Seasons' Favorite Summer Side Dishes
Embrace summer vibes with us as we eagerly anticipate al fresco dining. With warmer weather approaching, our minds wander to the joys of backyard BBQs and picnics in the park. We have crafted five sensational seasonal side dishes to enhance your summer days using our finest Olive Oils, Vinegars, and Seasoning Blends. Join us on a culinary adventure that celebrates the vibrant flavors of the season, elevating your outdoor dining experience.
You won't miss the mayo!
Prepare to be amazed because you won't even notice the absence of mayo, not even a smidgen! These creative side dish recipes are entirely mayo-free. Let's get one thing straight: we're mayo lovers, too (especially when we whip up homemade mayo using our fantastic EVOOs and vinegar). But this time, we wanted to introduce vinaigrette-based side dishes that offer a healthier and veggie-forward twist on the classics.
Now, you may be curious about the classics we've reimagined. Prepare to be captivated by an elote-inspired corn salad, a Spanish-style potato salad, a tantalizing tomato and cucumber salad infused with vibrant North African flavors, a delightful coleslaw abundant with an array of vegetables, and a great New England-themed bean salad.
We assure you that these dishes are thoughtfully designed to entice your palate and provide a fresh perspective on traditional favorites.
Charred Corn & Watercress Salad
This delectable side salad, both savory and naturally sweet, is the perfect complement to any backyard BBQ or picnic feast. It pairs exceptionally well with saucy BBQ grilled chicken, smoky pulled pork, and seafood delights like grilled shrimp and salmon. The vinaigrette is the harmonious element that ties together all the ingredients in this salad.
We incorporate tart Apple Cider Vinegar and Spicy Citrus Seasoning to add heat and zest. For an explosion of flavors, our robust Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil brings forth abundant notes of black pepper, tropical fruits, and herbs. Combined with the sweetness of yellow corn, the fragrance of cilantro, and the fiery kick of red chili peppers, it creates an absolute symphony of flavors in your mouth.
Try our delicious "alternative to mayo" potato salad that is sure to impress. Inspired by the flavors of Ajo Blanco, a Spanish soup, we have transformed it into a delightful potato salad dressing. Blanched almonds, garlic, sherry vinegar, EVOO, and broth blend to create a creamy and flavorful dressing. We use Pedro Ximenez Sherry Vinegar and South African Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil to enhance its taste, infusing the salad with exceptional flavors.
South Africa, the 5th largest olive producer in the Southern Hemisphere, has gained recognition for their top-quality EVOOs. Our South African Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil, with its medium green hue, offers a pleasant touch of pungency, balanced by mild bitterness and ripe, delicate fruitiness. In addition, its beautiful flowery aroma adds to the sensory experience. This new oil from the Mission variety is genuinely spectacular.
Our Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar from Jerez, Spain, brings a sweet, savory, and tangy element to the salad. It boasts remarkable complexity with rich aromas reminiscent of dates, figs, and sun-dried raisins. Aged in American oak casks, it acquires a dark mahogany color and a smooth yet intense woody flavor. It pairs exquisitely with any of our EVOOs, creating a harmonious combination of flavors.
Moroccan Cucumber & Tomato Salad
This refreshingly vibrant side salad is chock-full of flavor. The Moroccan Seasoning is a sweet and savory combination of cinnamon, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, allspice, nutmeg, sumac, cardamom, cumin, and coriander. This spice blend is a surprisingly scrumptious ingredient paired with cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Serve this salad alongside any summer main, it really is a versatile side. We love this salad served alongside burgers, grilled chicken breast, sausages, tuna steaks, or marinated tofu.
This new harvest EVOO comes from northern Spain. A moderately intense olive oil, Arbosana is refreshingly crisp, with tantalizing notes of green apple, herbs, cinnamon, and mint, complemented by hints of ripe apple and a buttery essence. Our Vinoso Wine Vinegar is made using the famed Barbaresco grapes creating a vinegar rich with aged red wine flavors and mild acidity.
Chimichurri Coleslaw with Champagne Vinaigrette
Try our vibrant veggie coleslaw featuring a savory and sweet-tart vinaigrette seasoned with our Chimichurri Seasoning Blend. This spice blend combines paprika, black pepper, parsley, garlic, basil, lemon, oregano, thyme, and chili powder, creating a flavor-packed slaw that surpasses all others. With the addition of Champagne vinegar for elegant acidity and our beloved Arbequina EVOO for buttery and herbaceous notes, you won't even miss the mayo.
Experience the excellence of our award-winning Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which secured the gold medal at the esteemed New York International Olive Oil Competition. It's the perfect choice for professional chefs and home cooks alike, boasting low bitterness and pungency while perfectly complementing a variety of dishes. In addition, this oil delights with sweet aromas and abundant fruitiness, reminiscent of green apples and tropical fruits.
Indulge in our Champagne Wine Vinegar, directly sourced from the Champagne region of France. Its smooth and elegant taste makes it the ideal everyday vinegar, elevating your culinary creations with finesse.
Indulge in our summer-inspired seaside bean salad, inspired by our Nantucket Seasoning Blend. Green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas are generously seasoned in a vinaigrette crafted with our special seasoning blend, Sherry Reserva Wine Vinegar, and Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Roasted red peppers, garlic, and capers infuse a briny aroma, while the blend's rosemary, sea salt, and citrus peel deliver a zesty and herbaceous burst of flavor. Join us for a delightful and refreshing culinary experience!
Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a robust oil that will liven up any food with its perfect balance of high fruitiness, medium bitterness, and strong pungency~including this boastful bean salad. Sherry Reserva is a barrel aged sherry vinegar produced in Cadiz, in southwestern Spain. It has deep woody, oaky and herbaceous flavors that gives any dish a touch of invigorating acidity.
Make these mouthwatering recipes your go-to creations for outdoor gatherings this summer. Whether you're hosting a lively backyard BBQ, planning a relaxing picnic in the park, or enjoying a leisurely day at the beach, these dishes will add a burst of flavor to your outdoor feasts. Let the delightful combination of our finest Olive Oils, Vinegars, and Seasoning Blends transport you to a culinary paradise where every bite is a celebration of summer's bounty. So gather your loved ones, embrace the warm sunshine, and create unforgettable memories as you savor these sensational dishes amidst the beauty of nature. This summer, let your outdoor gatherings become moments of culinary delight that will be cherished for years.