Simple Cantaloupe Margarita

Recipe & Pic from Urban Bliss Life

It's going to be hot again this week and a cool cocktail might be just what you need! Make it virgin by leaving out the tequila or give yourself a real treat and freeze the cantaloupe first for a frozen margarita!

2½ cups cantaloupe, chopped into small pieces

2 ounces tequila

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon light agave nectar

mint leaves or lime slices for garnish

In a blender, add cantaloupe, lime juice, tequila, and agave nectar and blend until smooth.

Pour into two glasses.

Garnish with fresh mint leaves or lime slice

Fish Tacos With Salsa Verde

Recipe & Pic from Food & Wine

Salsa Verde

4 medium tomatillos—husked, rinsed and quartered

1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro

2 small jalapeños, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Tacos

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 pound skinless halibut fillet, about 3/4 inch thick

Kosher salt

Warm corn tortillas, chopped avocado and sliced red onion and cucumber, for serving

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients except the salt and puree until nearly smooth. Season with salt and transfer to a small bowl.

Heat a grill pan. In a large baking dish, whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil, cilantro and garlic. Add the fish and turn to coat. Season the fish all over with salt and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until white throughout, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter and flake into large pieces with a fork.

Serve in warm corn tortillas with the salsa, avocado, red onion and cucumber.

Caprese Sandwich

Recipe & Pic from Cookie & Kate

Why settle for a Caprese Salad when you can turn it into a sandwich? Pair with a side salad and you have the perfect lunch or dinner for a hot day.

1 baguette (16 ounces)

1 tablespoon thick balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze*

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 mozzarella ball (8 ounces)

2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds

Lettuce

Flaky sea salt or kosher salt

1 small or ½ medium clove garlic, roughly chopped

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup (1 ounce) lightly packed fresh basil

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the bread in half lengthwise, then stack it back together and slice it down the middle to form two large sandwiches, or again to make 4 small. Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet with the cut sides facing up. Bake for 5 minutes, or until warmed through and turning lightly golden around the edges.

In the meantime, prepare the creamy basil sauce*: In a food processor, blitz the roughly chopped garlic to chop it more finely. Scrape down the sides, then add the mayo, basil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, then set aside.

To assemble the sandwiches, lightly drizzle balsamic and olive oil over half of the cut sides of bread. Layer some arugula on top, then weigh it down with rounds of mozzarella. Top with the sliced tomato, then sprinkle the tomato lightly with flaky salt.

Spread the basil sauce generously over the cut side of the remaining slices of bread. Place them face down over the tomatoes. Enjoy.

Brats With Sweet Onions & Hard Apple Cider

Recipe & Pic from The Rising Spoon

Pile these brats and onions up on buns with mustard and sauerkraut or serve them with posted new potatoes- either way you'll have a hearty meal after a day of summer play!

2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil (like butter, ghee, avocado oil, or olive oil)

2 medium sweet onions, peeled & thinly sliced (use your tropea onions!)

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

8 pork bratwursts (fresh, not pre-cooked)

1 (12 oz) can or bottle of hard apple cider (sub chicken broth, fresh apple cider, or water for a non-alcoholic version)

Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large (12-inch) skillet. Stir in the sliced onions, sea salt, and pepper. Cook the onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a wooden spoon to remove the onions from the skillet & set aside in a bowl.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add another tablespoon of butter, followed by the brats. Cook the brats 1-2 minutes per side (or until they've formed a nice brown sear - this should happen quickly).

Add the onions back to the skillet, spreading them in between all the brats, and slowly pour in the hard apple cider. Bring the cider to a simmer, cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the brats are no longer pink (you can check their internal temp to be sure - 160 degrees or more).

Remove the cooked brats from the skillet and set aside to rest. Keep the skillet uncovered, crank the heat to medium-high, and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until most or all of the liquid has reduced (about 10 minutes). If you have an extra 10-15 minutes, continue to cook the onions until they are dark & caramelized.

Place the brats back into the skillet (with the heat off) to keep warm until you're ready for the meal.

Kohlrabi Chips With Yogurt Dip

Recipe & Pic from It’s A Veg World After All

Turn this dish into a veggie snack platter by roasting your beans and carrots and serving them alongside the chips and dip!

1-2 kohlrabi bulbs - peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt - to taste

Ground black pepper - to taste

For the dip:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoon shallots - finely chopped

¼ teaspoon dill - more to taste

¼ teaspoon garlic powder - more to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray three large baking sheets with oil. Be careful not to use too much oil or the chips won't crisp up. You just want enough so the chips don't stick.

Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice the kohlrabi into ⅛" slices. In a large bowl, toss the slices in olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay the slices on the baking sheets, being careful not to overlap them. You may need to cook a few batches if all of the slices do not fit.

Bake the slices for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Some of the chips will cook faster than others, so you will want to check their progress every 5 minutes.

While the chips are cooking, prepare the dip by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. You can add more or less seasonings to taste.

Remove the chips from the baking sheets when they are finished. They will crisp up a bit more as they cool. Serve immediately with the dip and enjoy!

Beet Greens & Goat Cheese Crostini

Recipe & Pic from White On Rice Couple

Serve these crostini (and the Kohlrabi chips below) with your champagne cocktails and you have a summer party in the making!

1 bunch beet greens

1 Baguette , sliced thin (about 20 pieces), toasted in pan or oven

6 ounces Goat Cheese

Lemon Zest from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice

very thin slices of fresh Lemons (optional)

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar , or more if needed

fresh cracked Black Pepper

Heat water to boil in a medium pot. Add stems and leaves to boiling water and quickly blanche them. Drain greens and rinse with cold water. Add greens to bowl, squeeze out excess water, then add balsamic vinegar and salt to taste.

In bowl, combine goat cheese, fresh lemon zest and juice and fresh cracked black pepper. Combine well.

Spread goat cheese on crostini (toasted baguette slices) with goat cheese, thin layer of lemon sliced, and beet greens.

Blackberry & Sage Champagne Cocktails

Recipe & Pic from Dishing Up The Dirt

It's officially wild blackberry season and this drink is the perfect way to toast the summer (with a little help from your neighborhood brambles)!

2 bottles of bubbly

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup water

5-6 fresh sage leaves + more for garnish

1 pound fresh blackberries + more for garnish

Combine the honey and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir often and once it's about to reach the point of boiling turn off the heat and add the blackberries and whole sage leaves. Stir until well combined.

Once the syrup as cooled and the berries have broken down a bit pour the mixture (including the sage leaves) into a blender and blend until smooth. Then pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (to remove any blackberry seeds) You will end up with about 2 cups of simple syrup. Keep cool until ready to serve.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of the syrup to each glass and add champagne. Pour in a couple of blackberries and a few sage leaves for garnish and enjoy.

Notes

*You will end up with extra simple syrup. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and tastes great on ice cream!

Falafel Sliders With Spicy Yogurt & Sumac Onions

Recipe & Pic from Molly Yeh

You won't miss the meat with these savory Falafel Sliders- perfect served with a side salad at a BBQ!

Sumac Onions:

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sumac
1 large purple onion, thinly sliced

Falafel:

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked for 10 hours or overnight and drained
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, freshly toasted and coarsely ground in a spice grinder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, freshly toasted and coarsely ground in a spice grinder
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves with stems, roughly chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed parsley leaves with stems, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper
tabasco original red sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

olive oil or flavorless oil, for frying

Spicy Yogurt:

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons tabasco original red sauce
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

To Assemble:

Pita bread

Mint Leaves or Cilantro

to make the onions:

whisk together all ingredients except for the onion. add the onion, cover, and let sit at room temperature for an hour or in the refrigerator overnight.

to make the falafel:

in a food processor, combine the chickpeas, cumin, coriander, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, a few turns of pepper, a few shakes of tabasco sauce, flour, and lemon juice and pulse quickly, about 80-100 times, until the mixture is combined, but still slightly grainy.

in a large skillet, heat 1/4” oil over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. form 2" patties of the falafel mixture, packing them firmly. fry on both sides until golden brown. transfer to a paper towel.

to make the yogurt:

combine all ingredients.

to assemble:

cut open a pita, spread it with the yogurt, and top with a falafel patty, a mint leaf or two, and a pile of onions. enjoy!

Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad

Recipe & Pic from Jo Cooks

Another hot-weather entrée salad that will help keep you cool this week!

Chicken

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoon pepper or to taste

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 cup lemon juice from about 2 lemons

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic minced

1 pound chicken breasts boneless and skinless

1 large onion sliced

Tabbouleh Salad

2 cups water

1 cup bulgur wheat uncooked

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 or 2 lemons, depends on size)

3 cups tomatoes chopped small

1 cucumber chopped small

1/4 cup green onions chopped (use your Tropea onions!)

2 cups fresh parsley chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste

Other Optional Ingredients

1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled

1/2 cup Kalamata olives

pita bread

hummus

1 avocado sliced

In a 8×8 baking dish add the smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and whisk well. Add the chicken, sliced onion and toss making sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least an hour. The longer the meat marinates the more flavor you’ll have.

Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.

Bake uncovered until the chicken is browned and crisp on the edges, and cooked through. It should take about 40 to 45 minutes. If you want the chicken crispier on top, turn the broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes until nice and crispy on the outside.

Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Tabbouleh Salad

While the chicken is baking, prepare the tabbouleh salad. Add the water to a small pot and bring to boil. When the water is boiling add the bulgur and cover. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally. Let the bulgur cool before adding to the salad.

Add the bulgur to a large bowl, then add the remaining ingredients. Toss well.

To assemble the salad, spread the tabbouleh salad over the bottom of a large shallow plate. Arrange with sliced chicken, sliced avocado, Kalamata olives and sprinkle some feta cheese over the top. Serve with hummus and pita bread.

Nicoise Salad

Recipe & Pic from Love & Lemons

Entrée salads are perfect for hot days- so fresh, so filling! This French Classic is also a great way to use up many of the veggies in your box this week at once!

8 ounces small yellow or red potatoes

4 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed

¾ cooked white beans, drained and rinsed

3 hard boiled eggs, halved

4 artichoke hearts, drained and halved

1 cup quartered radishes and/or sliced cucumber

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, grated

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional

1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme, optional

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and when cool enough to handle, slice in half or quarters.

Refill the pot with water, bring it to a boil, and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately immerse in the ice water. After 1 minute, drain and place on a kitchen towel to dry.

Assemble salad with the potatoes, green beans, white beans, eggs, artichokes, radishes, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Drizzle generously with the lemon vinaigrette. Sprinkle with parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Salmon In Parsley Sauce

Recipe & Pic from NYT Cooking

Parsley is all too often used only as a decorative garnish, that's why we love this recipe that showcases its wonderful flavor as the foundational element for the dish!

3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

4 teaspoons capers

1 tablespoon finely minced scallion (use your Tropea onions!)

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds salmon fillets, cut in 6 portions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine the parsley, capers, scallion and garlic in a bowl. Stir in half the olive oil. Set aside.

Preheat a broiler or grill. Brush the salmon with the remaining oil and broil or grill close to the source of heat about two minutes on each side for medium rare, or to desired degree of doneness. Remove from the heat and allow to rest two minutes.

Season the salmon to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the lemon juice to the parsley mixture, drizzle or brush this mixture over the salmon and serve.

Caramelized Fennel Salad

Recipe & Pic from Ottolenghi

This delectable fennel would be perfect as a salad side-dish, but you could also mix it into a pile of pasta with some fennel frond pesto!

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 fennel bulbs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small shallot, sliced into rings

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

1 4-ounce log of goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

1 teaspoon lemon zest

extra virgin olive oil for serving

Whisk the sugar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl and set aside.

Trim the stalks and root end from each fennel bulb, reserving 1 tablespoon's worth of minced fronds for garnish.

Slice the bulbs into 1/2-inch thick rounds.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

Add 1/3 of the sliced fennel in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan.

Cook until just browned, about 2 minutes per side. Flip the fennel carefully so the slices will brown as evenly as possible.

Transfer the fennel to a large bowl. At this point, the rounds will break apart into individual slices, and that's just fine.

Repeat 2 more times with the remaining butter, oil, and fennel rounds.

Add the sugar, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. The sugar will clump and soften as it cooks.

Return the fennel to the skillet and stir to coat with the caramelizing sugar. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar cooks evenly.

Return the fennel to the bowl, scraping up as much of the browned bits in the pan as possible too.

Add the garlic, shallot, and dill to the fennel and toss to combine.

Pour onto a serving plate and top with the goat cheese, lemon zest, reserved fennel fronds, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Creamy Lemon Zucchini Pasta

Recipe & Pic from Bon Appetit

If you still have zukes leftover from last week and are having a ‘oh no, more zucchini, what do I do with all of this??’ moment, you might want to give this recipe a try!

2 lb. zucchini or summer squash (4–6)

1 large shallot or ½ small onion (try using one of your sweet onions!)

4 large garlic cloves

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

12 oz. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or other long pasta

1 lemon

½ oz. Parmesan, plus more for serving

½ cup (lightly packed) basil

½ cup heavy cream

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily.

Meanwhile, place a clean kitchen towel in a large bowl (or on a large cutting board). Trim 2 lb. zucchini or summer squash (4–6), then grate on the large holes of a box grater directly into towel. Peel 1 large shallot and grate on the large holes of grater into towel. Peel 4 large garlic cloves and grate on the small holes of grater into towel.

Gather ends of towel together, then squeeze over bowl (or the sink) with all your might to extract water from the zucchini. Squeeze until it’s hard to get out any more liquid. You should have extracted about ⅔ cup zucchini liquid, just FYI; discard.

Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or very large skillet over medium-high. Add ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini mixture (unwrap the balled-up towel over the pot for easiest transfer) and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir to coat. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini mixture is jammy, thick, and starting to stick to bottom of pot, 15–20 minutes.

When the zucchini has been cooking 5–10 minutes, add 12 oz. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or other long pasta to pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Scoop out 2 cups pasta cooking liquid and set aside.

Meanwhile, juice 1 lemon into a small bowl. Grate ½ oz. Parmesan on the small holes of grater (you should have about ¼ cup; you can also use ¼ cup pre-grated Parmesan). Very coarsely tear or chop ½ cup (lightly packed) basil or mint leaves.

Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with zucchini—it’s okay if some water clings to it. Reduce heat to medium-low, add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup heavy cream, and stir to combine. Add cheese, pour another ½ cup pasta cooking liquid over top, and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs or a wooden spoon and add more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until a creamy sauce that coats pasta forms, 2–3 minutes.

Remove pasta from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper and add more lemon juice (you may want to add an additional 1 Tbsp.). Stir in most of the herbs.

Serve pasta topped with more grated Parmesan and remaining herbs.

Garlic Roasted Beet Dip

Recipe & Pic from Zen & Zaatar

This dip will really bring out the sweetness of your beets! Serve with pita or cucumber spears or spread on a wrap sandwich.

1 lb. beets

1 head garlic

¼ cup tahini

Juice of one lemon

½-1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil (+more for serving)

2 tbsp water (as needed)

Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle olive oil over washed and scrubbed beets, and cover with foil on a baking sheet. Cut the top off the head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Cover the garlic with foil as well. Bake beets for 45 mins - 1 hour, until tender.* Roast garlic for 40 mins - 1 hour, until caramelized, soft, and fragrant.

Place cooked beets and caramelized garlic in a food processor or high speed blender along with tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Process until smooth. Add water 1 tbsp at a time if too thick.

Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as needed. Serve alongside pita bread, crackers, or raw veggies. Drizzle with extra olive oil. Enjoy!

Sumac Chicken & Onions Sheet Pan Dinner

Recipe & Pic from Hungry Paprika

Things are finally cooling down a bit this week so maybe it's time to reunite with your oven.This sheet pan dish is quick and simple- serve it with pita, the beet dip below, and perhaps a side salad for an epic summer meal!

6-8 chicken legs or thighs

3 Onions (use your sweet walla wallas!)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the spice mixture:

2 tablespoons sumac

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon black pepper

1.5 teaspoon salt

For garnish (optional):

Parsley

Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix spices together in a bowl, remove one tablespoon for the onions and use the rest for the chicken. Coat the chicken fully with the spice mix.

Thinly slice the onions and coat with spice mix. Lay the onions in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place the chicken on top of the onions and scatter a few slice of onion over each piece.

Bake for 35-40min then broil for 5min to crisp the chicken skin.

Grilled Pizza With Pesto, Arugula, & Feta

Recipe & Pic from Saving Dessert

It's going to be way too hot to turn on your oven, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some pizza this week- so light up your grill and make something tasty! Ready-made dough from the grocery store is just fine to use if you don't feel like making your own.

4 balls of pizza dough

2 cups arugula

1 cup crumbled Feta

1 cup prepared pesto

Preheat your grill as hot as you can get it. Oil the grate then quickly slice the rolled out pizza dough onto the grill. Grill for a minute or two until the bottom is cooked and the top starts to bubble up. Quickly turn the pizza dough over and grill for another 2-4min.

Repeat with the remaining dough and top each pizza with pesto, arugula, and feta.

Thai Chard Wraps With Peanut Sauce

Recipe & Pic from Fed & Fit

You'll have to boil water to quickly blanche the chard, but that's the only heat involved in these cooling summer wraps! You can replace the shrimp with tofu or any other meat that you prefer.

1 bunch Swiss chard about 8 leaves

1 pound medium-sized cooked shrimp

3 carrots peeled and cut into matchstick pieces

1/2 cucumber cut into matchstick pieces

1/4 red cabbage finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems

For the peanut sauce::

1/2 cup smooth peanut or almond butter

1/2 cup coconut aminos

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon black and white sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Blanche chard for 5 min in boiling water then submerge in an ice bath and dry.

Whisk all ingredients for peanut sauce together until smooth and garnish with sesame seeds.

To assemble, cut the larger chard leaves in half cross-wise and leave the smaller leaves as-is. place an even amount of carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, and cilantro on each leaf. Add three to four shrimp on top and carefully roll each leaf up, securing with a toothpick if needed. Serve with the peanut dipping sauce and enjoy!

Japanese Quick Pickled Cucumbers

Recipe & Pic from Onolicious Hawaii

A wonderful way to quickly pickle cucumbers without having to stand over a pot of hot brine! Throw some poke or seasoned chilled shrimp over a bowl of rice and garnish with these pickles and you'll have a filling and heat-wave-ready meal!

1 large cucumber

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ cup rice vinegar

Thinly slice the cucumber and place in a mixing bowl.

Sprinkle salt on the cucumbers, toss. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the water.

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the rice vinegar. Pour over the salted cucumbers.

Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Ready to eat!

Moroccan Spiced Carrots With Lamb

Recipe & Pic from Dishing Up The Dirt

I share this carrot recipe every year because it is just so darn good and it's a great way to push carrots from a snack or side dish to a foundational part of a full meal. I recommend piling everything up on one big plate (garnish with some of your parsley) and serving with a bowl of pita or sliced crusty bread for scooping!

~Rae

1 bunch carrots, sliced in half lengthwise

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

salt and pepper

Lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bunch of scallions, minced (white and light green parts only, reserve the tops for garnish)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

a few grinds black pepper

1 pound ground lamb (ground beef is a fine substitute!)

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain sheep's milk, goat's milk, or cow's milk yogurt

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the carrots with the oil, spices, salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until lightly browned and tender. About 30 minutes. Toss the carrots halfway through cooking.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan, swirl to coat. Add the scallions, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and lamb. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is cooked through, 5-7 minutes.

Prepare the yogurt sauce by whisking together all the ingredients in a bowl.

Spread a thin layer of the yogurt sauce onto four plates, top with the carrots and then top with a few spoonfuls of the lamb mixture. Sprinkle with minced scallion tops and serve.

Pasta With Kale & Fennel

2022 Week 5 Newsletter

Recipe & Pic from A Beautiful Plate

Fast, easy, and flavorful- try pairing this dish with Hasselback zukes as a side!

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ large red onion thinly sliced

1 bunch baby fennel, fronds reserved, thinly sliced

3 large garlic cloves finely slivered

2-3 large pinches red pepper flakes

1 large bunch of lacinato kale tough stems discard and leaves roughly chopped

juice of one lemon

10 ounces spinach fettuccine

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Garnishes:

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

fennel fronds

chili pepper oil optional

Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften.

Turn up the heat to medium, add the sliced fennel, and saute gently for an additional 6 to 8 minutes or until the fennel is tender and slightly caramelized. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another minute or two. Turn off the heat.

When the fennel is almost cooked, add the pasta to the pan of boiling water and cook until al dente, adding the kale to the pasta pot about 2 to 3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking.

Drain the pasta (reserving ½ cup of the starchy cooking water) and greens thoroughly and toss with the onion and fennel mixture in the pan - adding pasta water if necessary. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Drizzle each serving with chile oil, fennel fronds, and lots of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.