Salmon Rillettes

Gone Fishin’
We’re going camping with friends this weekend which means I am knee-deep in planning. The packing is the easy part because most of what we need lives in our little teardrop. The bulk of the planning energy is focused on the food.

You don’t have to be a foodie to struggle with what to bring to feed yourself when off the grid. It takes quite a bit of thought as to what will hold up over a number of days—regardless of how good your cooler is and how much ice you have. Some things are just not camping-appropriate. And, giving your family food poisoning is not my idea of a good time. That doesn’t mean I don’t have my bougie favorites for camping.

For example, Happy Hour with adult beverages and snacks is non-negotiable. When five o’clock rolls around and we are back at the campsite relaxing in our chairs after a day of hiking, I want a legitimate reward for my hard work. I have nothing against Wheat Thins. In fact, I love Wheat Thins. But, after a day of toiling up a mountain in the sun, I’m looking for something more. A lovely dip. Some nice cheese. A crisp glass of white wine….

One of my favorite options for camping is this Salmon Rillette recipe. It’s great for camping because the process you use to make it is similar to making a confit, which historically has been used for preserving food without refrigeration. Granted, you will need to keep this cold but if you pack the container low in the cooler with the ice you should be just fine.

Salmon Rillettes Recipe
Adapted from Food and Wine
Yields 2 Cups Read more…

Homemade Merguez Sausage

Fiery Fourth Of July
This Fourth of July weekend is a hot one, people. So hot, in fact, that the tradition of being outdoors and grilling might be in question. True, you could escape to the coast or up to the mountains but even then, you might want to limit the time you spend outside. This means having to watch over a larger piece of meat on the grill might not be ideal. I offer you a solution: sausages.

Sausages are the perfect pivot. They fulfill the traditional requirement. (Hot dogs ARE sausages after all.) Sausages are extremely portable and don’t really require any extra seasonings. Sausages can be eaten in a bun or not depending on preference. Sausages take almost no time to cook but the best reason to throw some sausages on the grill this 4th of July would be the amazing variety available.

4th of July purists would tell you to go with tried-and-true classics like beef franks, brats, or bockwurst. And, don’t forget about a lovely smoked kielbasa. I think you could never go wrong with a Polish sausage, a nice and spicy hot link, or some andouille for Cajun flare. Then there are your fancier flavors like spinach and artichoke or chicken and basil. Variety is the spice of life. Go crazy…

For those who really want to shake things up, I offer you this suggestion, Homemade Merguez Sausage. Merguez is a North African staple made of ground lamb and a mix of fragrant North African spices. Merguez is the sausage of choice when grilling in France, so it is definitely not your typical 4th of July offering but the flavor is worth going rogue—especially with a dollop of fresh harissa for some fireworks.

Merguez sausage can be found at our store. But, it is so easy to make that it is worth the minimal time to make your own.

Our recipe for Kitty’s Roasted Pepper, Tomato, and Salted Lemon Relish would work as a side for these as well.

Homemade Merguez Sausage Recipe
Adapted from NY Times Cooking
Yields about 1 pound of sausage Read more…

Cherry Barbecue Sauce

Rack Em Up
It is officially barbecue season. This means it’s time to talk all things smokey and saucy. I have been in smoker mode lately—mostly because I am still trying to get the hang of my electric smoker.

Don’t come at me for the electric smoker. Yes, real BBQ masters always go with live fire and wood. Truth be told, I like smoked meats, but I wouldn’t say it’s a passion. I’m not getting up at 3 AM to fire up the wood smoker. I’ll leave that to the folks who know what they are doing and enjoy that process. I am happy to hand my money over to them for some juicy brisket anytime.

With the electric smoker, I can smoke some ribs or chicken relatively quickly when I have a hankering. I’ve even smoked some chicken on a Wednesday night after work…and it was glorious. Best part is, when I’m not using it, the smoker is stored out of the way ready to pull out for the next use. Win-win.

Why am I bringing this up you might ask? Because while the smoked meats are the main attraction, I want to talk about the sauce…

I have never met a rib I didn’t like. I like baby backs. I like spareribs. Whatever rack you have cooking I will eat. I will say though that I am a sauce-after-cooking kind of gal. Meaning, I like to put a dry rub on a rack of ribs, cook ‘em, slice them up, and let the person eating the ribs slather on their sauce of choice. That doesn’t mean I won’t eat them the other way. It’s just a preference that does necessitate having a good sauce.

My hands-down favorite sauce for ribs is this one for Cherry Cola Ribs Cherry and pork go very well together be it ribs or a roasted pork loin. Now that it is BBQ season and fresh cherries are in the market, I’ve been thinking about using fresh cherries in a BBQ sauce. I found this one which uses balsamic vinegar for a little bit of pucker and sweetness.

Cherry Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Adapted from The Recipe Rebel
Yields about 30 servings

This recipe makes quite a bit, but the good news is you can throw this Cherry Barbecue Sauce in the freezer and enjoy the taste of cherries long after the season is over. And, if you want to make it out-of-season, you can always use high-quality frozen cherries. Read more…

Rosé Marinated Stone Fruit with Burrata & Arugula

Warm Night Girl Dinner
The weather is getting warmer which, for me, means dinner al fresco on our back patio. It also means lighter fare and making use of the seasonal produce which is starting to roll into the store.

I am not typically a salad person, I leave that to my daughter, but there are some nights when a salad is exactly what I want. The dudes in my house definitely are not big salad eaters so I save salad nights for when it’s just the girls.

My go-to girls’ night salads almost always contain a combination of fruits and nuts (except when it’s taco salad night). One favorite is a spinach salad with cut fresh strawberries and spiced, candied pecans—finished off with a little blue cheese dressing from our cheese department. So good!

I am not opposed to changing things up. At this time of year, it is a safe bet that I will add any of the stone fruits coming into season. And, peaches, or apricots are always a good idea.

That being said, sometimes, early in the season, the fruit might need a little help. This is why I love the idea of marinating your fruit in something tasty before tossing it in your salad.

This idea for marinating your peaches in rosé for this Rosé Marinated Stone Fruit with Burrata & Arugula is brilliant. The marinade adds flavor and a pop of acid. Perfect!

Rosé Marinated Stone Fruit with Burrata & Arugula Recipe
Recipe adapted Foodv52

The quantities in this recipe are flexible and can be adjusted according to your taste. You can omit the prosciutto for a vegan version. Read more…