Grilling Season Has Arrived!
It’s Barbeque Season! Time to get outside with friends, family, pets, plants, or just yourself and cook over some fire and eat in lawn chairs or on stoops or at picnic tables, until the mosquitoes drive you inside. All the months spent eating socially distanced meals outdoors has helped me appreciate dining outside when it’s warm. No more huddling next to that heat lamp wearing two jackets and snow pants - summer has come again, friends! And now that it’s BBQ time, I like to wander around the shop figuring out what needs to be at my next outdoor feast.
Hillside Harvest Hot Sauce
Hillside Harvest Hot Sauce needs to be at most of my feasts, and a bottle of the Pineapple Fresno flavor lives right next to my grill. The combo of chilis makes it spicy and the pineapple makes it a little sweet. I like to add it to barbeque sauces for some extra heat, stir it into mayo to spread on pulled pork, and sprinkle it on coleslaw for extra zip. I guess what I’m trying to say is dump this bad boy on whatever, and I promise you’ll be into it. Oh, and fish tacos, try it on fish tacos!
Sugar Bob’s Smoked Maple Syrup
Ok, ok this one is going to blow your grilling UP. We sell Sugar Bob’s Smoked Maple Syrup in small, travel size bottles because it is strong on the smoke, so you just need a little bit. It is awesome - yes, AWESOME - dotted on grilled carrots. When you take the charred carrots off the grill, immediately mix them with butter, salt, and a few drips of the syrup. YUM. And since I believe, deeply, that one should cook with a drink in hand, add it to icy lemonade, to an old fashioned, or to a whiskey sour to make them summery as heck!
Landaff with Olives
Not only does the griller need a cocktail or two, but they also need a snack. And maybe the guests could use a little nibbly as well? So, here’s whatchya do: Put out a cutting board, wood if you’re feeling fancy, add a substantial piece of Landaff, and a bowl of Castellino Grilled Olives. During quarantine, my family became completely addicted to these olives. They are less salty than regular olives, and the olive oil in which they are jarred adds a luxurious buttery flavor and texture. Thus, the lactic, tart Landaff, a firm cow’s milk cheese from New Hampshire, is a great pairing because it balances the richness of the olives. SUCH a good snack for everybody at the barbeque.
Let’s get to it, party people, and celebrate the weather, being together (if you can!), and good food!
For the love of cheese and outdoor eating without shivering,
Kiri
Shop for Grilling Season
P.S. It’s Juneteenth this Saturday! And since I look at everything through the lens of food, here are a couple articles about Juneteenth itself and the food associated with the holiday. The first one is by Michael Twitty (I’ve mentioned him in this newsletter before), a historian who focuses on African American foodways. His article goes into great detail of what enslaved Africans grew, hunted, and ate in Texas. The second focuses on what food is eaten at Juneteenth celebrations today and why. Lastly, Food 52 put together a list of recipes for Juneteenth cooking. I can’t wait to try my hand at homemade strawberry soda! Happy reading and eating!