Embrace summer foods before fall arrives

 

As September dawns, the days are getting shorter and a touch of fall fills the air — but there’s still summer to enjoy.

Make the most of it by serving up summer foods and enjoying fruits and vegetables fresh from the market.

And pick easy cooking methods. Grilling is a standard, easily adapted for everything from lean proteins such as chicken, fish and shrimp to seasonal vegetables like eggplant, corn, zucchini and peppers. 

Or you can minimize cleanup and cooking time by roasting proteins and vegetables on a single sheet pan.

Even simpler is using a slow cooker — a device often used when making fall and winter meals. A slow cooker can be your best friend in the summer because you won’t heat up the house by turning on the oven.

Instead of a rich dessert, try a grilled fruit. And enjoy the flavors of summer fruit in beverages that complement it. 

After all, fall and winter are coming soon, and with them hearty, filling foods. 

Following are some recipes to celebrate the rest of summer from the Spice and Tea Exchange in Port Washington.

 

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

1-1/2 pounds medium Yukon gold potatoes, washed

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

1 cup chopped celery stalks

3/4 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup chopped cooked bacon

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Rustic Garden Ranch Spice Blend

1 tablespoon parsley

2 to 3 teaspoons bacon smoked sea salt

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Boil potatoes, whole and with or without skin on, in salted water until very tender. Drain and refrigerate overnight.

Dice cooled potatoes and eggs into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add celery and 1/2 cup each green onions and bacon. Add mayonnaise, yogurt, Rustic Garden Ranch Spice Blend and parsley. Fold until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle salt evenly over salad and fold again to combine. Add more yogurt for a creamier consistency, if desired.

For best results, refrigerate one day prior to serving. Just before serving, taste for seasoning and consistency and adjust as needed. Top with remaining green onions and bacon, and cheese.

 

 

Slow Cooker Smokehouse Ribs

2 ounces Smokehouse Rub

2 tablespoons. Onion Obsession Spice Blend

2 teaspoons Worcestershire powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup beef broth, plus another 1/4 cup

2 racks baby back ribs, membrane on back removed

Combine everything except ribs in a bowl, stirring until well mixed. Add ribs, and coat with sauce.

Spray slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place ribs up against interior walls with meaty side touching walls. Pour sauce over top of ribs and into bottom of slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high three to five hours, until fully cooked and tender. Check ribs halfway through cooking, adding as much as 1/4 cup additional broth if needed to thin sauce and keep ribs from burning.

Remove ribs from slow cooker, place on cutting board and pull or cut apart.

Stir sauce and serve on the side or over top of ribs

 

 

Tuscan Truffle Bruschetta

3 medium round tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup onion, diced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried basil

1 tablespoon Tuscany spice blend

2 teaspoons tomato powder

1 16-ounce loaf Italian bread, cut diagonally into 1-inch slices

1/2 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons black truffle sea salt

8 ounces Gouda cheese, sliced

Combine tomatoes, vinegar, onion, basil, Tuscany spice blend and tomato powder in a medium bowl.

  Place bread slices on a baking sheet and use a basting brush to brush each with olive oil. Sprinkle black truffle sea salt evenly amongst slices, then bake in a 400-degree oven five minutes, until bread is slightly browned.

Top each slice with 1/4 cup tomato mixture. Place a slice of Gouda cheese on each and bake seven to nine minutes.

Cool and serve. Garnish with additional Tuscany spice blend or black truffle sea salt if desired.

For a lighter option, replace Gouda with shredded mozzarella or hummus underneath the tomatoes.

 

 

Salted and Spiced Watermelon and Mangoes

2 tablespoons Cyprus white sea salt 

2 tablespoons Aleppo pepper, crushed 

2 pounds mixed fruit, such as watermelon, mangoes, cantaloupe or honeydew, cut into 1-inch wedges

1 lime, halved

Arrange fruits on a platter and squeeze lime juice over them.

Place salt and spices in separate small bowls or ramekins and serve with fruit for sprinkling over. 

 

 

 

Zahtar Yogurt Dip and Pita Triangles

3/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons Zahtar spice blend 

1 teaspoon Vik’s Garlic Fix! spice blend 

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon lemon sugar 

1 cup Greek-style yogurt

Toasted walnuts, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil 

1 package pita bread

Cinnabar smoke spice blend

Combine cream cheese with Zahtar and Vik’s Garlic Fix! spice blends. Set aside for 15 minutes. 

Toss cucumber with lemon sugar and set aside.

Whisk together spiced cream cheese and yogurt. Fold in cucumbers and juices. Spread in a shallow serving dish and garnish with toasted walnuts. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over dip.

Cut pita bread into triangles and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Lightly dust with Cinnabar smoke spice blend.

Place eight inches under the broiler until edges are just beginning to brown. Remove and serve with Zahtar yogurt dip.

 

 

Iced Watermelon Green Tea

4 teaspoons Mystic dragon tea 

4 teaspoons red raspberry sugar 

32 ounces filtered water

1 cup watermelon, cubed

Slices of watermelon, optional

Heat filtered water to 175 degrees, then steep Mystic Dragon tea three minutes. Strain.

Add red raspberry sugar and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool. 

Blend watermelon and strain through a mesh strainer until you have one cup juice.

Mix tea and watermelon juice together. Serve in four medium-sized beverage glasses over ice. Garnish with a small slice of watermelon on the rim of the glasses.

 

 

 

Coastal Chicken Kabobs

1/2 cup garlic extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons Coastal Blend seasoning 

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

Onions

1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons garlic extra virgin olive oil 

3/4 teaspoon Tailgater’s spice blend 

3/4 teaspoon Garden Mirepoix sea salt 

10 wooden skewers, 9 to 10-inch length

For cool coastal dip:

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons Coastal Blend seasoning 

In a gallon-size, resealable bag, combine olive oil and seasoning. Add chicken pieces and seal, then turn bag until all pieces are coated. Refrigerate one hour to overnight. Soak wooden skewers in water for one hour prior to grilling.

Place onion pieces, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and toss to coat evenly.

Alternate skewering chicken and red onion pieces until all the chicken has been used. Leave 1-1/2 to two inches empty at the end of each skewer for handling. Grill 12 to 15 minutes on each side, rotating as needed. Allow skewers to rest five minutes before serving with Coastal Dip. 

You can also arrange chicken and onion pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in a 450-degree oven for seven minutes. Broil an additional five to seven  minutes, turning halfway through.

To make dip, combine sour cream and seasoning. Refrigerate one hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers for as long as one week.

 

 

Sizzlin’ Spicy Ribeye Steaks

2 ribeye steaks, 3-inch thick

2 tablespoons high smoke point oil, such as avocado, canola or sunflower)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, rosemary and sage, finely chopped

3 tablespoons Sweet Heat spice blend 

1 tablespoons Hot Truffle seasoning 

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 

Remove steaks from the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking.

Combine room temperature butter with chopped herbs and refrigerate until firm.

Combine Sweet Heat spice blend, Hot Truffle seasoning and coarse sea salt in a small bowl. Rub generously on all sides of the steak. 

Preheat grill to high and coat grates with oil. Grill steaks five to six minutes per side for medium-rare or six to seven minutes per side for medium. Remove from grill and top each steak with one tablespoon compound butter. Rest steaks five to 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

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