The wonderful vegetables and fruits in our gardens are just right for making tasty sauces for the upcoming Labor Day holiday. Nothing tastes better than a wonderful sauce on just the right dish. Try a few of these for your barbecue or picnic.

CORN RELISH SALSA
 
 Ingredients:

  • 3 ears of corn on the cob
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 jalapeno pepper (center removed, finely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup red onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 cups chopped red, yellow, or green pepper
  • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

    Instructions:

  • Remove husks from the corn, then roast on a hot grill, rotating the corn with tongs as it cooks.
  • In a separate pan, combine sugar and vinegar and cook until it reaches soft ball stage.
  • Cut the roasted corn off the cobs, add it to the vinegar mixture along with the other ingredients.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the corn is tender.
  • Serve cold with grilled fish or meats.

Yield: About 4 cups.

 

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 whole red peppers
  • 4 tablespoons hot water
  • 1 teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup cream

Instructions:

  • Cut the red peppers in half and remove the seeds. Grill or bake at 300°F for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted.
  • Remove the skin, then dice the peppers and place them in a blender or food processor.
  • Dissolve the bouillon granules in hot water and add it to the peppers.
  • Puree the mixture, then slowly add the cream, blending until smooth.

Serving Tip: This sauce is fantastic with grilled scallops, shrimp, or chicken, or as a topping for sandwiches.

Yield: About 1 cup.

 

Peach Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup simple syrup (see recipe below)
  • 4 fresh peaches (peeled and stones removed)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

  • Boil the simple syrup, then add the peaches and lemon juice, cooking until the peaches soften.
  • Puree the mixture for a smooth, flavorful sauce.

Serving Tip: This sauce is excellent over cakes, or try it with pork loin, orange roughy, or halibut.

Yield: About 2 cups.

Simple Syrup (for Peach Sauce)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions:

  • Boil the water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.
  • Let the syrup cool.

Tip: Perfect for drizzling over cakes or ice cream.

 

Roughing It Easy

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