What's Brewing? June.

In honor of Rose Festival–I found this gem in my garden

I am drawing a blank. It happens when you squeeze out every ounce of your creative juices and are left with a blank slate. It isn’t forever–but it’s for now.

My current brewing cup is: June

1     A lemon bundt cake–fresh meyer lemons are my favorite!

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

GLAZE:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

3/4 cup sugar

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in lemon peel. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over the warm cake. Cool completely before serving.

2      Rosemary, cherry and blue cheese stuffed burgers

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coarse or fine bulgur wheat

1 cup finely chopped onion plus 1 medium onion sliced 1/3 in. thick

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Zest of 1/2 lemon

2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, divided

3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

1 cup dried tart cherries

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound lean ground beef or bison (90 percent lean)

4 ounces brie cheese, thinly sliced to fit burgers

4 sesame hamburger buns, split

Lettuce

Preparation

.                 1. Combine bulgur and 1/3 cup boiling water in a 2-cup glass measure. Let stand 10 minutes, then microwave until liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool.

.                 2. Meanwhile, cook chopped onion in 1 tbsp. oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until deep golden, stirring often, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, scrape into a large bowl, and let cool. Brush sliced onion with remaining 1 tbsp. oil and set aside. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. rosemary, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; chill.

.                 3. Heat grill to medium (350° to 450°). Whirl cherries in a food processor until they're finely ground and form a ball. Add them to chopped onion with remaining 2 tsp. rosemary and 1/2 tsp. pepper, the salt, and bulgur; blend well with your fingers. Add ground beef and mix gently but thoroughly. Shape into 4 patties, 1/2 in. thick.

.                 4. Grill onion slices, turning occasionally, until well browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Grill burgers, turning once with a wide spatula, until they no longer stick to grate and grill marks appear, 10 to 12 minutes total; about 2 minutes before burgers are done, top them with brie and grill the buns.

.                 5. Spread buns with mayonnaise; add lettuce, burgers, and onions.

.                 *I like to use blue cheese instead of brie and I leave out the garlic:)

3     A visit with old friends

4     2 large thunderstorms

5      2 perfect runs down on the waterfront

6     1 good book: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

7      Lyle Lovett and His Large Band– playing in the background

8       Spring Cleaning–going through heaps of papers, junk and stuff

9     Cosmopolitans

1 oz vodka

1/2 oz triple sec

1/2 oz Rose's® lime juice

1/2 oz cranberry juice

Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge on a sugared rim, and serve.

10  A rekindled love for outdoor lanterns and candles

And that is just the beginning of my June….

This cup is for Omar: I can't imagine what life was like before you arrived