizzle olive oil

add the corn

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Recipe: watermelon feta salad

I don’t have my typical amount of travel lined up this summer because I wanted to be home to provide Kaweah with a stable, happy routine. In the spring, a few medical issues cropped up for her and our travel schedule seemed to exacerbate her condition. Now that I’ve been home for a bit, she’s doing well – really well. She’s super waggy and playful and pretty much back to her old self (read that as herself, but old). Another upside to sticking around is that I’m able to get outside into the Colorado that I love on a regular basis.

The past several days have been brutally hot – hitting triple digits down in Denver and on the surrounding flats. Up here in the mountains, we popped over 80°F, which is borderline unbearable for me. Luckily… gleefully… we were granted a welcome cooldown on the first day of summer. It just so happened that Erin and I had planned a hike for that morning. It was deliciously cool at the alpine lake and we were both so very very happy.

a very happy erin

pausing on the bridge and still happy

We popped by Tin Shed Sports in Nederland for lunch. It’s the new game in town: a pro bike/ski shop run jointly with Salto Coffee Works where you can grab a bite, brew, glass of wine and hang out on the patio with a glorious view of the mountains.

the roadie: brie, prosciutto, greens, onions, pickles

Kaweah didn’t go hiking with us because she’s no longer strong enough to power up the trails anymore. But she gets her evening walkies in, and this time she met a new little puppy friend who is in training to become a guide dog. She loves puppies, especially when they are behind a fence and can’t jump on her head and chew her ears with their sharp puppy teeth.

meet huck – who was constantly in motion and cute as a button

I’m glad I took advantage of the cooler weather, because the mercury is on its way up again. We have quite a bit of entertaining lined up at the House of Butter. With warmer temperatures, I’m planning a lot of salads. So when I was flipping through a new cookbook that my friend, Alice, of Savory Sweet Life authored, I considered several of her beautiful, quick and easy recipes.

alice’s new cookbook

I did a double take on one salad in particular. That salad is a perfect representation of her blog name too – because it is both savory AND sweet. And it’s phenomenal. Watermelon, feta cheese, onions, mint, lime juice, and olive oil. I love me some watermelon in summer. On those blistering hot days of summer, it’s all I want to eat. Now, before you think, “What a strange combination!” I urge you to try it first. I made a half recipe and proceeded to eat it all.

simple ingredients

cube the watermelon

slice the onions

i like my onions sliced super thin

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