The Taste of the End of Summer

Although it will probably feel like summer for at least another two months, we are officially in the last few weeks of summer. I guess my culinary clock must be off by about three months, because this is the time of year I get the urge to brew my own iced tea and to fire up the grill (I go through a ridiculous amount of hot dogs during the months of August and September. You might want to buy stock in mustard).

The following salad is the perfect dish for this time of year: It is cool, refreshing, and makes good use of seasonal produce. Perhaps best of all, the salad takes about 5 minutes to make. The tangy fruit flavors make it a natural pairing with fish tacos, but its peppery bite would make it feel right at home next to a simple dish of pasta with olive oil and fresh sauteed veggies, especially if you substituted basil for the mint.

But as many of you know, I firmly believe that most good cooking begins with a cocktail, so let's start there.

I have been promising to post my favorite white citrus sangria recipe for a while now, but I have been putting it off because I simply can't find where it is hiding. Honestly, I haven't stressed out too much about locating it because I found a much simpler but equally delicious substitute . . .

New Age Wine

This has been a great summer for trying new wines, and I have found some lovely ones (Do yourself a favor and go buy a bottle of Hedges Family Estate's CMS White right now). However, the distinction of being named "The Wine of the Summer (and Probably the Early Fall Too)" goes to a light-hearted beauty from Argentina . . .

(view of the back of the label through the bottle . . . this one's for you Mom!)

. . . the charming New Age Wine. This crisp and slightly-effervescent blend features loads of sauvignon blanc flavor (without the bite), and is perfect for beating the heat. It has quickly become a dinner-party favorite around here (and at around $10 a bottle, what's not to like?). It is available at Spec's, World Market, and some high-end grocery stores.

My favorite way to enjoy it is as the Argentines do: With a slice of citrus! I know it sounds strange to squeeze fruit into your wine, but it is SO.DARN.GOOD. You must, must, must try it this way (Note: I am not advocating that you go around squeezing juice into all of your wines. This recommendation is limited to this particular wine). Simply pour yourself a glass of New Age and squeeze a juicy slice of ripe orange directly into the glass. Perfection! Salud!

Now you're ready to move on to the next step . . .

Cool Watermelon Salad

• One good-sized hunk of seedless watermelon (see photo)
• Two juicy limes
• Eight to ten mint leaves (washed)
• Fresh-cracked black pepper (to taste)

1. Cube the watermelon and place in bowl.
2. Roll the limes on a counter to get the juices flowing, cut them in half, and squeeze the fresh lime juice over the cubed watermelon.
3. Rough-chop the mint leaves, discarding the stems.
4. Add 2/3 of the mint leaves to the watermelon. Toss gently.
5. Transfer to serving platter or bowl.
6. Using a pepper mill, crack black pepper over the watermelon in the desired amount. (Note: I normally use the amount of pepper from 5 turns of my pepper mill)
7. Garnish with the remaining chopped mint.
8. Serve immediately. (Note: You can cube the watermelon the day before, but the rest of the steps should wait until close to serving time if possible. The salad is best eaten soon after it is made, but it will last through the next day if kept covered and refrigerated)

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE END-OF-SUMMER FLAVORS . . . WHAT ARE YOURS?