A Summer Debut of Delicious Fruits and Vegetarian Dishes
Core Tip: Summer is the peak season for gourds and melons. These vegetables are staples on the Chinese dining table, but a Western-style approach can reveal a wider range of appearances and flavors.
Following trends without being blindly food-focused—if you are a modern gourmet, this is always the right path. Haven't you noticed? The popular ingredients in the food world are increasingly heading towards a healthier route. Delicious is the first level, but being delicious and beneficial to your health is the true path of modern cuisine.
The Return of Vegetarianism
According to predictions, healthy ingredients, simple cooking, and跨界 (cross-border) fusion are all the rage. In comparison, the return trend of vegetarianism is more eye-catching. The vegetarianism mentioned here is not the traditional kind of the past, which was overcooked, over-seasoned, and monotonous in presentation. Instead, it's a new wave of vegetarianism that uses various innovative cooking methods to restore the natural flavors of ingredients. Eggplants and gourds are the "pioneers" of this return.
Today's vegetarianism means not just less fat, but also more flavor. With technological development, people's understanding of vegetarianism has become clearer. Strict veganism has been replaced by more flexible and diverse vegetarian approaches.
If vegetarians once gave the impression of being old-fashioned or even conservative, in today's nature-loving society, more and more people are beginning to realize that a moderate amount of vegetarian food can make the body healthier, refreshed, and more vibrant. Vegetarians are now labeled with a mark of quality of life and trendiness.
The new season's flavor trends offer new recommendations for vegetarian cooking techniques and textures, letting people know that vegetarian food can also be "stunning." This is not only thanks to the strong endorsement of chefs but also the important role of high-quality seasonal ingredients and a thriving fresh market.
Summer is the peak season for gourds and melons. These vegetables are staples on the Chinese dining table, but a Western-style approach can reveal a wider range of appearances and flavors—can you imagine the combination of a rich-textured eggplant with honey and fiery harissa sauce? A full-bodied flavor and versatile character are another interpretation of these vegetables. Just as at a launch event, a chef from McCormicks cooked a "Colorful Squash Salad with Thai-style Red Curry Vinaigrette," which, using only vinaigrette and crispy bacon bits and no cooking, provided inspiration for a summer salad.
Gourds Take Center Stage
Method: Select 1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled and seeded. Place it in a blender with 1/2 teaspoon each of olive oil, honey, ground celery seeds, ground coriander seeds, minced garlic, and salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder. Blend until smooth to create the honey harissa sauce.
Select 1 large eggplant and slice it lengthwise into 12 to 16 pieces. Brush the eggplant slices with oil, season, and roast in the oven until soft. Using a cake ring, layer the eggplant slices, bell pepper pieces, and goat cheese to make an eggplant cheese tart. Chill it in the refrigerator and serve with the honey harissa sauce for dipping.
Review: Tunisian harissa sauce is one of the most addictive sauces in the world. In North Africa, especially Tunisia, it is a star food that people eat with every meal. The eggplant itself is a simple ingredient, but when paired with the honey harissa sauce, it gains a vibrant color and a full-bodied flavor, which is refreshing.
Colorful Squash Salad
Method: Whisk together 2 tablespoons each of brown sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar, Thai red curry paste, and fish sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder to make the Thai-style red curry vinaigrette.
Pan-fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy, pat dry the grease, and crumble it. Select 2 yellow zucchini and 2 green zucchini, and 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into long, thin ribbons. Arrange on a plate, drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the crispy bacon bits.
Review: This simple summer salad is rich in flavor, with the key being the Thai-style red curry vinaigrette. The crispy bacon bits are also the finishing touch.