Keep Cool in the Heat with this Flavorful, Seasonal Dish

Sugar Snap Peas with Mint We're entering the hot season, but we're also entering the season for wonderful farmers' market peas. This recipe makes a great side for any summertime meal. Serve in chilled bowls to keep guests comfortable in the heat. INGREDIENTS 2 teaspoons olive oil 3/4 to 1 pound of sugar snap peas, trimmed 3 green onions, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely shredded or chiffinaud DIRECTIONS Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar snap peas, green onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry for four minutes, then remove from heat and stir in mint leaves. To serve cold, allow to come to room temperature, then store in refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. Serve chilled on bed of farmers' market red leaf butter lettuce or similar large leaf green.

Great Summer Grilling Recipe !

Grilled Artichokes with Olive Oil, Lemon and Fresh Herbs Seeing all the beautiful artichokes at last week's farmers' market inspired me to locate this favorite recipe. Be sure to serve artichokes made with this method, along with any summertime barbecue with friends. They'll never forget how wonderful grilled artichokes can taste! INGREDIENTS 2 lemons, halved 6 large artichokes 6 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, minced 4 tablespoons white wine 4 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as basil, marjoram or thyme Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste DIRECTIONS Bring large pot of water to boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze lemon juice into cold water. Cut stems off artichokes, leaving about 1 inch. Snap off outer two rows of leaves and cut off one-third of artichoke. Quarter artichokes lengthwise. Using a paring knife, cut out fuzzy choke and prickly small leaves. Place cut artichokes in lemon water as you finishing cleaning them. Place cleaned and trimmed artichokes in pot of salted boiling water. Boil artichokes until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a rack and cool. Note: Artichokes can be prepared, to this point, up to one day ahead. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate until finalizing preparation just before serving. Prepare barbecue for medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add shallots, saute about one minute. Stir in white wine and lemon juice, cook about one to two minutes more and keep warm. Grill artichokes and baste with butter mixture. Grill until tender and lightly charred in spots, turning occasionally, about eight minutes. Transfer to a platter and drizzle artichokes with butter mixture and season with salt and pepper. Serve artichokes with remaining mixture in a dipping bowl.

Beer-Brined Grilled Pork Chops

Beer-Brined Grilled Pork Chops Support our local economy and purchase a locally brewed beer from a Redlands brewery. Be sure to look for "bone-in" pork chops for a richer more flavorful cut of meat. INGREDIENTS: 2 cups water 2 cups dark lager beer (choose from a wide-variety of local brewers) 1/4 cup coarse salt 3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses 1 cup ice cubes 6 1- to 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut bone-in pork chops 7 large garlic cloves, minced 3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves 1 bunch of fresh sage leaves for garnish DIRECTIONS: Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/4 cup coarse salt, sugar, and molasses in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate four hours, turning bag occasionally. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove pork chops from beer brine; pat dry. Mix garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons salt and sage in small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145 F to 150 F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving chops to cooler part of rack if burning. Transfer chops to platter; cover with foil, and let stand five minutes. Garnish with fresh sage leaves.

Fantastic Summer Zucchini Recipe

Lemon Zucchini INGREDIENTS 15 to 20 very small zucchini Salt to taste 1/2 lemon DIRECTIONS Trim unpeeled zucchini and shred on a small or medium holes of a handheld shredder or grater or a fine-holed disk of a food processor. Put the zucchini into a large saute pan, cover and place over high heat for 20 to 30 seconds. Uncover and stir, adjusting the heat as needed so the zucchini does not burn. Re-cover, let steam again for 10 to 20 seconds, then uncover and stir. Repeat until the zucchini is just heated through, it should remain crisp and green. If too much juice appears, leave off the cover to reduce liquid. The whole process should only take a few minutes. Just before serving, add salt and squeeze of lemon. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately.

Great Summer Corn Recipe

Grilled Corn with Chipotle Butter and Cilantro Boiling corn leaves some of its natural sweetness behind in the water, while grilling corn intensifies its flavor. Grill the ears in the husk to steam the kernels, then peel back the husks and slather the ears with a spicy, smoky chipotle butter. INGREDIENTS: 4 ears corn 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 2 teaspoons finely minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, or more to taste Kosher or sea salt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro DIRECTIONS: Prepare a moderately hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium-high (375 to 400 F). Carefully peel back the corn husks without removing them, then pull out and discard the thread-like silk. Replace the corn husks and tie the tips closed with kitchen twine. Soak the ears in a sinkful of cold water for 20 minutes. Put the butter in a small bowl. Add the chile and a large pinch of salt and stir to blend. Taste and add more salt or chile, if desired. Place the corn directly over the coals or gas flame and cover the grill. Cook for about 15 minutes, giving the ears a quarter turn every 3 to 4 minutes as the husks brown. Transfer the corn to a platter. Snip the ends of the husks to remove the twine tie. Remove and discard the husks. While the corn is hot, slather it with the chipotle butter, then sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve immediately

Fantastic game party recipe...

Tavern Nuts For your game party, place a bowl of these nuts beside the bar of throw in the mix of buffet dishes. Wherever you serve them, these flavorful nuts will be irresistible for guests. Ingredients For the spice mix: 3 tbs turbinado sugar 1 tbs kosher salt 2 ¼ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp cayenne pepper ¾ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp freshly ground pepper ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup raw unsalted almonds 1 tbs grape seed oil, plus more for greasing 2 cups raw unsalted pecan halves 1 ¼ cup raw unsalted cashews 2 FL OZ simple syrup 1 ½ tsp light corn syrup Directions To make the spice mix, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, salts, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, black pepper and nutmeg. Set aside. Preheat oven to 300F. Spread the almonds on baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 275F. Grease a clean baking sheet with grape seed oil. In a large bowl, combine almonds, pecans, cashews, simple syrup, corn syrup and 1 tbs grape seed oil and spice mix. Toss gently until the nuts are evenly coated. Spread on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until spice mixture is caramelized and the nuts are lightly toasted, 25 to 40 minutes. To check for doneness, take a few nuts out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes: if done, they will be dry to the touch. Let nuts cool completely before storing in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 week before service. Makes approximately 4 cups.

Perfect for a "big game" party...

Spanakopita Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, coarsely chopped, stems removed. 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 4 farmer’s market eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 pound prepared puff pastry dough, thawed if frozen 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the spinach with rinsing water clinging to leaves, cover and cook until wilted, about one minute. Drain well on paper towels, then squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as possible. Place spinach in a large bowl and add the feta cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, mint and nutmeg. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly butter a baking sheet. Cut the puff pastry sheets lengthwise into three equal strips. Remove one strip and cover the remaining dough with slightly dampened kitchen towel to prevent dough from drying out. Place strip on work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Place another strip on top, brush the second strip lightly with melted butter. Place a heaping teaspoon full of filling blend about 1 inch from the bottom of the strip. Fold the uncovered end over the filling on a diagonal to form triangular shape. Bring the bottom of the triangle up against the straight edge. Continue folding in this manner until the top of the strip is reached, forming a triangular pastry. Brush lightly with melted butter. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and filling. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter. Serve immediately.