Hot Off the Grill: Easy Additions to Summer Food

Sometimes a little kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper is all you need to make grilled food shine... and sometimes you want something a little more complex. Here are some quick and easy sauces and condiments that elevate simple foods- image from realsimple.com

Compound Herb Butters- 
Great on grilled chicken, steaks, or veggies
3-4 tbsp salted or unsalted butter (your preference)
3-4 tbsp fresh herbs such as tarragon, basil, mint, or cilantro (you can also use a mixture)
Soften the butter slightly by letting it come to room temp on the counter or microwaving for 10 seconds. Chop the herbs finely and combine. Wrap in wax paper and return to fridge. Melt over meat or veggies.

Caper Sauce (from Real Simple Magazine)- similar to a chimichurri sauce- Zesty and delish!

• 2 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup capers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Place in the fridge 1 hour... or let sit overnight for full flavor!

Herbed Salt-
Turns freezer fries into pommes frites!
1 tbsp minced herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley)
1 tsp kosher salt
Stir together and sprinkle over hot fries.

Summer/Fall Smash-up: Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Using end of summer produce to create a tummy-warming chowder is a great way to quell those "I'm ready for Fall but it's still ninety-plus degrees outside" cravings. So crank down the AC, pull out a scarf and celebrate soup! Cooking Light does it right with a veggie based creation with notes of smoky bacon and melty cheddar.
I recommend buying high quality, applewood-smoked bacon. It's intense flavor will shine in the background of this chowder.

Event: I WANT FALL! (But it's so darn hot...)
Menu: 
Summer Squash and Corn Chowder
Tomato Bruschetta


For the Soup:

Ingredients

• 2  slices applewood-smoked bacon
• 3/4  cup  sliced green onions, divided
• 1/4  cup  chopped celery
• 1  pound  yellow summer squash, chopped
• 1  pound  frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
• 2 1/4  cups  1% low-fat milk, divided
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese.

For the tomato bruschetta:

PH oven to 425 degrees. Arrange 12 thin baguette slices on a baking sheet; bake at 425 for 6 mins or until toasted. Rub toasts with cut sides of halved garlic clove. Combine 1/2 c halved cherry or grape tomatoes, 2 tsp chopped fresh basil, 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1/8 tsp kosher salt; top toasts with tomato mixture. 

YUM!