Mesquite Flour

The summer season offers an abundance of delicious vegetables, fruits and herbs. Preparing meals during this wonderful season presents unlimited possibilities to prepare easily digestible. This is particularly important for those who suffer from acid reflux.

The tomato, which many regard as the result of the perfect summer, has long given a bad reputation. Considered acidic in nature, many people suffering from acid reflux avoid tomatoes like the plague. When tomatoes are cooked slowly to produce a thick sauce, they become very acidic. When served raw in their natural state tomatoes, however, are soft and alkaline.

My recipe of all time favorite tomato is very simple and easy to prepare. Made with sliced tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil, it is known in Italy as a Caprese salad (in the style of Capri). He is the starter listed below for my favorite summer meals.

Outdoor cooking is a traditional American summer. It is liberating for out of the kitchen for cooking and cleaning is much easier. My favorite dish of the summer is chicken. I bought a "natural" birds initially. I then butterfly it by cutting near the spine of the tail to the neck, turn it over and press down, dry with paper towels and season. This is a much more enjoyable than cooking chicken parts in bulk.

I live in a log cabin atop a mountain in a rural area of Pennsylvania. Because we have so many bear and other creatures who share our love of outdoor cooking, we restrict activities on the deck with a Weber gas grill with a lid. To create the flavor of a real forested traditional barbecue, we use one of these boxes of metal shavings timber filled with oak, hickory or mesquite. The oak is free. twigs and branches falling from trees in the backyard. I mix these together to produce a wood smoke flavor unique. I call this technique of cooking "Grill-a-Quing, because you are combining with barbecue grill and smoking.

Of course, the chicken can be cooked in traditional fashion on charcoal. The secret is to start with high heat to seal the bird. When the fat begins to burn, the heat must be reduced to low. The goal is to keep the juices while making the skin very crispy. It's easier to control when you use a gas grill with a cover.

At three and a half to four pounds may take up to two hours to cook completely. While the chicken is cooked slowly filling the air with tantalizing flavors have time to make final arrangements for dinner. When the chicken is cooked, it is crispy outside and tender and juicy inside. It is almost impossible to resist eating the skin. I've always just a little piece of skin from the thigh to satisfy this desire. I present to you butterfly the chicken on a cutting board and serving portions on demand. If you can not separate with your fingers, then he has not cooked enough.

I serve the chicken with a garden salad, using as ingredients as possible. We grow vegetables and herbs on the bridges in large terracotta pots. It is very convenient to just leave the French doors on the deck and harvest what you need for the salad while the bird is cooking.

If you want carbs, make a simple pasta primavera with vegetables using penne or even orzo. Mix oil, vinegar and fresh herbs like oregano and set aside. This dish is perfect served at room temperature.

To complete this meal, I want to serve a simple dessert featuring fruits of any season. Local berries or ripe peaches are always delicious. I want to serve over lemon pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream. In Pennsylva.