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This summer absolutely flew by! I tried some amazing recipes and plan to make quite a few of these for our end of summer Labor Day BBQ.
Drinks
Aqua Fresca in Spanish literally translates to “fresh water”. I think this is an excellent alternative to lemonade or iced tea! Get the recipe from Girl Meets Nourishment.
Kombucha-rita
If you want a more adult drink, this is my personal favorite! You can really mix it up with various kombucha flavors. My latest favorite is ginger.
Check out Whole Green Love‘s recipe here.
Red Wine Sangria with Black Cherry & Honey
I love Sangria and this recipe makes great use of local and in season produce including black cherries, peaches and plums.
Check out The Rising Spoon‘s recipe here.
Other Ideas
Mojitos from Our Nourishing Roots
Raw Honey Sweetened Hibiscus Tea from The Rising Spoon
Herbaltini from Rubies & Radishes
Nettle Mint Iced Tea from Real Food Outlaws
Appetizers
This recipe for jalapeno poppers is deliciously spicy and perfect for using up your jalapeno pepper harvest! Get the recipe here.
Watermelon Feta Bites
This simple recipe looks so elegant and refreshing! You can even use basil or arugula for the ‘green’ in this recipe.
Check out Honey, Ghee & Me‘s recipe here.
Polenta Bruschetta
What a great idea for those of us who cannot eat gluten! I love this idea to build a bruschetta on ‘polenta’!
Check out The Kitchen Rag‘s recipe here.
Other Ideas
Roasted Chickpea Snack from 20 Something Allergies
Cheesy Eggplant Chips from ME!
Babaganoush Dip from ME!
Salads
This summer salad combined fresh tomatoes, arugula and peaches! This will please even the kiddos. Get the recipe here.
Sweet and Sour Fermented Coleslaw
This is not your typical coleslaw! Using sauerkraut as your coleslaw base will give you an incredible side for any BBQ.
Check out my recipe here.
Baby Broccoli Salad
This salad will bring a nice veggie crunch to your menu. I love the use of bacon and mayo – this will be a crowd pleaser and is really simple to pull together.
Check out the Hollywood Homestead‘s recipe here.
Other Ideas
Sweet and Sour Kale Salad from Hollywood Homestead
Grilled Ratatouille from Learning and Yearning
Heirloom Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Salad from The Rising Spoon
Potato Salad from Real Food Outlaws
Main Dishes
This spice rub goes great on chicken or lamb. Just rub it on about an hour before cooking and then grill as usual. Check out my recipe here.
BBQ Grilled Chicken
This BBQ chicken is so tasty! You have got to try this marinade and my special technique for a nice crispy skin. Find my recipe here.
Check out my recipe here.
Clams and Corn on the Grill
Are you a seafood lover? Then you have got to try this recipe. So unusual for us in landlocked areas but sounds amazing!
Check out the Learning and Yearning‘s recipe here.
Other Ideas
Peach BBQ Wings from Ditch the Wheat
Grilled Summer Steak and Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce from We Got Real
Hidden Liver Burgers from Hollywood Homestead
Grilled Kabobs from ME!
Grilled Balsamic Shrimp Kabobs from Real Food Forager
Grilled Orange Drumsticks from Nourishing Minimalism
Don’t Forget the CONDIMENTS!
I cannot really serve anything without my amazing homemade Ranch Dressing. This is a MUST! Get the recipe here.
Fermented Ketchup
Another must have in our kitchen at all times is my fermented ketchup.
Check out the recipe here.
Mustard
This mustard rocks with pretty much any chicken recipe.
Check out the recipe here.
Other Ideas
Maple Cider BBQ Sauce from ME!
Homemade Sriracha Sauce from Healthy Green Kitchen
Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce from Mommypotamus
Bacon and Bone Broth BBQ Sauce from Real Food RN
Desserts
For me, ice cream is the perfect way to end the summer with a final bang. I am partial to my vanilla flavor. Check out the recipe here.
Blueberry Peach Cobbler
And what better dessert to add vanilla ice cream to?
Check out Girl Meets Nourishment‘s recipe here.
Beet Chocolate Cake
Always a favorite and a great way to use up a lot of beets when you would rather eat something sweet!
Check out my recipe here.
Other Ideas
Kombucha Popsicles from Hollywood Homestead
Grilled Peaches w/Lemon-Mascarpone Filling from Honey, Ghee & Me
Coconut Popsicles from the Coconut Mama
Raw Lemon Pie Bars from Good Girl Gone Green
Banana Cream Pie from Real Food Outlaws
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