July is almost over!

July is almost over! However, we still have August heat, humidity and thunder storms to enjoy before September's precious few days dwindle down to -- Halloween. No! No! Say it isn’t so. The stores are already lining their shelves with Halloween “stuff”. I’m pushing back on this rushing the of seasons. Summer isn’t over for me yet. The garden is trying to survive the rabbits, the lack of rain and the deer. The antelope are pretty much tending to their own business I guess, but the deer are playing in our garden. They used to be cute until they ate the greens, pole beans, peppers, and on and on!

Say, “Thank you, Hildy" for the recipe I’m going to give you for the summer garden party you are having before the goblins arrive. You can make it a day before the party. It serves about 6 good appetites, or 8 dainty ones. A trained monkey can prepare it, and it’s good for you. You could help me think of a better name for this dish, or should I say platter. It really deserves a more “high-falootin” name. Let me know.

BEEF SALAD -- You'll need a LARGE platter.

1 head leaf lettuce

1 lb thinly sliced deli roast beef (we like Boar's Head Italian)

3 medium red potatoes, cooked

and thinly sliced

1 small red onion thinly sliced and

separated into rings

1 small cucumber diced

¾ cup(or more) ripe olives, thinly sliced

Arrange lettuce leaves on your platter, then a layer of roast beef, then sliced potatoes, then onion rings on top of that, sprinkle on diced cucumbers, and sliced olives. At this point you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day if you choose. At serving time, sprinkle with Italian salad dressing, salt and pepper. We like a warm loaf of Italian bread along side. We slice the salad with a pizza wheel and serve it with a fancy cake spatula. The presentation is impressive!

This is great on a hot day and preparing it ahead helps you enjoy your guests. A glass of sweet tea won’t hurt either.

Next time, I have a dessert for a hot day that will curl your hair. It’s lime, it's cold, it's easy, it's beautiful, and they’ll think you're a genius.

Take your hemp CBD and relax. The orange of Autumn will soon be here!!

Till next time.   

Sorry, we forgot to take a picture, so this one is only a representation of Hildy's recipe.