A Basket of Summer Flavors -

There’s nothing quite like the joy of filling a basket with summer’s vibrant bounty, whether it is juicy watermelon, ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, fresh berries, or colorful garden vegetables. In this episode of Food for Body, Mind and Spirit, we celebrate this season’s abundance with light, refreshing, and flavor-packed recipes that nourish the body while delighting the senses. From a beautiful Sweet Watermelon and Tomato Summer Salad to a savory Gazpacho Chicken to smoky Corn Husk Grilled Cream Cheese Relish with Smoky Bagels, these dishes capture the essence of summer eating. We’ve also included crowd-pleasing Grilled Carrots, prize winning Salmon Chip Dippers, a chilled Blueberry Soup, and a decadent Hazelnut Chocolate Ice Cream Cake to round out your seasonal table. Whether you’re hosting a backyard gathering or simply enjoying a quiet lunch on the patio, these recipes invite you to savor every sunny bite.

Visit the Gloria Goodtaste's website to view the full stories and available recipes highlighted in this podcast with pictures and additional info to further enjoy this episode.  Go to: https://www.gloriagoodtaste.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Hello everyone and welcome to Food for Body, Mind, and Spirit. I'm your host, Gloria Good Taste.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

And I'm Tech Tom, your co-host, chief taste tester, and official hungry guy around here. Gloria, it feels like summer has finally arrived in full force.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

It really has, Tom. There is nothing quite like the joy of filling a basket with fresh summer pomate. Think of it juicy watermelon, ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, fresh berries, and all your favorite colorful garden vegetables. These recipes lean into quick, light, ingredient-driven cooking that aligns with summer's energy. Many are adaptable, make-ahead friendly, which I know you like, or grill focused for minimal kitchen heat.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Sounds like we've got a basket full of summer flavors that our listeners can use. It's filled with light, refreshing, and flavor-packed recipes that nourish the body and delight the senses. Everyone, listen up. I've already been sneaking the taste in this kitchen as we made them. This is going to be a really good program.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Absolutely. Whether you're hosting a backyard gathering or just enjoying a quiet lunch on the patio, these dishes invite you to savor every sunny bite. We'll start with something bright, beautiful, and healthy. My sweet watermelon and tomato summer salad. I just love this recipe. This features one of the most popular trending combinations on recipe menus right now.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

And we had one of them. You get those juicy, cool watermelon chunks and colorful mini tomatoes and a bed of peppery algorithm with bright lime dressing. Then you drizzle on that sweet champagne glaze. It's elegant plate, but simple to talk and make.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

Now, what happens, Tom, if you don't have any champagne vinegar?

SPEAKER_00 2:36

You try white vinegar. Balsamic vinegar. Oh, put the two together. Hey!

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Okay, exactly. Now, the goat cheese is going to give it wonderful farm fresh taste. And you can add some smoked almonds, which I love to add to dishes, if you want a little grilled summer crunch and salad. It's light, refreshing, and just right for these hot days.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Next up is one of your prize-winning recipes from back in the day: Fresh Capacho Chicken at the Delmarva Chicken Contest. It's a yearly festival held to celebrate the success of the industries in the Delaware Marvel Maryland Palencida. Delmarva stands for the three state producers, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. And the star of the show was the giant frying pan, which is about six feet in diameter, filled with boiling oil and cooking massive amounts of chicken.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Right. Yes, love this one. For a refreshing twist on traditional gazpacho, I've paired those fresh garden flavors with tender chicken. I remember how thrilled I was when I was selected as a finalist in the Delmarva chicken cooking contest. It was an absolute thrill when I received that phone call and she said, You're a finalist. I thought, out of all the hundreds and hundreds of recipes, my little gazpacho chicken came up.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

It was one of the recipes from the 13 Original Colonies, which is serviced by the Delmarva industry, and picked for the contest.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

It was. And I remember calling you on the phone and telling you how excited I was and thrilled because they had so many, and I couldn't believe they had actually picked my recipe to be in the contest. And then, of course, we won a trip to go to the contest to actually cook the recipe there, and you were able to go too. Yes. And we had so much fun there. I couldn't believe people were walking around and they were asking me all kinds of questions, and I almost felt like a pseudo celebrity being there. They were taking my picture with the chicken recipe. I mean, it it was just so much fun to be there. And then, of course, when they had the judging, all right, I was thrilled when they selected it as one of the prize-winning recipes in the Delmar chicken cooking contest. That was thrilling. I mean, I won money, of course, okay, and lots of household items and things like that. I had never ever been so excited, I think, in my whole life.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

And they invited you to a breakfast the next day with the winning recipes.

SPEAKER_01 5:53

I know, what a thrill.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

Right, and they had a chef out there cooking for us.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Well, I'm sure people want to know what this recipe was and how it came about. I really loved making gazpacho. And I love the flavors of that and how really wonderful and fresh they are. So I actually combined both things, the gazpacho soup and chicken, and put them together. And I figured nice warm chicken, cold gazpacho seems to go real well, cold and hot, you know. So anyway, I found out I not only loved it, but the judges loved it too, because they said, hey, this went two ways.

unknown 6:43

All right.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Warm the chicken and chilled on the side, served over the chicken. So it's savory, great, great, great for summer gatherings.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

And I confirm that it always makes dinner special too. And I can remember our excitement when they called you up on the stage. Hey, hey!

SPEAKER_01 7:01

I was out in the audience cheering. Oh, fun, what fun. Now for something fun and smoky. Cornhusk grilled cream cheese relish with smoky bagels.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

This one is so cool, Gloria. You grilled the cream cheese right in the corn husk. And I did it right on our grill as I was grilling the other veggies. What fun!

SPEAKER_01 7:26

That's right. The corn husk made a beautiful presentation and gives everything a lovely smoky flavor. You spoon it on toasted bagels with fresh peppered corn relish, and you've got straight from the farm deliciousness.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

I'm really looking forward to the grilled carrots with that yogurt, honey, tahini dressing. Tell our listeners what makes this recipe special, Gloria.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

These special multicolored carrots bring a rainbow to your plate. Grill them with a nice char and sweetness, then finish them with a creamy, sweet, savory dressing. It creates that I love it moment every single time.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

It sounds healthy but feels indulgent. Grate it as a side or size it up for a main dish. The bonus is that you can grill the carrots or even just roast them. And I remember Richard and his wife, our neighbors, uh coming here for a dinner party. And after he went home, he really must have liked the carrots because he made them at home.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

I couldn't believe that when we met him and he said, I love that recipe. I love it, I love it. I said, Which recipe? Rich, and he said, the carrots. I'm going, the carrots? Somehow you wouldn't think carrots would be the star of the show, would you?

SPEAKER_00 8:55

That one is part against salmon, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:57

No, you wouldn't think so, would you? But guess what? Every time I serve it, that's exactly what happens. So, folks, you know, if you want to put something out, these the carrots are the thing to make. Don't worry, make them using cooked salmon. Either way, they are absolutely delicious.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

You know, I noticed that guests couldn't stop eating them until the plate was empty. The bonus is that they're so easy to make. Crisp bagel chips are topped with spoonfuls of cream cheese with crab sauce. Sprinkled with light meltaway pepper, shredded cheese, and to Okay, soup for dessert. How about the wild blueberry soup with lime creme fraîche? That sounds like a real wild idea.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

It's such a refreshing and sophisticated treat. Fresh wild blueberries, bright citrus, and a hint of pumpkin pie spice, and that beautiful creme fraîche swirls right on the top. It's light, luxurious, and captures summer in every spoonful. Great for brunch or a light ending to dinner. It looks artistic too.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

If you wonder where I got the wild blueberries, Whole Foods had them in their freezer section.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Well, you know another thing, Tom, with the soup, it really should be put in a fancy glass.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

I think that's so important because when you do that, it's just so elegant. And it's easy because once you do that and you put the the blueberries in there and then you put the creme frache, then take your little toothpick and wiggle it around, just like you do when you're making coffee in a fancy shop. And it looks wonderful, and you have with very little effort.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

And you could top it off with a little cut of lime or a patch of mint.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Yes, and if you're really ambitious, you can put a little cookie on the side.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Way over the top.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Over the top, right? And for the grand finale, you have to try the hazelnut chocolate ice cream cake.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

This one is a slice of summer happiness. Cool vanilla ice cream with hazelnut cocoa spread, crunchy graham crackers, and crushed toffee bits. It's a flavor mash we have created. And once you taste it, you are hooked.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

And you know what? Most people do crave that. And it's so easy to make with the cocoa spread and graham crackers and just crushed toffee bits and ice cream, and you're just layering the whole thing so you can keep it in the freezer. And when it's hot outside, this cool, creamy dessert just hits the spot. If there's one recipe you make this summer, well, let it be this one.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Hot and spot on. Everyone hopes to pick out their favorite dish to try for this recipe basket. Don't forget to zip over to gloriagoodtaste.com to see the yummy pictures and gather up those recipes. They're free except for your ink and paper.

unknown 12:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Well, that wraps up the episode. We hope these recipes bring plenty of sunshine and good eating to your table.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Thanks for joining us, everyone.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

And remember, always put a little good taste in your life.