Savoring Summer’s Sweetest Moments | Issue No. 4: Holistic Spirits Kitchen

A torrid end of July and first weeks of August in most of the country has been followed by heavy rains and subsequent cooler dryer weather. A harbinger of fall maybe too optimistic but farm stands proudly displaying in season produce - with so much more yet to come in October - did inspire firing up the grill.

Let’s start with those farm stands yawning with tomatoes. As the late summer beckons, the tomatoes will most assuredly get their starring moment in the spotlight on our dinner plates. But for now they share the spotlight with summer’s other signature fare, watermelon, peaches and sweet corn being front and center. They are perfect partners. Less sweet and no less refreshing cucumbers and herbs make their appearances as well.

We are in the thick of the watermelon/tomato/corn season here in the northeast and while I love the watermelon juice for a Holistic cocktail, I also love watermelon in a summer salad (below), which I like to combine with peach for the contrast between watermelon’s…sweet water and a peaches luxurious richness (another cocktail!). In my first book we grilled peaches introducing some smoke and char to the richness and that leads me today to include peaches in our kebabs. Surprise your guests, fruit punctuates all grilled vegetables and meats added to the skewers.

Panzanella

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ baguette, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 tbsp EVOO plus more to taste
• 2 lbs very ripe summer local tomatoes cut into bite size chunks
• ¾ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2 oz of Origen Holistic Spirits Vodka
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 C  thinly sliced English cucumber, halved lengthwise into ¼ inch slices
• ½ C torn basil leaves
• ¼ C flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ C crumbled ricotta Salata cheese, alternatively Mexican farm cheese can be substituted
• ¾ tsp kosher sea salt, more to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: If baguette is not stale. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt. Bake until they are dried out and pale golden brown at the edges, about 7 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Alternately brush baguette sliced lengthwise with EVO grill over medium.

Step 2: In a large bowl, add tomatoes, onions, garlic, 1 tablespoon vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper if using. Toss to coat and set aside

Step 3: In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt and some black pepper to taste. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 4 tablespoons EVOO until the mixture is thickened. Stir in cucumbers, basil and parsley

Step 4: Add bread cubes, and cucumber mixture to the tomatoes and toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before serving. Toss with a little more olive oil, vinegar and salt as needed and garnish with a bit more basil to your liking just before serving.

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KABOBS

Kabobs are a summer staple around here constructed inside or out, for a brief grill outside. Choices of protein are many and varied, I like shrimp for ease and quick grill time, meaty steak fish are super tasty and also quick, next up chicken a blank canvas and my preferred four legged kabob protein is lamb. The grill and lamb are made for each other. My preferred choice is the loin as the meat is lean, so a short time on piping hot grill can result in a perfect medium. Reverse searing also works wonders: start on the cool side of grill bring to rare and then sear on hot side of grill to desired temp.

Putting the meats aside for a moment, lets discuss the wonderful bounty from the farm stand to complement protein flavors…for me fruit is the way to go. If you have never grilled a peach you haven’t lived! Outside of local seasonal fruit other favorites are pineapple, figs, strawberries, watermelons, and tomatoes, they are a fruit after all.

Here are some of our favorite combinations.

Note: Kabob ingredients can be pulled off skewers and added to your choice of greens. We suggest hearty greens such as kale or chicory, doused with sherry, red, or champagne vinegar forming a hearty salad.

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FRUIT KABOBS

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 peaches, sliced into large chunks
• 2 lg. heirloom tomatoes segmented into big chunks (mix up the colors you find)
• ½ med. pineapple, cur into large 1”pieces
• 2 oz of EVOO
• 2 oz of Origen Holistic Spirits Vodka
• 2 oz plain yogurt
• 1 oz honey

Add red onion and zucchini, sectioned into similar segment sizes for a more savory combination.

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Soak wood skewers in cold water to avoid burning on the grill. Turn on grill to medium heat. Lightly oil the grill grate

Step 2: Assemble skewers with your fruit and brush with Origen Vodka and EVO, in that order

Step 3: Grill until the fruit gets some nice grill marks on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a serving plate.

Yogurt Dip

Whisk yogurt and honey together and drizzle a thin line down each kabob or serve in dipping bowl.

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LAMB MINT YOGURT KABOBS

INGREDIENTS:

For the Marinade and Lamb:

• 1 C plain yogurt
• ¼ C fresh lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon zest from 1 lemon
• 2 oz Harmony Gin
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ C of mixed minced mint and cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

For the Skewers:

• 2 lbs boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• 1 lg. red onion, sliced into chunks
• 1 lg. zucchini, rinsed and halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 ripe figs, rinsed and halved

DIRECTIONS:

Marinade

In blender or cup with blender stick, blend ingredients and brush half over lamb skewers, place kabob pieces and marinade in zip lock bag and refrigerate for an hour or alternately overnight. Reserve other half for drizzle over grilled kabob.

Kabobs

Step 1: Soak wood skewers in cold water to avoid burning on the grill. Turn on grill to medium heat. Lightly oil the grill grate.

Step 2: Alternately skewer lamb chunks, red onion, zucchini, and figs

Step 3: Grill until the skewers get some nice grill marks on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a serving plate.

Step 4: Drizzle remaining marinade over plated skewers.

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Chili Lime Origen Marinade Chicken Kabobs

(Salmon or Shell off Jumbo Shrimp work here as well)

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz Origen Vodka
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (We prefer thighs on the grill because their richness makes over cooking nearly impossible)
• 2 peaches sectioned top to bottom
• 1 lg red onion, sliced into chunks
• 2 red Bell Peppers sectioned into 1 ½ inch strips and cut in half

Marinade

Blend the first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Reserve half and place half in a large Ziplock bag, then add chicken pieces to the back. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least an hour and up to overnight.

Kabobs

Step 1: Soak wood skewers in cold water to avoid burning on the grill. Turn on grill to medium heat. Lightly oil the grill grate.

Step 2: Alternately skewer chicken chunks, red onion, peaches, red bell peppers

Step 3: Grill until the skewers get some nice grill marks on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a serving plate.

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Watermelon, Tomato, Corn, Cucumber, Ricotta Salata Summer Origen Salad with Holistic Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 personal size, seedless watermelon, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
• 2 tomato, cored halved and quartered
• 2 med. corn cobs, microwaved with husks for 2-3 minutes on medium, then remove kernels from husk
• 1 cucumber, peeled, sliced lengthwise seeds removed and sectioned into ½ inch segments
• 1/3 lb Ricotta Salata, crumbled, reserve

Dressing

• 2 oz EVOO
• 1 oz Origen vodka
• 2 limes juiced
• 2 cloves garlic minced (but measure with your heart)
• ¼ C minced basil
• ¼ C minced cilantro

Whisk or add to mixing cup and blend until emulsified.

Garnish

• 1/8 C minced basil
• 1/8 C minced cilantro
• 1 C Ricotta Salata crumbled

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Toss all ingredients together and reserve Ricotta

Step 2: Toss with dressing

Step 3: Plate individual salads and garnish with a sprinkle of Ricotta finish with a bit of herbs Season with salt and pepper

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INGREDIETS:

• 2 med./lg. Haas avocados halved, nut removed and flesh scooped. Slice each half lengthwise and across into half inch sections
• 1 ear of corn, microwaved with husk for 2 minutes on medium, then remove kernels from husk
• 1, 15 oz can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed.
• 1 med. red onion peeled, halved, and sliced into 1/4” pieces
• 1 lime halved and juiced
• ½ oz red Tabasco
• ½ teaspoon of Tajin
• sea salt to taste
• 8 oz of preferred tortilla chips for dipping

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, toss lightly and enjoy using chips to scoop.

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BLT (Surfer-Style)

Now this could have waited until September, but I’m impatient. When tomatoes are big, ripe and heavy on the farm stand table you want to eat and use them in every way possible. The easiest way besides just quartering, salting and shoving them into your mouth is a classic BLT.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 slices of crusty sour dough bread, toasted or grilled
• 1 lg. Ripe farmhouse tomato, cored and sliced
• 3-4 strips of thick cut smoked bacon, fried in pan or crisped in oven
• 3 leaves of local farm lettuce
  
• 1 tbsp Mayonnaise (Dukes is a favorite)
• ¼ tsp of Cayenne pepper
• Optional: Slices of ripe Haas avocado

Directions:

Step 1: Spread Mayo on both slices of bread and sprinkle with cayenne

Step 2: Lay tomato slices on one slice

Step 3: Lay bacon over tomatoes crisscrossed to fit

Step 4: Cover bacon with lettuce and avocado if using

Step 5: Top with second piece of bread. Press down until you hear a crunch, and the tomato juices are soaked into the sandwich.

Step 6: Slice on a diagonal and serve

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Cocktail Recipes

Iced Holistic Spritz

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

• 1 ½ oz Origen Vodka
• 1 ½ oz Aperol
• 2 ½ oz watermelon juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• 1 ½ C crushed ice

Garnish: Pinched whole Mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until icy cold and smooth.

Step 2: Pour into a short Collins glass, then garnish with the mint.

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Sustainably Peachy

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

• 1 ½ oz Harmony Gin
• 2 oz of pureed ripe peach
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• ½ oz agave
• ½ oz Nonino Amaro
• 1 C ice

Garnish: peach slice

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until icy cold and smooth.

Step 2: Pour into a chilled rocks glass.

Step 3: Garnish with peach slice.

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Frozen Harmony Negroni

INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)

• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz Harmony Gin
• 1 oz sweet vermouth, your choice
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• blood orange juice

• 2 C ice

Garnish: blood orange peel

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until icy cold and smooth

Step 2: Blend until smooth.

Step 3: Pour into a glass and garnish with blood orange peel.

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Feeling Cuban

INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)

• 2 ½ oz Origen Vodka
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 oz simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)
• 8 mint leaves
• 1 ½ C crushed ice

Garnish: mint sprig

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Mash two mint leaves, 1/2 oz simple syrup in bottom of glass.

Step 2: Combine rest of the ingredients in a blender and process until icy cold smooth.

Step 3: Pour into a Collins glass stir with spoon

Step 4: Garnish with a mint sprig.

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Origen Bloody Mary

This is a solid bloody mix with the Old Bay giving it a unique edge.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ oz Origen Holistic Spirits Vodka
• 1 quart Sacramento tomato juice
• 1 tbsp horseradish
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 limes - juiced
• 3 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1-2 oz Tabasco (to your liking)
• Fresh ground pepper

Garnish: Great place for some fun, no wrong answer, from lime or lemon wedge, celery stalk leaves intact, an asparagus stalk to pickle spear, pickled Okra (a favorite of ours), skewered cocktail olives and artichoke hearts, pickled jalapeño, and lastly a poached jumbo shrimp!

If you need more, add a celery salt rim on the glass!

DIRECTIONS

Mix together all ingredients but the vodka in a pitcher and set aside. Fill a glass with ice and add Origen Vodka. Fill glass with bloody mix, use mixing spoon to vertically incorporate spirit and mix. Garnish + enjoy!