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Summer – XtremeCuztoms

Category: Summer

Salad Days of Summer: Spotlight on Couscous

The star of this summer salad is Moroccan couscous. Couscous is often referred to as a grain, but this is a misnomer. These tiny morsels are grainy in appearance, but they are made from semolina and water and rolled into tiny granules. So, in fact, couscous is a type of pasta (and not gluten-free). Couscous…


Grand Aïoli Is Dip for Dinner, the Provençal Way

Grand aïoli (or aïoli garni) is Provence, France’s perfect response to the question of laid-back summer entertaining. This large spread of seasonal vegetables and seafood, with a generous bowl of garlicky mayonnaise (the aïoli) is a relaxed and convivial meal that invites guests to pick and dip, with no cutlery required. Serve it with chilled…


Living in Harmony With Summer

In a time not so long ago, people lived in harmony with the world around them. The shift from one season to another signaled a change in behaviors—what to eat and how to prepare foods, when to get up and go to bed, and so on. Our level of activity also naturally aligned with the…


Heat Wave Gardening: How to Protect Your Plants in Extreme Heat

As the mercury rises, keeping plants properly hydrated and thriving becomes a battle that requires a significant change in watering practices, protecting plants from the sun’s scorching rays, and more. First things first: Make sure you’re staying safe, cool, and hydrated yourself. Schedule yard work during the cooler times of day, such as early morning….


Anatomy of a Classic Cocktail: The Spritz

There’s nothing like a chilled glass of bubbly happiness in summer, something not too strong but also refreshing and flavorful. The name spritz comes from the German spritzen (to squirt), which seems an odd moniker for a drink of Italian origins. But in the 19th century after the fall of Napoleon, the Habsburgs of the…


Salad Days of Summer: The Leftovers

This installment of Salad Days of Summer is a recipe for your dinner repertoire. Steak salads make for a fresh and substantial bowl that you can call a meal. I call it a leftovers salad—it was, in fact, composed of leftover steak and green beans when it was prepared—but “grilled steak salad” sounds more enticing….


The Simple Art of Jamaican Watermelon Salad

I met my first watermelon salad at The Covington restaurant in Edgartown, Massachusetts. The dish consisted of watermelon cubes tossed into a pile of salad greens, alongside turnip shavings, pickled scapes, feta cheese, and balsamic vinegar. The juicy red chunks did the job normally reserved for tomatoes and availed themselves beautifully. Their sweet acids bent…


How to Slow Down This Summer

Ah, summer. It’s time to relax, unwind, and enjoy long summer days sipping lemonade without a care in the world. That ideal vision may seem elusive to many of us, but we can capture its essence more often this season if we try. Stop Hurrying Maybe you’re a parent who just completed the marathon known…


Salad Days of Summer

Nothing beats a leafy, brimming bowl layered with fresh garden pickings and the farmers market bounty. Sweet corn and juicy tomatoes are ripe headliners in high summer and pair up in this vibrant salad inspired by Italian panzanella. Panzanella translates to bread (pane) and a deep plate or bowl (zanella). It’s a Tuscan and Umbrian…


Summer Gardening To-Do List

With the hot weather of summer, there may not be much to do in your landscape, but there are a few things that need to be watched for so that the landscape stays healthy. Rain in summer across North America usually comes in a few heavy thunderstorms with many hot, sunny days in between. Heavy,…