Summer is the season for grilling and it’s usually the easiest time of the year to get the men to cook. Ah, men and an open flame – you gotta love it. Now begin the grilling debates:
- Natural aged hard wood vs charcoal or propane?
- Should you “flavor” the fire with rosemary, allspice berries or bay leaves?
For some it’s not the flame that counts but the seasoning:
- Marinade versus a dry rub?
The arguments are endless which makes the summer cooking season ever more lively. The one undisputed fact about grilling: if its on a stick, it tastes better! Of course that begins a new debate: wood or metal skewer? If wood, do you soak it and in what? Here we go again… Good times.
Summer produce makes us smile as we explore the fresh section of our local markets. Even more so now that most of us have become more heath conscious – everyone seems to know the difference between a garden fresh tomato and a commercially grown one. We’ve also become very aware that the quality of raw product makes all the difference in taste, nutrition value and enjoyment.
Pop Quiz: Do you know the vegetable that must be “knee high by the Fourth of July” for this crop to mature before fall? The Answer: Well, that would be corn of course.
B Its here. Keep an eye on what’s coming into season. A real favorite is apricot though it also has the shortest season. Peaches are a bit longer and strawberries have the longest run.
Let’s not forget spices – these too are better fresh. We all wait for the first fresh basil but how long has that bottle of dried tarragon been open on the shelf? Time to throw it out and use fresh when you can – even hot house grown tarragon is better than dried. I have a personal liking for black pepper – Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, grown in the ideal climate on the Malabar Coast of South Western India where the perfect soil, altitude and weather conditions are kinda like growing grapes in the Napa Valley – the “king of spices” these peppercorns clarify and bring out the flavor in any recipe.
I’ve provided lots of summer seafood recipes that take advantage of the seasons best ingredients – enjoy these lively fresh tastes with all your summer cooking and grilling.
Lively Summer Grilling Recipes
- Mussels on the Half Shell with Corn, Mint and Red Bell Pepper
- Mussels on the Half Shell with Apricot and Ginger
- Mahi-Mahi with Corn and Black Bean Salsa
- Jamaican Jerk Mahi-Mahi
- Coho Salmon Cooked in Foil with No Fat
- Coho Salmon Cooked in Foil with Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil
- Salmon Steaks with Lime and Crushed Red Chilies
- Salmon Steaks with Dry Rub
- Scallops with Bacon and Sage
- Scallops with Apricots, Honey and Lime
- Tuna with Gingered Baby Carrots
- Tuna with Baby Squash and Squash Blossoms
