First Summer Recipes

First Fruits...The first off the tree. What about what we create?
Living in a hot climate I am always looking for recipes that go with it... (If there is anything other than a glass of ice cold freshly squeezed lemonade.)

Here is one I did last night with a few left overs.

What I found in the fridge to go with a piece of grilled Amberjack.

1 small red pepper (all peppers chopped into small pieces)
1 small yellow pepper
1 small orange pepper
1/4 Serrano Pepper
1 Tablespoons of (each) chopped, Chives, Italian Parsley,Basil and Tarragon
2 Tablespoons of caramelized onions (done in olive oil)
1 Ounce White Wine vinegar
3 Ounces Olive oil (not E.V) you can adjust the quantity of oil and vinegar to taste. Add extra if the mixture is too dry.

Mix all together season with cracked pepper and sea salt

Allow to sit for a couple of hours at room temperature before using with anything you grill.

I also made a light carrot and tarragon soup with a small smack of curry...yummy served with smoked Gouda tortellini.....

Salt of The earth

I have used this saying for years, but not until recently did I fully understand its meaning. As a chef you would think I could very easily connect the dots.
"If someone is salt of the earth they provide flavor, they have a natural life style, they generally just add life to those they come into contact with." ( I think the key is those they come into contact with.)

When they are around others their presence is like salt on food, it would be bland without it!. I could extend it further and say, they value people so much that they preserve and cherish relationships, and their role in society.

I was reminded this week of the rabbi I knew when I was in The South African Army. He was the rabbi and butcher in Middleburg South Africa. Every Friday morning he would bring me the meat for the following week, grab a huge pot, turn it upside down, and ask me to join him in conversation.
Not a heavy religious conversation ,but a Salt of the earth conversation. The conversations focused on: Where we come from and how we got here and who did all of this, but most importantly the one we spoke about often was , "What am I to do while I am here?". The Answer to that really answers every other question. And the answer is ()()()()()()()()()( ....(thats a drum roll)
Be salt of the earth! to the people living on the earth...... Thanks Rabbi!!!!