Summer Produce and Fourth of July Recipes on Indy Style

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Summertime brings us some great produce! Earlier today on Indy Style, I used some summer produce to demonstrate two trendy recipes and one summery adult beverage you can make for your Fourth of July celebrations.

Pickled produce is a current popular food trend. But you don’t have to follow traditional canning methods to pickle your produce. In my first segment on Indy Style, I demonstrated how to make pickled cherries in the refrigerator.

 

Refrigerator pickled cherries from The Produce Mom
This pickled cherries recipe is courtesy of our partner Sage Fruit.

Step 1 – Add equal parts water and apple cider vinegar to a saucepan on the stove. Add pickling spice, orange peel, and brown sugar to taste.
Step 2 – Heat the mixture and let it reduce for about 10 minutes.
Step 3 – In a mason jar, add Vidalia onion petals and pitted cherries. Add more spices if you’d like, such as mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks, and any other spice you prefer.
Step 4 – Pour the hot liquid over the cherries, onion, and spices in the mason jar. Screw on the lid and put the jar in the refrigerator. The more time the cherries spend in the fridge, the deeper their flavor will be.

Pickled cherries currently are served with the charcuterie platters at Mario Batali’s Eataly in Chicago. Pickled cherries – made famous by Mario Batali, made easy by Sage Fruit!

 

In my second segment, I talked about watermelon, one of my favorite summer fruits. If you struggle with choosing the perfect watermelon, use these tried and true tips. Pick a watermelon that is heavy for its size. And in addition to dark green skin on top, look for a contrasting creamy yellow spot on the bottom. This shows that the watermelon is perfectly sun-ripened!

After choosing the perfect watermelon, it’s time to try a new recipe for your upcoming Independence Day celebration – a vodka watermelon cocktail!

Step 1 – Add watermelon chunks and rind into a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it’s pureed.
Step 2 – Add ice to a blender.
Step 3 – Add the pureed watermelon over the ice in the blender. Pour your desired amount of vodka into the blender.
Step 4 – Blend the mixture then pour it into a glass. You can add soda water to make it a sparkling drink!

 

I finished by demonstrating another food trend – overnight oats!

Step 1 – Add about 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats (not quick oats) to a mason jar.
Step 2 – Add about 1/2 cup of your favorite milk to the mason jar. You also can use almond milk or even yogurt. Screw on the lid and put the jar in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 3 – In the morning, stir the oats and milk. Add your favorite toppings, like fresh fruit, nuts, and even maple syrup. (Check out some of my favorite flavor combinations for overnight oats.) Then enjoy!

 

I really enjoyed my time with Tracy and Amber this morning. Watch for me on Indy Style next month!

xoxo Lori

About Lori

Lori Taylor is the Founder & CEO of The Produce Moms. For ten years she sold fresh produce to over 300 grocery stores throughout the United States, and today she is fully focused on working with the produce supply chain, media, and government to increase fresh produce access & consumption in the US and around the globe. Connect with Lori on LinkedIn.

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