One Pot, One Grill, and One Bowl
Every August day we are reminded of summer's glorious weather, long nights and early sunrises. While the extra time and temperatures are perfect for shorts, they also often see us searching for quick and easy meal solutions—which is why I like to go back to an old standby: “one pot, one grill, and one bowl” meals.
The other night after I came home from swimming, I pulled out a large skillet, added some bacon grease, and then proceeded to bring my one-pot meal to life with Melissa’s organic summer produce. Diced red onion, corn cut off the cob, chopped red, yellow, and Anaheim peppers, sliced portobello mushrooms and cauliflower burger all sauteed together with a little salt and pepper, and we were set! Even better, the whole meal, with cleanup, took about 45 minutes tops.
If you’d like to be outside, a grill works just as well! You could make a grilled summer salad with some incredible flavors and textures, or stick to a colorful combination of summer squashes, eggplant and mushrooms. Add these to a tortilla warmed on the grilled and some avocado-tomatillo salsa, and you’ve got a meal that will fill you up—and still leave room for fresh grilled dessert!
Choose an assortment of your favorite fresh, organic summer produce from Melissa’s: peaches, plums, and cantaloupes are a good place to start. (With the selection changing throughout the summer and fall, don’t be afraid to mix and match what’s in season!) Remember: if you want to bring out the natural sweetness of fruit, as well as add a subtle smoky flavor, grilling is the way to go!
Here are a few quick tips before we get started:
Have you ever grilled melon? No? Oh, my goodness! Mm-mm, it’s a delightful treat! The trick to grilling melon is to do it hot and fast. Let's try some cantaloupe! You only need a minute or two with this recipe I adapted from an old favorite.
Ingredients
1 Melissa’s Organic Cantaloupe, cut into ½ inch slices
1/3 cup local honey
1/4 cup organic salted butter
1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat your grill. Cut cantaloupe in half and remove the seeds, then cut into slices and skewer.
Combine honey, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Once melted, brush mixture onto cantaloupe. Place skewers on a lightly oiled grate and cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes. This can be served with sorbet or ice cream and topped with any remaining honey-butter sauce.
As you can see, delicious, quick and simple can all be part of a wonderful summer eating regimen. Especially when you start with Melissa’s organic summer produce!
The other night after I came home from swimming, I pulled out a large skillet, added some bacon grease, and then proceeded to bring my one-pot meal to life with Melissa’s organic summer produce. Diced red onion, corn cut off the cob, chopped red, yellow, and Anaheim peppers, sliced portobello mushrooms and cauliflower burger all sauteed together with a little salt and pepper, and we were set! Even better, the whole meal, with cleanup, took about 45 minutes tops.
If you’d like to be outside, a grill works just as well! You could make a grilled summer salad with some incredible flavors and textures, or stick to a colorful combination of summer squashes, eggplant and mushrooms. Add these to a tortilla warmed on the grilled and some avocado-tomatillo salsa, and you’ve got a meal that will fill you up—and still leave room for fresh grilled dessert!
Choose an assortment of your favorite fresh, organic summer produce from Melissa’s: peaches, plums, and cantaloupes are a good place to start. (With the selection changing throughout the summer and fall, don’t be afraid to mix and match what’s in season!) Remember: if you want to bring out the natural sweetness of fruit, as well as add a subtle smoky flavor, grilling is the way to go!
Here are a few quick tips before we get started:
- Choose firm, unblemished fruit that is not quite ripe but still yielding.
- Be sure to brush the grill clean.
- Keep a close eye on the fruit, as their natural sugars can cause them to burn quickly if left unattended.
- Serve grilled fruit while still warm to fully capture the flavor of the fruit.
- If you're grilling a bunch, you can refresh it with a squeeze of citrus juice and a grating of zest after the fruit is cooked.
Have you ever grilled melon? No? Oh, my goodness! Mm-mm, it’s a delightful treat! The trick to grilling melon is to do it hot and fast. Let's try some cantaloupe! You only need a minute or two with this recipe I adapted from an old favorite.
Ingredients
1 Melissa’s Organic Cantaloupe, cut into ½ inch slices
1/3 cup local honey
1/4 cup organic salted butter
1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat your grill. Cut cantaloupe in half and remove the seeds, then cut into slices and skewer.
Combine honey, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Once melted, brush mixture onto cantaloupe. Place skewers on a lightly oiled grate and cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes. This can be served with sorbet or ice cream and topped with any remaining honey-butter sauce.
As you can see, delicious, quick and simple can all be part of a wonderful summer eating regimen. Especially when you start with Melissa’s organic summer produce!