Friday, July 31, 2009

Robust End-of-the-Summer Spaghetti

Two years ago, I would have been shocked if you told eventually I would eager anticipate eggplant. I do now, especially as learn how to cook it so it is creamy and absorbs flavors. I have also learned how prevalent eggplant is in Italian recipes, beyond the typical Eggplant Parmesan. (it also plays a major role in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine as well).

Curtis and I loved this dish. J and M didn't really dig the sauce, but M wasn't digging much of anything yesterday. It's rather similar to the caponata I make, except it's missing the sour (vinegar) aspect and it's hot. I omitted the parsley, kalamata olives, and capers because I didn't have them. It wasn't a problem, but I am sure they would greatly add to the taste. I also only had 1 lb of tomatoes so I used a can of whole tomatoes, which I drained and smashed.

Robust End-of-the-Summer Spaghetti
from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

1 1/2 lbs eggplant, peeled and sliced a scant 1/2" thick
2 bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 c olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 anchovies, chopped
1/3 c parsley, chopped
2 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c Kalamata (black) olives, chopped
1/4 c green olives, chopped
3 T capers, rinsed
1 T dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 lb spaghetti (depending on how much you want to make--we're a half lb family)
Parmesan cheese, grated

Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil. Brush the skin side of the peppers with olive oil. Broil or grill the eggplant and bell peppers, skin side down on the grill and skin side up in the broiler, in preheated grill or broiler. Remove the eggplant slices when they are browned and tender, turning as needed. Remove the peppers when the skin is charred and blistered. Place them in a ziploc bag to steam and make the skins easy to remove. Cut the eggplant into chunks. Scrape off charred skins of peppers and dice.

Heat 1/4 c of olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the onion, grilled peppers, garlic, anchovies, and parsley. Saute over medium high heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the capers, olives, eggplant, tomatoes, oregano, and 1/2 c tomato juice or water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti until al dente an a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain.

To serve, put spaghetti in a large bowl and top with sauce (if you only made 1/2 lb of the spaghetti, don't use all the sauce). Generously sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Squash Yeast Rolls

I got a giant zucchini in the box yesterday and was planning on hamburgers for supper. I needed buns (and it turned out, a whole lot more, but that's a different story) and decided to make my own rolls using my giant zucchini. When using large zucchini, it is helpful to scoop the seeds out of the zucchini (just because they are so large and may affect texture). To scoop out the seeds, cut the zucchini in half and using a spoon, scoop out the seeds (like a cucumber).

I don't peel my zucchini for this recipe, I like the flecks of green in the rolls. However, if you are trying to sneak one by someone, peel the zucchini. You can also use yellow summer squash interchangeably--I pretty much use whatever we have on hand. I didn't have dry milk powder (also known as powdered milk) so I left it out. It didn't change taste or texture considerably, but I did use a lot more flour than usual.

These were a hit. M asked what the green was and I hesitantly told her. Her response caught me off guard---Mmmm....zucchini. The rolls are that good. They were great for hamburgers and we plan on using them for pulled pork on Sunday as well. The recipe will make 12 hamburger sized buns or 24 dinner roll.

Squash Yeast Rolls
From Simply in Season

2 -3 c zucchini and/or summer squash, shredded
1 c water
1/2 c sugar
3 T olive oil
1 c bread flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c dry milk powder
2 T active dry yeast
additional 2 - 3 c bread flour

Combine squash, water, sugar, oil, and salt in a saucepan and heat slowly until warm (still cool enough you can stick your comfortably stick your finger in the water), stirring to blend. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 c bread flour, whole wheat flour, milk powder, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Add liquid ingredients and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in enough additional flour (2 - 3 c) to make a soft dough. The dough will be very sticky. Knead on a lightly floured surface 8 - 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise 10 minutes. Shape into rolls and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 15 - 20 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 25 - 35 minutes. Brush with milk for a soft crust (I never do this step....) and let stand 5 - 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

In the CSA Box this Week

It seems like each week is more of the same in the CSA boxes. I have been challenged though because it seems like the things I can make a meal out of are getting scant. I can't seem to get enough eggplant or cucumbers (or even, unbelievably, summer squash some weeks) to make a week's worth of meals. I've been having to get into that quarter cow that's stashed away in our freezer.

I have made a wonderful discovery though a couple of weeks ago. By our closest library, there is a farm stand that is open Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. I've been supplementing our box with tomatoes from there and fruit--either plums or peaches lately. My kids love plums!! I'll get the CSA box, look and see what I need and then hit the farm stand to round things out. It's less than 5 minutes from my house (by car) and overall, the produce is great.

In our box:
a watermelon (M wanted both a watermelon and cantaloupe and had a melt down at the box pickup because we could only get one)
a cucumber (which I've discovered J will eat if I peel it first)
several zucchini and summer squash
bell peppers
variety of chile peppers (most of which got left behind)
a butternut squash
a bag of potatoes
a couple bulbs of garlic
a bag of onions
3 eggplant
a bunch of basil

A note about the butternut (and most winter squash)...these are best if you don't eat them right away. Winter squash need 2 months or so to develop their flavors, so find a cool, dry, dark (if possible, I don't have such a place) to stash the winter squash for a couple of months.


What we're eating this week (and last which may not have been posted about):
Robust Summer Sauce and Pasta
Grilled cheese sandwiches with basil and tomatoes (at least for the adults)
Italian meatloaf and smashed potatoes
Burgers and roasted potato wedges
Baked Leftover Cheeses Mac and Cheese
Tuscan Panzanella
Ribs
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Squash Yeast Rolls
Whole Wheat Bread

Hopefully I'll get some of these recipes posted (if they aren't already). If you want a recipe that I don't put up, comment and I'll try to be sure to get it up (although it may be photoless).

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Raspberry Almond Cream Tart

I found raspberries at Costco and couldn't resist buying them. Raspberries are one those foods that are almost impossible to find grown locally here, so every once in a while I splurge and buy some. For some reason, I had been craving a raspberry dessert.

I combined a couple of recipes to make this tart. My family loved it. M, for reasons only known to her, decided she didn't like the crust--the crust is sometimes the only thing she'll from other things. I also discovered that the taste is at it's best when this is served at room temperature. I am definitely looking forward to making this again! I do want to experiment with the process for making the crust. It tasted great, but in baking, seemed to have shrunk somewhat. If I can figure out the crust, this may be one those perfect desserts.

Raspberry Almond Cream Tart
adapted from two Bon Appetit recipes

Crust
1 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t salt
6 T chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 c slivered almonds, toasted
1/3 c seedless raspberry jam

Filling
1 8-oz container mascarpone cheese, chilled
1/2 c chilled whipping cream
1/3 c powdered sugar
1 t grated orange peel
1 t vanilla extract

3 c fresh raspberries

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor, blend 10 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extracts. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Using floured fingertips, press dough onto bottom and up sides of 9" diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press 1/2 c almonds over bottom of crust, spread with 1/3 c jam. Bake in preheated 375 degrees oven until crust is golden at edges, and jam is bubbling thickly, about 40 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Using electric mixer, beat mascarpone, cream, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until peaks form, about 2 minutes. Spread filling evenly in cooled crust. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours, and up to 1 day. Arrange raspberries in concentric circles atop filling and serve.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Caponata

I traded some of my squash for eggplant last week at our CSA pick-up site. I never thought I would be trading for eggplant but I have found enough recipes I really like that have eggplant in them. This is one of those recipes.

Caponata is intended to be put on crusty bread. It is a Sicilian eggplant dishes that classically contains green olives, capers, eggplant, and pine nuts. I decided to use some of the caponata as a sauce for chunky pasta. The rest I saved to eat as an antipasta.

My only complaint about this recipe is the amount of oil used. I think next time I'll decrease the oil used to caramelize the onions and celery to 1/4 - 1/3 c instead of a 1/2 c. I also strayed from the original recipe and added pine nuts and parsley. The capers were different than the kind I normally used. You can find capers packed in salt in the deli department of some grocery stores (Central Market has them and I am guessing Whole Foods would too. I've also found them at an Italian deli in town). They have a different flavor than the ones in balsamic vinegar. If you can't find the capers packed in salt, the capers in balsamic vinegar will work fine as well. Just be careful the vinegar taste isn't too strong for the dish.

Curtis and I loved it. Even M found it good (after initial complaints about how she didn't like that--before tasting). J passed on it though.

Just a warning: This dish needs to sit 8 hours (or more) before serving. I made it in the morning and let it sit all day. You can also make it the night before to eat the following day.

Caponata
adapted from Gourmet magazine

2 lb small eggplants
2 t fine sea salt (or 1 T kosher salt)
1 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 c onion, chopped
4 medium celery ribs, cut thinly crosswise
1/3 c large green Sicilian olives (1 3/4 oz), pitted and coarsely chopped
1/3 c Italian capers, packed in salt (1 3/4 oz), rinsed well
2 T sugar, or to taste
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1 (14 oz) can diced or whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (to equal 1 c)
3 T pine nuts
2 T fresh parsley, chopped

Peel eggplants, leaving some strips of peel, then cut into 1-inch cubes and spread on half of a kitchen towel. Sprinkle eggplant with salt, then cover with other half of towel and weight with a baking sheet (or large cutting board) topped with 2 or 3 large cookbooks for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1/3 c oil in a heavy skillet over moderate high heat until hot, but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 6 - 8 minutes. Add celery and cook, stirring, until onion and celery are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add olives, capers, and 2 T sugar and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally 20 minutes. If sauce is very acidic, add 1 -2 t sugar (to taste). Stir in pine nuts and parsley. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered.

Rinse eggplant in a colander under running water, then squeeze dry in small handfuls. Heat remaining cup of oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry eggplant in batches, turning occasionally until tender and browned on all sides, 8 - 10 minutes per batch. Transfer as cooked to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a large shallow serving dish in an even layer. Spoon sauce on top, spreading evenly, and let stand, covered with a kitchen towel, at room temperature, at least 8 hours (for flavors to develop). Stir before serving.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mexican Sandwich

I needed a new avocado recipe after I didn't use my avocado with chicken breasts. I found this sandwich recipe, and paired with honeydew melon, it made a great Sunday evening supper. I didn't bother offering M any. She asked for some, but as I listed the ingredients, she agreed, her grilled chicken breast and cheese sandwich seemed a lot better. J, Curtis, and I all really liked it though. It reminded me a lot of really good black bean taco or tostada except on bread instead of a tortilla, so I renamed it from the original name (Market Sandwich).

I used the cilantro lime mayonnaise I made for my roasted potatoes earlier in the week and just added a chopped chipotle in adobo. It made the recipe easier (not that it was difficult anyway) and helped use up something I was unsure how I was going to use it.

Mexican Sandwich
adapted from SELF magazine courtesy of Lake Austin Spa Resort

1/2 c white vinegar
1 c thinly sliced red onions
1 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 t canned chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 T fresh lime juice
6- 8 slices of whole wheat bread
2/3 c goat cheese
1 med. avocado, thinly sliced
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tomato, cut into 8 slices

Boil 1 c water with vinegar in small saucepan. Add onion, turn off heat, and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain. Puree beans and cumin in blender or food processor. Mix mayo, chipotle, and lime juice in a bowl (or use leftover cilantro lime mayo from Roasted Potatoes. Add chipotle to already made cilantro-lime mayo). Spread on 3 or 4 slices of bread. Top remaining slices with bean puree, onion, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and tomato (I didn't have a tomato so I omitted it and it was just fine). Close sandwiches and serve.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Pseudo Arroz con Pollo (Cuban style)

I was going to buy chicken breasts and use the avocado I had I gotten at the store. However, I suffered from slight sticker shock at the grocery store and decided to go with boneless, skinless thighs instead. Upon returning home and finding a recipe, I discovered I could have gotten plain old, bone-in thighs.

This was a good recipe. I must admit that my ratios were all screwed up. I learned that 4 1/2 pounds of bone in thighs are equal to 2 pounds of boneless, skinless thighs. I halved the marinade when I should have made a full batch. Next time, I will follow the recipe and seasoning ratios more carefully. I liked the dish, but it definitely had room for improvement.

Overall, everyone like it. M liked the chicken better, J liked the rice better. Curtis and I thought it was all tasty.

Cuban-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Rice
adapted from Bon Appetit

Chicken and Marinade
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/4 c fresh cilantro stems, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 T finely grated lime peel (or 1 T lime juice)
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
2 t jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 t Hungarian sweet paprika
2 t ground black pepper
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
10 chicken thighs (2 pounds if boneless, skinless, 4 1/2 lbs with skin and bone)

Optional chorizo......
1 T olive oil
1/2 lb fully cooked Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4" thick rounds

Rice
2 c onions, finely chopped
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 c arborio rice (or short grain white rice)
2 1/2 c (or more) chicken broth
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 t Hungarian sweet paprika
1/4 t saffron threads

1 canned piquillo pepper or 1 whole canned pimiento, cut into thin strips

1/2 c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
lime wedges

Whisk marinade ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl. Place chicken in large ziploc type bag and add marinade. Seal bag and turn several times to coat chicken. Refrigerate chicken at least 4 hours and up to 1 day, turning bag occasionally. Using tongs, transfer chicken from bag to plate, allowing excess marinade to drip back into bag. Reserve marinade.

Heat 1 T oil in large pot over medium heat. If using chorizo (I skipped this entire step), add and saute until beginning to brown and fat renders, about 3 minutes. Remove from pot. Increase heat to medium high. Brown chicken in pot, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Pour all but 3 T fat from pot (discard excess fat). Add onions, saute 4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add bell pepper and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 2 more minutes. Mix in rice, stirring to blend with vegetables. Add 2 2/1 c broth, tomatoes with any juice, paprika, and saffron. Add a little water to marinade bag and add leftover marinade. Bring to a boil, stirring to blend. Return chicken, chorizo, and any accumulated juices to pot, pressing chicken partially into rice. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Arrange piquillo pepper strips over chicken pieces. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and chicken is cooked, adding broth by 1/4 c if rice is dry, about 10 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, transfer rice and chicken to shallow bowl. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Roasted Potatoes with Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise

These were hands down the best roasted potatoes I've ever made. There texture and consistency were perfect. The taste was great. We all loved them.

The mayonnaise was unnecessary to enjoy the potatoes, but it didn't hurt the meal. I had a hard time getting the lime peel, so I ended up adding lime juice to taste instead. It tasted just fine.

Roasted Potato Wedges with Cilantro-Lime Mayonnaise
from Gourmet

For potatoes:
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
3 T olive oil
2 pounds potatoes, cut into wedges

For cilantro-lime mayonnaise
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c sour cream
2 T finely chopped cilantro
2 t grated lime (or 1 t lime juice, to taste)

Stir cumin, oregano and 3/4 t salt into oil in a large bowl. Add potatoes and toss. Arrange potatoes, cut side down in 1 layer on a cookie sheet and roast in preheated 450 degrees oven, turning once until golden. Roasting time will take between 20 - 40 minutes depending on how thick you cut the wedges. Meanwhile, stir together all the mayonnaise ingredients.

Serve potatoes with the mayonnaise.

Skirt Steak with Poblano Rajas and Zucchini

I am always challenged by the amount of peppers we get every summer in our box. I was searching last week and found one that took 2 poblanos and decided I needed to make it. It wasn't difficult or time consuming to make. I used the grill to roast the poblanos and cook the steaks so I didn't need to heat up the house too much.

M and J just ate the steak for supper and passed on the vegetable cream sauce on top. Curtis and I liked the cream sauce just fine, but as leftovers, I couldn't bring myself to eat the cream sauce. We also had roasted potatoes with cilantro lime mayonnaise with this meal as well.

Skirt Steak with Poblano Rajas and Zucchini
from Bon Appetit

2 large poblanos
2 (12-oz) skirt steaks
3 T olive oil
2 t cumin
1 t chile powder (optional)

1 c zucchini, diced
3/4 c onions, chopped
1/2 c whipping cream

Roast poblanos either in the broiler or on a grill. To roast, char the chile on all sides, until blackened all over. Put in ziploc bag for 10 - 15 minutes to allow the chile to steam (which loosens the skin). Remove blackened skin with your fingers or the back of knife (if using your fingers, be careful. This is a chile and can burn, especially in small cuts). Seed and cut chiles lengthwise into 1/2" wide strips. Set aside. Brush steaks with 1 T oil. Mix 1 t cumin and chile powder, if using, and rub on both sides of steaks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 T oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini, poblanos, and onions. Saute until zucchini is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 t cumin. Add cream, boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill steaks, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let cool for 5 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain. Transfer steaks to platter. Top with poblanos and chopped cilantro.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Absence Explained

Sorry about my 2 1/2 week absence, between being out of town, having my brother in town, and trying to get a better night's sleep, the blog has fallen to the wayside. I have been relying on a lot of old recipes the past couple of weeks, but have recently started trying some new ones. Here's what I've been cooking:

Grilled, herb marinated chicken breasts on pasta with black olives and feta
Ribeye and T-Bone steak and potatoes
Skirt steaks with poblano rajas and zucchini with cumin roasted potatoes
Cuban chicken thighs and rice (basically arroz con pollo)

Coming up: Leftovers/Sandwiches for lunch
Sunday: Caponata on Pasta
Monday: Mushroom pizza

I suspect this coming week's menu will have more meat---I haven't gotten around to renewing my CSA subscription yet (must do that next!). Left from my box are eggplants for the caponata, a large zucchini, a whole bunch of mild hot peppers, bell peppers, and potatoes. We'll see how that can help me last until we get our new box.

Hopefully baby will keep sleeping and I will get back to posting recipes!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

My new favorite website

I discovered this website, Super Cook, through a newsletter I get from a mom-based blog. I think I am in love. Using it is simple: enter an ingredient that you want to use. I suspect in my case it will usually be a vegetable. I tried entering chard today because I was unsure of what I was going to do with my chard from the box. Up pops 20 recipe links. Before taking the time to view the recipe I could look at other ingredients in the recipe so I don't waste timing looking at recipes that have things I don't have.

A couple of chard recipes I found? Well, I am excited about Fusilli with Feta from the Whole Foods website and Chard with Bacon Dressing from recipezaar. Sweet. This website makes a CSA box full of eggplant, squash, potatoes, and chard so much easier!! Great, I gave away my secret and have rendered this blog obsolete! :)

In the CSA Box this Week

Summer loving! We got:

a cantaloupe
potatoes
chard
a bunch of mint
a bunch of parsley
a bunch of basil
5 lb bag of San Marzano tomatoes
3 zucchini/yellow squash
3 cucumbers
2 onions
2 bell peppers
a couple of eggplant
a massive amount of assorted hot peppers
a dozen eggs

On the menu:
Wednesday: Beef and Mushrooms over noodles (I know using nothing from the box, but I had left over uncooked meat from kebabs on Monday I needed to use).
Thursday: Oven Dried Tomato Tart
Friday: leftovers or something with chard
Saturday: Beef Fajitas with homemade salsa (and, of course, grilled peppers and onions)
Sunday: Lunch-leftovers, Supper-Ratatouille
Monday: leftovers or something with chard
Tuesday: Cooking break (plus no box next Wednesday--the blog will be rather quiet from Wednesday until Sunday more than likely)

For the things not included in the menu---the mint has already been made into tea. The potatoes are collecting in my pantry (I need to start using those!!). The cucumbers are sides for suppers or snacks for M. The cantaloupe will be dessert tonight. I have no idea what is happening with all those peppers. It would help if I knew what kinds they were. Some look like very ripe (red) poblanos. I left the bag of jalapeno looking peppers. I just won't use those. That pretty much takes care of everything!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Watermelon, Lemonade, Blueberry Popsicles

We are enjoying these popsicles greatly. They are a huge step up from the kool-ade popsicles from when I was a kid. They are rather time intensive for popsicles. Make sure you start them at least a day ahead of when you want to eat them. I think we will making lots of plain watermelon popsicles this summer and save these for special occasions. They would make great 4th of July popsicles with their red, white, and blue (or Bastille Day if you want to celebrate France's independence day later in July).

A warning---these are really messy for kids to eat. The lemon melts the slowest which means a lot of the blueberry ends up on the kid. Ideally, the lemon would be a the bottom. However, then you wouldn't have the nice color contrasts and sweet/sour contrasts. It would be a whole lot cleaner though.

I think next time I make this, I may add less sugar to the watermelon--it was really sweet. I also used lemonade instead of lemon juice to make the process a little easier.

Popsicles!
from Bon Appetit

Watermelon Ice
2 1/2 c (1/2" cubes) seeded watermelon
1/4 c sugar

Lemon ice
1/2 c water
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 t vanilla extract
(or 1 1/4 fresh squeezed lemonade)

Blueberry ice
2 c fresh blueberries
1 c water
5 T sugar
1 t fresh lemon juice

Materials
8 (5-oz) disposable paper cups (small Dixie cups)
8 popsicle sticks or wooden coffee stirrers

Blend watermelon and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Strain puree into bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible. Place cups in shallow baking pan (I used a round cake pan). Spoon watermelon puree into cups, about 3 T in each. Freeze until mixture is almost frozen, about 2 hours. Cover cups with rounds of foil, sealing tightly at edges. Push popsicle stick through slit and securely into watermelon ice without hitting bottom of the cup. Freeze until watermelon ice is solid, about 1 hour longer.

Bring 1/2 c water and sugar to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. remove from heat. Mix in lemon juice, orange juice, and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Place frozen watermelon popsicles on work surface. Carefully remove foil. Spoon lemonade into cups, about 3 T into each cup. Reseal foil. Freeze until lemonade is solid, about 2 hours.

Stir blueberries, 1 c water, and sugar in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil until berries are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Strain mixture into small bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible. Mix in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Place pan with frozen pops on work surface. Carefully remove foil. Spoon blueberry mixture into cups, a little more than 3 T in each. Reseal foil. Freeze until frozen solid, about 8 hours.