DIY Horchata Pops

I've had this post completely ready to go, pictures taken, recipe finished for almost a solid month now and literally have not had 10 minutes to actually read it over and click publish. I'm learning the meaning of time management more than ever before. I'm learning how to exist on 6 hours or less of sleep, and by the time the weekend comes all I want to do is sit on my couch with Pumpkin and watch New Girl! So I'm blaming my lateness on this Indian Summer we are having because it's nearly October and it's still in the high 70s most days here. I think I'm the only one ready to bust out those sweaters and the le creuset! 

Before we moved to Chicago, the Calabasas Farmer's Market became a Saturday morning tradition. Few places in life are better than a farmer's market towards the end of summer. Cherry tomatoes sweet as candy, peaches so juicy you almost need a bib to eat them, and dirt cheap zucchini and summer squash are our stables all summer long. And don't even get me started on how much better eggs from pasture raised chickens are. No hesitation on forking over $6 for a dozen. So earlier this summer we spotted a homemade popsicle truck with the most interesting flavors at the farmer's market. One lick after trying the horchata flavor and I was hooked. 

Believe it or not this was my first time making popsicles (I've always been more of an ice cream person!). A popsicle mold is one of those silly kitchen gadgets I insisted on keeping but never actually used. So homemade horchata pops! They are the easiest way to savor horchata in all it's cinnamon-y goodness! Enjoy. 

DIY Horchata Popsicles 
Makes about 12 small popsicles 

one batch homemade horchata 
1 teaspoon cocoa powder (optional)* 
cinnamon, for dusting 

Pour horchata into popsicle molds and place towards the back of the freezer. After 15-20 minutes remove from the freezer, stir, then return to the freezer. After about 30-35 minutes, once partially frozen, add popsicle sticks, return to the freezer for at least 6 hours. 

To remove, run the base of the popsicle molds under warm water to loosen. Dust the popsicles with cinnamon and enjoy! 

*I actually like these better without the cocoa powder, but feel free to experiment with adding some to half or 1/4 of the popsicles. 

Grilled Peach + Burrata Salad

Guys, I started graduate school. Things have been busy. It still feels a bit surreal, that in less than 5 years I'm on track to be Dr. Buckley. I still don't feel like I'll ever be smart enough to live up to the title, and try to hold off thinking about it because there is a lot of work to be done between now and then. Nevertheless it's all super exciting. I get to read like 300 pages a night, most of which is actually super interesting, and all of which I'll actually integrate and use in the profession. 

Though it's barely a recipe, this is the first that I've made in the new apartment. Finding my way around the new kitchen has been a bit awkward. The day after we moved in I had my first bout with my new electric range. You see, I've been anxious about having to switch to electric since we signed the lease. Everyone told me how finicky it is, how it takes forever to heat up and provides limited control for temperature. Cast iron also takes forever to heat up, so when I turned on the stove for the very first time to make crispy fried eggs in my cast iron I took everyone's advice and turned it all the way up to high. The pan smoked, as it usually does, the fire alarm went off. No biggie. Setting the fire alarm off while cooking is something most apartment dwelling cooks are used to. But then it kept going off. Until I heard fire trucks, and sirens which eventually lead to a knock on my door by three fire men and the doorman completely dressed in fireman garb, gas masks, oxygen tanks and all. It was one of the most mortifying moments of my life. Needless to say, I steered clear of the stove for a solid week after the incident and our smoke detector is now fitted with a perfectly sized piece of aluminum foil we put up every time we cook. 

We've made this salad now a handful of times. It's simple and perfect for savoring those last juicy peaches of the season. One of my favorite things about Chicago is the Farmer's Markets. There's one within biking distance of our apartment almost 7 days a week. I'm in heaven pretending winter is never going to come! 

Grilled Peach + Burrata Salad
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 peaches
3 big handfuls arugula
~1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon pine nuts
4 oz burrata* 
freshly ground salt + pepper to taste

Heat the balsamic over medium heat until just barely simmering. Stir occasionally until the mixture thickens to the consistency of syrup and reduces by two thirds. It will take around 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Quarter the peaches then cook over the grill just until grill marks appear. Flip the peaches, cooking both sides. 

Toss arugula with olive oil and a generous amount of freshly ground salt and pepper. Top with pine nuts, peaches, and burrata then drizzle with balsamic and serve. Option to serve with a toasted baguette or a slice of toasted sourdough.

*If you can find an authentic italian deli, that would be your best bet for finding great burrata. Otherwise I usually get mine from Trader Joes. If you can't find burrata, high quality mozzarella stored in liquid could work. 

Cucumber Mint Lemonade

Few things in life feel more appropriate for summer than this lemonade. It is crisp, cool, and insanely refreshing without being overly sweet. The mint adds subtle sophistication, and the fresh cucumber juice is packed with cooling health benefits perfect for hot days. We are just obsessed. 

Cucumber Mint Lemonade
Makes about 8 cups 

2 cups fresh lemon juice ~ 18-20 lemons worth
large bunch fresh mint ~ 1 oz  
2-3 large cucumbers, peeled + chopped ~ 2 pounds
3/4 cups sweetener of choice, or more
4 cups water 

Combine mint, cucumbers, sweetener and 3/4 cup of water in a blender. If it doesn't fit, feel free to do it in two batches. Blend on high until completely pureed. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. You can use a spatula to help it through. Discard the solids. Mix the cucumber juice mixture with the lemon juice and add remaining 3 1/4 cups water. It's not a very sweet lemonade, but feel free to adjust to taste adding extra water or sugar. Keeps fresh for about 2 days. 

Notes:

• Though totally not a problem, if you don't peel the cucumbers completely the lemonade will be slightly green in color. 
• Feel free to play with the amount of mint. I've made this lemonade with a small handful of mint leaves, a giant bunch (1.5 oz) and a medium bunch (.75 oz). I think the strong minty flavor is super refreshing and love the giant bunch, but for something subtler go for less. 
• What about a juicer? I wanted this recipe to be accessible to non-juicer owners so I experimented first with the blender/sieve technique then the juicer. Both work, and I could be crazy, though I found the blender method actually produced better minty flavor.
• I've tried this lemonade with coconut sugar, cane sugar, and agave. All work great.