Late summer surprises

Simply put, some of our favorite foods taste best in late summer. Though we'd love to eat great peaches and pears all year round, they're 100-times better when served in-season during late summer. So, now's the time to buy as many as possible and use them in creative and tasty ways. Both peaches and pears can be used in sweet and savory preparations. Even without a recipe, feel free to add them to any salads you like- they'll be great.

On top of that, vegetables like broccoli and squash are peaking right now. While broccoli might be controversial- people as famous as President Bush (the first one) professed their dislike for it, it is truly delicious when cooked properly. Here, we highlight a crunchy broccoli salad from 101 Cookbooks that's sure to become a regular at your table.

Without further ado, we fired up the FoodPair recipe search engine and found a handful of great summer recipes from across the Web.

Broccoli Crunch Salad
Here's a delightfully crunchy salad that'll make everyone enjoy broccoli.
Ingredients: honey, almond, garlic, olive oil, shallot, apple, lemon juice, red onion, broccoli, almond butter

Pan-Seared Summer Squash with Basil and Lemon Vinaigrette
Summer squash comes to life when seared and served with fresh herbs.
Ingredients: summer squash, basil, olive oil, zucchini, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt

Pear-Pecorino Ravioli with Walnuts
This ravioli is a great savory use for pears.
Ingredients: Bartlett pear, Pecorino cheese, Mascarpone, parsley, fresh pasta, unsalted butter, walnuts, salt and pepper

Caribou-Poached Pears with Ice Cream
This dessert makes pears sing.
Ingredients: Anjou pear, cinnamon stick, egg, clove, sugar, nutmeg, pistachio, star anise, milk, whipping cream, fruity red wine, juniper berries, white rum

Individual Peach Tarte Tatins with Lemon Ice Cream
Peaches taste amazing in late summer and this dessert highlights their flavor
Ingredients: peach, sugar, water, unsalted butter, puff pastry, egg, Lemon Ice Cream


Let's get cooking!

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Our Guide to Camping & Eating in Style

Last week a member of the FoodPair team ventured deep into the Marble Mountain Wilderness in Northern California for a 5 days and 5 nights of outdoor adventures. He returned with a ton of great ideas for culinary camping and the title of "pancake master."

Great minds are split when it comes to summer vacation- some prefer relaxing at the beach with a piña colada and others prefer roughing it in the great outdoors. As long as you're eating well, FoodPair supports all vacation destinations. For today's post we turn our attention to camping and explain how to eat deliciously without a kitchen, fridge or farmers market.

When camping and eating, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First, you'll be carrying everything in and out, so it's important to bring things that are light and don't create a lot of garbage. Second, you need things that won't spoil after spending days buried in the depths of your pack. That means you'll be eating a lot of dried and dehydrated foods brought back to life with purified mountain water. With all the exercise you'll be getting, you'll also need a lot of snacks to avoid bonking (aka running out of energy).

1. Breakfast and Coffee

First thing in the morning you'll want a nice jolt from coffee or tea. Our advice: treat yourself right by bringing the good stuff. Tea drinkers can grab a handful of their favorite tea bags- those things are super light, after all. Coffee drinkers can reach for a good-quality instant (which are all the rage in Europe) or bring ground beans from your favorite roaster. We found enough room in our bags for an Ethiopian blend from Four Barrel in San Francisco. Even at altitude we loved the sweet and crisp flavors of citrus in our cup. We brewed the coffee with an AeroPress, a high-speed coffee maker that uses pressure to create a tasty cup of coffee in seconds.

As for food, we always crave a hearty breakfast to power us through the morning. Our favorite options are Instant Oatmeal and Pancakes. The Oatmeal is super easy- just add hot water and serve. We like some of the flavored options, but prefer plain oatmeal topped with brown sugar and raisins.

Pancakes are harder to make and take more time, but are worth it for the flavor and fun. Make sure to preheat your frying pan on the camping stove and add a little oil for each pancake. For the pancake batter, just add water to the mix and stir it up. Add a couple scoops at a time to the pan and you're ready to go. Make sure your "trail chef" pays attention to the pan to prevent burning and sticking. Top with syrup or honey and you're in business!


2. Lunch and Snacks

You'll be eating lunch and snacks out on the trail, so it's best to keep them simple and easy to assemble. For snacks, we dig trail mix kicked up with premium dried fruits like blackberries and strawberries. For a week long trip, bring three different mixes because variety equals excitement. We went with one heavy on the nuts and dried fruit, one with chocolate and one with spice. We also had some individually wrapped cheese sticks and plenty of beef jerky.

For lunch we had Mexican-American fusion: peanut butter and jelly wrapped in a flour tortilla. Apples are also good for lunch and the more you eat the less you have to carry!

3. Dinner and Dessert

By dinner time, we're ravenously hungry and want things that are quick & easy to prep. The first night we went a little upscale and had chicken & veggie fajitas from a mix we kept in a cooler during the car ride to the park. After that, we had things that could be made in a pot of boiling water- Mac & Cheese, Spanish Rice & Beans and Pasta & Marinara Sauce. We loved punching up the flavor with Hot Sauce and Bacon Salt. All those dishes are easy to make, but the revelation came in the form of dehydrated refried black beans. You can whip them up with hot water in seconds and they're a hearty and tasty addition to most dishes. We even added some to our second night of Mac & Cheese and were very happy with the results.

Dessert on the trail ain't fancy, but nearly anything tastes good after all that hiking. We made Instant Pudding by adding water to pudding mix and powdered milk. The group's favorite flavors were Chocolate and Cookies & Cream.


OK, now it's time to hit the trail!

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Summer Veggies are Hot!

Just like Kramer and Newman on Seinfeld, the FoodPair team has been fighting over the best summer produce including peaches, corn, tomatoes and eggplant. In Seinfeld's The Doodle, Macanaw Peaches were in season and like having "a circus in your mouth." While we love the explosive flavor of a perfect peach, we're just as excited for amazing heirloom tomatoes, sweet summer corn and the best eggplant.

The key to harnessing all the great summer foods is to choose recipes where the ingredients are allowed to shine. Don't worry about elaborate sauces or preparations, just pair your favorite summer veggies with a nice piece of fish, put them in a fresh salad, or use an international dish where the veggies shine like the Asian Noodles or Mexican Shrimp below.

To help you find dishes to make your favorite summer veggies sing, we fired up the FoodPair recipe search engine and found a handful of great recipes from across the Web.

Grilled Eggplant and Manchego Cheese Salad
Here's a tasty salad featuring fresh summer eggplant.
Ingredients: basil, honey, eggplant, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Manchego, black pepper, salt

Grilled Tuna with Sweet Corn Salad & Roasted Tomatoes
This well-composed dish features seasonal summer corn and tomatoes.
Ingredients: Yellowfin tuna, salt, black pepper, Sweet Corn Salad, Herb Roasted Tomatoes, Eggplant Caviar

Asian Noodle Salad with Eggplant & Snap Peas
Eggplant is the start of this great Asian salad.
Ingredients: scallion, ginger, soba, lime juice, snap peas, shiitake mushroom, hoisin, Japanese eggplant, sesame oil, lime peel

Blackened Shrimp Salad with Grilled Corn
Blackened shrimp is great with grilled summer corn.
Ingredients: cilantro, olive oil, romaine lettuce, jicama, jumbo shrimp, corn

Salmon with Fava Beans, White Corn and Mushrooms
You'll love this succotash with corn, mushrooms and beans.
Ingredients: sockeye salmon, olive oil, salt, black pepper, Fava Bean, White Corn, and Wild Mushroom Succotash (separate recipe)


Let's get cooking!

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Beat the August Heat

Summer is great, but all that heat can wear us down. Luckily, there are plenty of summer foods perfect for beating the August heat. We immediately think of Watermelons, Popsicles made from fresh Raspberries or Blueberries, and Ice Cream Floats with the great summer flavors of Root Beer and Coca Cola.

So, sit back and relax near a fan and let us show you which recipes will get you through the dog days of summer in style.

To help you find the most refreshing dishes for August, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of great recipes from across the Web.

Watermelon Ice Cubes
Now you can add watermelon ice cubes to your favorite drinks.
Ingredients: Watermelon, that's it!

Roasted Watermelon Seeds
Don't throw out those seeds! They're a classic Middle Eastern snack.
Ingredients: Watermelon Seeds, Salt, Water

Fresh Fruit in a Watermelon Bowl
Plus, you can use the watermelon as a bowl for a great fruit salad.
Ingredients: Watermelon and your favorite seasonal fruits

Triple Berry Popsicles
Nothing hits the spot like a popsicle exploding with fresh fruit.
Ingredients: Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Lemon Juice, Sugar

Honeydew-Lime Popsicles
For a more sophisticated popsicle, Honeydew and Lime are perfect.
Ingredients: Honeydew, Lime Juice, Sugar, Water


Let's get cooking!

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The Perfect Summer Picnic

Summer is our favorite season- the weather is hot and we have plenty of free time for hanging out in the park with a picnic. The perfect picnic brings together friends and family in a fun setting to enjoy great food and drink. We like to have a wide variety of things to eat from bread & cheese to deli meats to side salads to dessert and drinks. As they say, variety is the spice of life!

To help you create the perfect summer picnic menu, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of great recipes from across the Web.

Easy Cheese Plate Appetizer
A great cheese plate has a variety of cheeses and tasty accompaniments.
Ingredients: Drunken Goat Cheese, Manchego Cheese, Flavored Crackers, Blackberry Jam, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds

Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese Plate
Another great option is to pair meats and cheeses. Manchego is delicious!
Ingredients: Manchego Cheese, Serrano Ham, Olive Oil, Black Pepper

Ham and Brie Sandwich
A delicious sandwich on a baguette is a great picnic option.
Ingredients: Baguette, Black Forrest Ham, Brie Cheese, Mustard

A Dilly Potato Salad with no Mayo
This potato salad skips the mayo so you don't have to worry about it.
Ingredients: Red Potatoes, Green Beans, Olives, Celery, Onion, Vegetable Oil, White Wine Vinegar, Salt, Dill Weed, Mustard

The Lady and Sons Peach Cobbler
For dessert, try this delicious cobbler from Paula Deen.
Ingredients: Butter, Sugar, Self-Rising Flour, Milk, Peaches (Canned or Fresh), Cinnamon, Vanilla Ice Cream or Fresh Whipped Cream (for serving)


Let's get cooking!

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Making Homemade Eggs Benedict

It's a lot of fun to recreate your favorite restaurant dishes at home. That way, you can customize them with your favorite toppings without having to ask the chef's permission. Today, we're looking at our favorite brunch dish, Eggs Benedict- a classic combination of Poached Eggs, Ham and Hollandaise perched atop an English Muffin. For the non-ham eaters out there, it's fine to omit it or replace it with anything from Smoked Salmon to Spinach to Lobster. We've also seen a great recipe for making Artichokes Benedict as an appetizer for parties.

Making Eggs Benedict involves creating only two components: perfectly poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. The Ham or Canadian Bacon can be cooked in a frying pan and English Muffins need a couple minutes in the toaster. Of course, if you're feeling ambitious you can scratch-bake English Muffins using the recipe we provided below.

Poached Eggs: The key is to add a little vinegar to a pot of almost-boiling water. The vinegar helps hold the eggs together during the cooking. Also, to keep the eggs together in the water, we gently lower them into the water after first cracking them one-by-one into a small bowl or ceramic ramekin. If the entire process of poaching seems too daunting, there are plenty of cookware solutions, including this one for the microwave.

Hollandaise: making a great Hollandaise involves gently layering ingredients. First, boil lemon juice and vinegar in a small saucepan and then remove from the heat. While that's cooling, add butter to the saucepan and allow it to melt. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks with salt and pepper. Then, add the cooled lemon juice and vinegar mixture and continue stirring. Once the butter starts to foam, remove it from the heat and whisk it into the bowl with the egg yolks, lemon juice and vinegar. Voilà!

To help you create the best Eggs Benedict dish ever, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of great recipes from across the Web.

Classic Eggs Benedict
This classic eggs benedict brings it all together.
Ingredients: egg, butter, vinegar, English muffins, Hollandaise

Hollandaise Sauce
Making Holandaise is easier than you think- it only takes 10 minutes!
Ingredients: egg, butter, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, white wine vinegar

Easy Poached Eggs
With a little practice, you'll be poaching eggs like a pro!
Ingredients: egg, vinegar

English Muffins
Now you can bake English Muffins at home.
Ingredients: butter, salt, water, bread flour, instant yeast, semolina

Home Fries
Pair your Benedict with classic home fries.
Ingredients: onion, salt, black pepper, canola oil, Russet potato


Let's get cooking!

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Celebrating Bastille Day with French Classics

July 14th is Bastille Day, the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison which marked the beginning of the French Revolution.

To celebrate Bastille Day and all the French contributions from the chateau to democracy to the souffle, we've assembled a classic French menu that everyone will enjoy. Home cooks should practice French dishes because many form the basis of the best dishes we've ever eaten.

To help you find the best French dishes, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of great recipes from across the Web.

Celery Root Bisque with Thyme Croutons
Celebrate with this great version of French bisque.
Ingredients: shallot, butter, celery, thyme, whipping cream, chicken broth, Russet potato


Mustard-Roasted Chicken (with Warm Frisée Salad)
There's nothing like a juicy roasted chicken.
Ingredients: garlic, olive oil, chicken, rosemary, thyme, sage, Dijon mustard, Italian parsley

Garlic Truffle Fries
Classic French frites are enhanced by garlic and truffle oil.
Ingredients: garlic, truffle oil, parsley, Russet potato, cooking oil, truffle salt

Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots
Haricots Vert are fantastic with shallots & bacon.
Ingredients: bacon, green bean, shallot, butter

Dark Chocolate & Lime Souffles
Make shave ice at home and top it with great Hawaiian ingredients!
Ingredients: egg, sugar, salt, whipping cream, semi-sweet chocolate, lime juice, bittersweet chocolate, lime peel


Now it's time to cook and eat!

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.