The sauce for this shrimp dish incorporates lime, tequila and triple sec.

Sautéed Shrimp with Margarita Sauce

1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 tablespoon red bell pepper or zucchini or tomato, diced
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
5 local, wild-caught shrimp, peeled and deveined
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons triple sec and tequila (1:1 ratio)
1/4 cup organic black beans
1/4 cup organic coconut milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the rice according tot the package instructions, adding 1 tablespoon red bell pepper or other vegetable.

When the rice is done, tightly pack it into two 4-ounce ramekins. turn out the molded rice onto two serving plates.

Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté them for 1 minute.

Add the shrimp and sauté them for 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and cook for another minute. remove the pan from the heat and deglaze the pan with the liquors. Return the pan to the heat and add the beans, coconut milk, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for a minute or two longer to reduce the pan sauce; then serve.

Makes 2 servings.

From “The Harvest Eating Cookbook” by Keith Snow

Basil

The flavors of summer combine in this refreshing, simple salad.

Bibb, Basil and Mint Salad

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 head Bibb or butter lettuce, leaves torn
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/3 packed cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/3 packed up fresh mint leaves, chopped

In a salad bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce, fennel, basil and mint and toss well.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Adapted from “Giada at Home” by Giada De Laurentiis

Use fresh fava beans when they are available.

Fresh fava beans or frozen lima beans work equally well in this recipe. “Be careful not to overcook the beans, as they can turn an unattractive gray,” Giada De Laurentiis warns. “Red snapper, with its pinkish hue, is a quite flavorful white fish that works perfectly with the fava beans. Finish it off with a drizzle of really good-quality extra virgin olive oil.”

Red Snapper with Fava Bean Purée

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled, or 1 1/2 pounds frozen lima beans, thawed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6-ounce) center-cut red snapper fillets

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the beans. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the beans and reserve 1 cup of the broth. If using fava beans, when the beans are cool enough to handle, pop them out of their outer pods, discarding the pods. Combine the fava or lima beans and reserved broth in a blender or food processor. Add the mint and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until brown and the center is just opaque.

Divide the fava bean purée among 4 serving plates. Place a fillet of red snapper on top of the purée. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

From “Giada at Home” by Giada De Laurentiis

This simple dish comes together in two minutes and cooks for 15, so it’s a great side dish for those without a lot of time on their hands.

Roasted Cauliflower

5 cups cauliflower florets
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss the cauliflower in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place in a roasting dish and cook until the cauliflower begins to brown slightly, about 15 minutes.

The roasted flavor of the cauliflower makes many dishes special, such as cauliflower soup, fresh salads, pizza or mashed cauliflower.

Makes 2-4 servings.

From “The Harvest Eating Cookbook” by Keith Snow

Island Coleslaw

Looking for a different take on your coleslaw? Try this Caribbean version from Trinidad and Tobago, where ripe fruit is plentiful and the combination of it with the cabbage is delicious.

Island Coleslaw

1 small head green cabbage, shredded small
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
2 small oranges, pith and seeds removed
1/2 cup diced mango
1 cup plain yogurt
Pinch of salt, or to taste
Dasheen or spinach leaves, for serving (optional)

Mix cabbage, pineapple, orange and mango. Stir in yogurt. Salt to taste. Serve either in a bowl or on a bed of dasheen, leaves of the taro plant, or spinact leaves.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Adapted from “Callaloo, Calypso & Carnival” by Dave DeWitt and Mary Jane Wilan

Grilled Beef Skirt Steak with Citrus

Try this recipe, created for Bush’s Grillin’ Beans by chef Tim Love, with a dry rosé or Albariño.

Grilled Beef Skirt Steak with Citrus

Dry Rub:
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2  tablespoons kosher salt
2  tablespoons cracked black pepper

2 pounds beef outside skirt steak clean
¼ cup peanut oil
2 lemons, cut in half

Combine rosemary, thyme, chili powder, cumin, kosher salt and black pepper to make dry rub.

Bring meat to room temperature. Light the grill and bring to 350 degrees.

Rub meat with peanut oil. Season well with dry rub.

Place meat on heated grill for 4 minutes each side for medium rare. Just before the meat is done, squeeze lemon all over the steak while still on the grill. This will punch up the flavor. Check temperature with a thermometer; remove from grill when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

To serve, slice meat across the grain.

Serve with 1 (21-ounce) can Bush’s Texas Ranchero Grillin’ Beans.

Makes 4-6 servings.

From Tim Love

Grilled Skin-On Chicken Breast

Chef Tim Love of Fort Worth created this recipe to be served with Bush’s Grillin’ Beans. Don’t fill your grill with meat. Save half, so the grill will be hot when you have to flip the meat, Love says.

Grilled Skin-On Chicken Breast

Serves: 4 to 6

Marinade:
1 gallon of water
½ cup salt
1 tablespoon chile flakes
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup sugar

4 medium chicken breasts with skin
3 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup chili powder
¼ cup peanut oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Combine water, salt, chile flakes, garlic cloves and sugar in a container. Mix until salt and sugar dissolve. Add chicken breasts to mixture, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Heat grill to at least 350 degrees.

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Combine minced garlic and chili powder in a small bowl, add peanut oil and mix together. Rub chicken breasts with chili powder mixture and lightly season each breast with salt and pepper.

Place chicken breasts on grill, searing each side for 9 to 11 minutes. Cook breast skin side down first, searing it until skin is crispy brown. Move chicken to warm side of grill (not directly over hot coals) and finish cooking for 13 to 16 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (juices should run clear). Or, if you need more time indoors, sear the chicken, then finish off in the oven by cooking it at 350 degrees for 13 to 16 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (again, juices should run clear).

Serve with 1 (21-ounce) can Bush’s Black Bean Fiesta Grillin’ Beans and with Citrus-Arugula Salad (recipe follows).

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

From Tim Love

Citrus Arugula Salad

½ pound arugula
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 limes, juiced
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Place arugula in a bowl and drizzle olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper over it.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

From Tim Love

Use plum tomatoes in this recipe.

Use plum tomatoes in this summertime recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. It can be either an antipasto or as a side dish.

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Gorgonzola and Herbs

12 plum tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on paper towels to drain, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, salt and pepper. Using clean hands, gently toss the drained tomato halves in the oil mixture until coated. Marinate the tomatoes for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and Gorgonzola cheese.

Place the marinated tomato halves, cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Fill each tomato half with the bread crumb filling. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are slightly softened and their undersides are brown.

Arrange the cooked tomatoes on a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

From “Giada at Home” by Giada De Laurentiis

Blend your watermelon when making this gazpacho.

This summertime soup from chef Jeffrey Paige of Cotton, a restaurant in Manchester, N.H., goes together quickly and is cooling enough to take the edge off the heat.

Cotton’s Watermelon Gazpacho

5 pounds red seedless watermelon
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 cups diced, peeled and seeded cucumber
1/2 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Kosher salt, to taste

Remove the rind from the watermelon and cut into 1-inch chunks. Purée in a food processor until fairly smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, pepper, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, vinegar and sugar. Stir to blend well. Season to taste with kosher salt. Refrigerate 4 hours before serving. Serve within 2 days of making.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

From “Cotton: The Cookbook” by Jeffrey Paige

Watermelon Gazpacho

A friend who tasted this soup said it was as if someone had accidentally dropped pico de gallo in a sandia agua fresca. He meant that as a compliment. I agree.

John’s Watermelon Gazpacho

5 pounds red seedless watermelon, divided use
1/2 cup finely diced sweet onion, such as a Texas 1015
2 cups diced, peeled and seeded cucumber
1/2 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Juice of 1-2 key limes, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste

Remove the rind from the watermelon and cut into 1-inch chunks. Purée two-thirds in a food processor until fairly smooth. Place the remaining watermelon in a large mixing bowl. Smash with a fork. Pour the puréed watermelon over the top. Stir in onion, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro and parsley. Add juice of 1 key lime and kosher salt. Taste; adjust seasonings, adding more lime juice and salt as needed. Refrigerate 4 hours before serving. Serve within 2 days of making.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

From John Griffin, adapted from “Cotton: The Cookbook” by Jeffrey Paige