5 Summery Recipes for the Long Weekend

Here are five recipes for those long summer weekends when all you want to do is dip. Dip things in chips, dip your feet into the water, dip into a romance novel that’s been sitting on your bedside table since last summer. Here’s some of our favourite recipes to keep you satisfied and satiated!

INGREDIENTS
2 bunches of green onions, reserving
1 green onion for garnish
1 large red onion, cut into .-inch-thick wedges.
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1. tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp roughly chopped parsley (flat-leaf or curly)
1/4 tsp pepper
Potato chips, preferably plain, salt and pepper, or ripple, for serving
Fresh cut-up vegetables, for serving

RECIPE
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Trim off the very dark green tops of the green onions and discard. Slice the white and light green parts into 1.-inch pieces. Place the green onions on the baking sheet along with the red onion. Using your hands, toss the onions with the oil and salt. Rub everything together so the onions are well coated. Spread them out into an even layer and roast, stirring once, until tender and browned in some spots, about 22–27 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Transfer the roasted onions to a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and add the sour cream, mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, mustard, parsley, and pepper. Process until relatively, but not completely, smooth. A little texture is a good thing. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and vinegar, as needed.

Scrape the dip into a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. Garnish with the chopped green onion before serving with your desired potato chips and/or vegetables. The dip keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

INGREDIENTS
2 CUPS (500 ML) Cashew Spread
1 cup (250 mL) cashews
2 cups (500 mL) chlorine-free water
1/4 cup (60 mL) rejuvelac
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (not bottled)
1/2 tsp sea salt Flavouring
1 tsp garlic powder
tsp dried dill
tsp dried oregano
tsp dried basil

RECIPE
Soak the cashews in the water for 1–2 hours. (They soften really quickly.) Drain and transfer to a blender or a food processor, or you can use an immersion blender if you prefer. Purée the cashews with the rejuvelac, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. It will be quite thick, so feel free to add extra rejuvelac to get a smooth consistency.

Scrape the puréed cashews into a 2-cup (500 mL) jar and cover with a cloth or a coffee filter held in place with a jar ring or rubber band. Place the jar in a cupboard to ferment for 24–48 hours.

After fermenting, mix in the garlic powder and herbs. At this point, you can spoon the spread into small canning jars or ramekins that have a tight-fitting lid for easy serving. Or just cap the jar it was fermented in with an airtight lid. Store in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups ketchup
1 (5-1/2 oz/156 mL) can of tomato paste
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika (any type is fine)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper

RECIPE
Place all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir together to combine and then bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture is boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer, uncovered, and stirring occasionally, until it has the consistency of BBQ sauce, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Store any leftover maple BBQ Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

INGREDIENTS
For Fermenting
2 (each 14 oz/398 mL) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (250 mL) frozen sweet corn
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp non-iodized salt
1-1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar with mother
After Fermenting
1–2 avocados, chopped
Hot sauce

RECIPE
Mix together the beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the salt and leave to sweat for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat to bring out their flavour. Add the cumin to the vegetables, then pack the salsa into jars for fermenting. (Use whatever size of jar works for you.) Stir in the vinegar, dividing it evenly between the jars. Press everything down in the jars so that it is below the liquid, then add a weight to keep it submerged. Cap the jar with a lid and leave to ferment in a cupboard for 2–3 days. If it ferments for much longer than that, it will end up quite sour.

Fermented salsa can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Add the avocados and hot sauce right before serving. If serving the salsa all at once, add both avocados. Otherwise, just add as much avocado as you want for a smaller serving of salsa.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups Motts Clamato juice
2 oz fresh lime juice
1-1/2 oz Worcestershire sauce
1/2 oz balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 fresh garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp fresh grated horseradish
1 tsp finely minced white onion
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp celery seeds
2 Tbsp fine salt
2 Tbsp celery salt
8–12 oz vodka
4–6 stalks pickled asparagus
4–6 green olives with pimento
4–6 lime wheels

RECIPE
In a large container, mix the Clamato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire, vinegar, Tabasco, garlic, horseradish, onion, pepper, kosher salt and celery seeds. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.

When ready to serve, mix together the 2 Tbsp fine salt and 2 Tbsp celery salt in a shallow bowl. Swipe the rims of tall glasses with a lime and twist in the salt mixture. Add 2 oz of your favourite vodka to each glass and fill to the top with ice cubes. Add the Clamato mix to fill the glass. Garnish with asparagus, olives and lime wheels.