Friday, August 10, 2012

Morsels

Today I have for you some tasty little morsels that have made my summer grand.  First of all, a local company has sprouted up in Raleigh to create cold-brew coffee for all your iced summer caffeine needs.  Slingshot Coffee Company uses Counter Culture beans (roasted in Durham) to make some deviously delicious and convenient beverages.  I got mine from Tasty Beverage Co. in the downtown depot, and the full list of purveyors is on Slingshot's website.  Check them out.

Delicious locally-made cold-brew iced coffee

I've made cold-brew coffee before (it's super easy), but this is just so convenient.  No planning ahead or filtering needed.  And the packaging!  I'm such a sucker for great graphics like this.  My favorite way to drink it was diluted with an equal amount of cold water and a decent sprinkle of salt.  I thought that was crazy to start with, too, considering I must have a bit of sugar and a significant amount of cream in my hot coffee to make it palatable, but cold is just best with some salt. 

Next up, another beverage!  Cantaloupe agua fresca (sort of).  A while back I had some cubed cantaloupe that was about to go bad right as I was going out of town, so I stuck it in the freezer with the intention of blending it into smoothies when I got back.  

Canteloupe agua fresca

Of course, I didn't end up doing that.  I had been reading about agua frescas all summer, and this was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at one.  All that is required is a quick blend in the food processor and a little straining to remove the bigger chunks.  However, I ended up simplifying the recipe so much that I really just ended up with cantaloupe juice, which is fine by me!  I wish I had some soda water and lime juice to jazz it up a little, but it definitely didn't need any sugar.

My latest lunch obsession is leftover-steak salads.  I had marinated some flank steak in soy sauce and brown sugar with tons of garlic, then pseudo-grilled it to about medium rare.  It was grand, but it was even better sliced up thinly and pan-fried (just to heat it up and fully cook it) over arugula with lime squeezed over the top.  Best summer lunch.  I love those caramelized bits.

Steak salad

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