A Palette for the Palate - Plenty of Pink

There is quite an array of pinks in our coastal canvas. There are those cotton candy colored clouds at dawn and that dusky mauve that appears late in the day. And it’s not just in the sky. Our gardens bloom with perfect pink camellias and magnificent magenta azaleas. We see blush colors in the shells we gather and on the sunburnt noses at the beach. Don’t forget the roseate spoonbills and the pink from the shrimp they eat.

Watermelon Feta Salad 

Ingredients:

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

4 c. watermelon, seedless, cubed

1 c. feta, crumbled

1/2 c. red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 c. mint, coarsely chopped

Sea salt flakes for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. In a large serving bowl, combine watermelon, feta, red onion, and mint. Pour over dressing. Toss to combine. Garnish with more mint and sea salt flakes. (Optional variations, substitute one cup of watermelon for one cup of peeled, chopped cucumber or fresh blueberries.)

Beet Hummus 

Ingredients:

1 c. chickpeas, cooked

1 small beet, cooked and cut in pieces

3 Tbsp. tahini

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 garlic clove

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pink Himalayan salt

3/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 

Preparation:

Place beet in small saucepan, cover with water and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain and put all ingredients into high-speed blender or food processor, then  blend until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add up to a Tbsp. of water to thin out. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding additional salt, lemon juice or oil, to taste. Garnish with pine nuts, almond slices, or parsley. Serve immediately with pita crisps or vegetables for dipping or refrigerate in airtight container for up to a week. 

Roasted Radishes 

Ingredients:

1 bunch radishes, roots and stems/leaves removed and set aside, cut in half

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. sea salt

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Preparation: 

Wash radish leaves well after separating to remove all grit. Rinse thoroughly, running under cold water and place on layers of paper towels to dry. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss halved radishes in olive oil and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Place radishes cut side down on a large baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes until cut sides just begin to brown and radishes are tender. Five minutes before the radishes finish roasting, prepare brown butter sauce. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add butter. Stir for 4-5 minutes until butter begins to darken. Add rosemary and cook another 3-4 minutes until butter turns deep brown. Remove from heat. Place radishes and leaves in a large bowl. Pour brown butter over radishes and gently toss. Transfer to serving dish. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (For extra flavor, use a seasoned salt like truffle salt.)

Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt

1 lemon, quartered

4 lbs. large Wild Georgia shrimp 

2 c. mayonnaise

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. white wine

1 tsp. ground black pepper

6 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced

1 c. red onion, minced

3 c. celery, minced

Preparation:

Bring 5 quarts of water, 3 Tbsp. salt, and lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add half the shrimp and reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes or until shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with remaining shrimp. Let cool; then peel and devein shrimp. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, and wine, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, and dill. Combine with peeled shrimp. Stir in onion and celery and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve over salad greens or on rolls as filling for sandwich, or cover and refrigerate for a few hours until ready to serve.

Grilled Salmon Summer Salad

Ingredients:

2 5-6oz. salmon filets

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. maple syrup

½ tsp. ground pepper

2 fresh peaches, sliced

2 ears of sweet corn, grilled, cut from cob

1 handful of cherry tomatoes halved

1 bag baby spinach

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

ground pepper

sea salt

Preparation:

For marinade, combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, maple syrup and ground pepper in a small bowl. Pour marinade into deep dish and place salmon skinless side down. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. To grill corn, heat grill to high heat, keep corn in husk and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove and allow corn to cool before shucking and cutting from cob. Once fish is marinated, make sure grill is at medium heat and lightly oil grate. Place salmon on grill, skinless-side down and discard marinade. Cook salmon just long enough to get grill marks, 2-3 minutes. Flip over and cook for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from grill. While grilling fish, plate spinach leaves on two plates, add sliced peaches, tomatoes, and grilled corn. Top each with grilled salmon filet. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over each salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Cherry Rhubarb Chutney

Ingredients:

7 c. rhubarb, chopped

2 c. packed brown sugar

2 c. fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries, chopped

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

1 c. red wine vinegar

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 Tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Preparation:

In a 6-qt. stockpot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 25-30 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Transfer to containers with lids. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Delicious with cream cheese on crostini or crackers or as a condiment with grilled chicken or pork. (To freeze, use freezer-safe containers and fill to within 1/2 inch of top. Will last up to 12 months. To serve, thaw frozen chutney in refrigerator.)

Rhubarb Fizz 

Ingredients:

8 oz. gin

9 oz. Rhubarb Syrup*

1/2 c. lemon juice

Ice, for serving

12 oz. Prosecco, chilled

6 lemon rounds, for garnish

Mint for garnish

*For Rhubarb Syrup:

1 c. sugar

1 c. water

1/2 vanilla bean, pod split and scraped

1-1/4 c. rhubarb, finely chopped 

Preparation:

To make syrup, combine sugar, water, vanilla pod and seeds, and rhubarb in a medium saucepan and bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer about 3 minutes, until rhubarb is tender. Let cool completely. Remove vanilla pod before serving.

For cocktail, combine gin, syrup, and lemon juice in a pitcher and stir. Divide among 6 ice-filled glasses. Top off each with 2 oz. Prosecco. Stir gently and garnish with lemon rounds and mint. Serve immediately.