Summer Seasoning Sauces Jerk Paste

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, large chop
2 cups scallions, large chop
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground Jamaican allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3-5 hot peppers*
1 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Blend everything in a food processor to make a rough cut paste. Store in a glass container ONLY and refrigerate. Paste will keep up to three months. Jerk works well with meats, poultry and fish. Marinate meats from a minimum of 8 hours to a maximum of overnight. Poultry 4 hours to 8 hours. Fish no longer than 1 hour for optimum flavor penetration. *Choose peppers according to your palate. Jalapenos are the mildest and scotch bonnets/habeneros are the hottest. A rule to remember is the thinner the pepper skin, the hotter the pepper. Discarding the membranes and seeds of a pepper also decreases its intensity. Makes 3-4 cups

Red Wine Marinade

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dry red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, julienne
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS

Combine and then whisk all ingredients in a bowl. This marinade is good for any cut of meat that needs tenderizing. Marinate the meat in plastic zip bags and turn bag over periodically to insure thorough flavor penetration. Raw onions and scallions (green onions) also tenderize tougher cuts of meat by themselves. Makes 3 cups

Fresh Herb Marinade

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups good quality olive oil
5-8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tablespoon each of any fresh herbs
you can find -- thyme, oregano,
tarragon, basil, rosemary. Whatever,
whichever. Dried herbs work well also.
Decrease to 1 teaspoon each if using dried herbs.

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together and slather all over your fresh vegetables that you want to grill. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR VEGETABLES WHOLE. Do not cut, slice or mutilate in any manner until they are fully grilled. Grilling your vegetables whole allows their natural juices and flavors to infuse throughout the food while grilling, yielding a fuller flavored vegetable. Slicing your veggies, putting oil and herbs on them and then grilling yields a bland, tasteless result. This marinade also works well with fish especially scallops and shrimp. Makes 1 1/2 cups

Basic Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon orange juice concentrate OR
4 Tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine and whisk all ingredients. This dressing is great for pasta salads, rice and vegetable salads, cole slaws and bean salads. For pasta salads, increase the mustard slightly, let marinate no more than 30 minutes and eat in one sitting. Pasts will continue to absorb the liquid thereby turning the pasta mushy over extended periods of time. Makes 1 1/2 cups

Pesto

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
3/4 cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Store pesto with 1/4 inch layer of oil on top in tightly sealed container. Keeps for up to 6 months. Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups