Memorial Day Summer Kickoff Menu

That extra day off for Memorial Day leaves just enough time to share food and drink with family and friends.  If you are hosting a gathering this weekend (or just attending one), get inspired by the summer menu recipes we've gathered.  Summer fruits and veggies are featured as well as fresh takes on summer classics like hot dogs and chicken drumsticks.  We've even included a couple of cocktails to keep everyone refreshed.  Be sure to stock your pantry for summer entertaining essentials!

A chilled Lavender Infused Berry Salad makes a great starter or a dessert

Pork sliders are great for feeding a crowd and can be cooked ahead of time and kept warm in a crock pot.

A lighter option for serving chicken...and you won't believe how good the dipping sauce is!

The Picnic at Hanging Rock Cocktail is with rose hip grenadine and hibiscus vodka.

Chances are your grill is already going to be fired up... why not throw on a quick salad?

Take your hot dogs to the next level with hot sauce and sauteed onions.

A fresh take on a summer favorite that makes for a lovely graphic presentation

Sweet Tea Cocktails made with Owl's Brew are mild enough to drink with a meal.

Recipe: Stacked Watermelon Pesto Bites

Cool, sweet watermelon pairs beautifully with salty cheese and pesto in the super simple recipe that celebrates summer.  Layer watermelon, cheese and pesto in tall stacks for a salad presentation or make individual "bites" for grazing.  If you're making the individual bites and want to forego the fork, we found that leaving the rind on makes them easier to handle!  We used asiago cheese, but you could try pairing any of our Elki spreads with various types of melon and cheese for endless culinary combinations.

Stacked Watermelon Pesto Bites

• 1 small seedless watermelon, chilled
• 1 small block of asiago cheese
• 1 jar of Elki Artichoke Lemon Pesto
• Basil leaves for garnish

1. Start with a chilled seedless watermelon. (We found that serving the watermelon chilled and the pesto at room temp, was a nice balance)
2. Slice watermelon into cubes (for stacking) or wedges (for bites).
3. Layer with thin slices of asiago cheese.
4. Top with the pesto.
5. Garnish with a basil leaf or continue layering to your desired height for a salad stack.

DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE RECIPE PDF >

Stocking Your Summer Pantry

With Memorial Day approaching, it's a great time to stock up on summer pantry items.  Dust off the grill and upgrade your barbecue experience with our sauces and rubs.  Garnish your burgers in style with our condiment selections.  And wash it all down with a delicious cocktail made from any of our small batch mixers!  

1. Rufus Teague Honey Sweet BBQ Sauce sweetened with brown sugar, honey and molasses 2. McClure's Garlic & Dill Pickles have strong, sour taste is complimented by notes of garlic & dill 3. NW Elixer's Hott Sauces will become the secret ingredient of your grilling repertoire 4. Lillie's Q Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce is a southern style vinegar sauce made with red Thai chillies 5. Take your favorite summer foods on the go with a Willow Picnic Basket for Two 6. Sir Kensington's Classic Gourmet Scooping Ketchup will elevate any burger or dog!  7. Arrowhead Farms cocktail mixers make it easy to enjoy a quality beverage with limited effort.

Recipe: Grilled Summer Caesar Salad

The mix of temperature throughout the salad and the crispiness of the lettuce with the combination of the charred pieces makes grilled salads one of my favorite summer dishes.  Last night, right before the sun set and the rain came in, I made a very simple grilled salad. It was the perfect side dish to the salmon I grilled.  You can make the salad with different ingredients and pair it with any meat or fish.  Make sure to try this dressing - its a garlic lovers dream!

Grilled Salad with Garlic Parmesan Dressing

Garlic Parmesan Dressing

• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of Bourbon Barrel Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup lemon juice or 1 large lemon

In a food processor or blender, start the blades and then add the cloves of garlic one at a time. After chopped, slowing add the olive oil.  Let blend for 30 to 40 seconds. The olive oil will look white. Using a mesh strainer, strain the olive oil mixture, capturing most of the garlic  (leave any garlic that is stuck to the sides of the food processor). Put garlic infused olive oil to the side. Add mayo, worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese and lemon juice to the food processor and blend. After combined, slowly add the garlic infused olive oil to the rest of the mixture.  Keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Grilled Salad

• Romaine Hearts sliced in half
• Tomatoes
• Shallots
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat grill on medium.

Pour a bit of olive oil in your hands, rub over all your salad ingredients, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place each item on the grill and close lid.  Watch the lettuce closely, they take about 2-3 minutes on each side. Tomatoes and onions should take 5 minutes on each side.  

Plate all of the ingredients, dress, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese and enjoy!

From the Maker's Mouth : Produce Candles

We first discovered Produce Candles on a packaging design blog and knew it was perfect for our specialty food store. Like the fresh grown ingredient each scent is derived from, Produce Candle varieties change with every season.  During our celebration of all things salad-related, we thought we would check in with one of our new best-sellers and get a little insight into how these unique candles are made!

We know that Farmer’s Markets were a big inspiration for you in the development of Produce Candles, was there any other event or person that you tapped for inspiration? Farmers Markets and our experiences with the sights, sounds, and people were essentially our inspiration for Produce.  There is so much energy and life every Saturday morning here in Charleston... we tried to capture it within our candle.  We were also inspired by the feelings we had when we would return home from farmers markets. Not just purchasing but also the event of cooking with it in the home!  Buy local... eat local! 

What was the first scent you developed?  Is it still around?  I'd say the first fragrance we nailed down and really knew we felt strongly about was Kale!  Fresh, vibrant, and clean.

Are there any ingredients that you would like to recognize that maybe your/our customers don’t know you use, but are proud of?  (ie Local)  Our candles are all natural soy wax!  This wax is so much better for your home and the environment.  PLUS.. this means your candle will burn much longer and much cleaner.  70 hours plus! 

Can you give us an idea of how you develop the scents? Sure! We have a really great relationship with our fragrance oils company.  The process begins with us touching, tasting, and feeling the actual produce and brainstorming what we feel would represent our brand and each season the best.  From there we present our fragrance oil company with a list of possible fragrances.  They mix up a "rough draft" of fragrance for each and then from there it is a long road of tweaking back and forth before we feel they represent the actual crop! 

What’s your favorite thing to buy from a Farmers Market seasonally?

• Winter- Kale!  Or possibly Squash..
• Spring- Strawberries! Just before it get to hot and steamy down here in SC
• Summer- How to choose! Peaches and Blackberries I'd have to say.
• Fall- Sweet Potatoes! I'm a Southerner...

What is your most memorable meal? I'm not sure I personally have one... I do have to say one of my favorite memories from meals is eating Tomato pie from fresh tomatoes in my Grandmother's garden.  Tastes like Summer!

What’s next for your business?  Fall and Winter fragrances will release very shortly! Stay tuned!