Piment d'Espelette Pan de Tomate

Tomato season is here! And this recipe is a wonderfully simple way to make pantry staples shine. While all spices are special, Piment d'Espelette has the terroir of Basque country. This rare chile is only grown and cultivated in the Espelette commune in France's Nive Valley. Espelette pepper is similar to a red hatch chile and is traditionally used for fish stews or as a black pepper substitute in dishes. We took sliced ciabatta and smothered the toast in grated heirloom tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil to make a perfect bite. Finish it off with a sprinkle of Fleur de Sel and Piment d'Espelette for a pop of flavor.Piment d'Espelette is one of the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) products which France certifies as having the true terroir of the region. This spice is as genuine as champagne from the Champagne region of France or Roquefort from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It doesn't get more time-honored than this!

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Gluten-Free Fennel Ricotta Tomato Tart

Every little bite of this delicious tart screams summertime. The beautiful, bright flavors and buttery crust can be enjoyed either hot or cold. The peppery, gluten-free crust requires no rolling. It comes together easily with parmesan cheese. We filled the tart with a spinach and ricotta mixture, seasoned with our Italian Sausage Mix. Don't let the name mislead you, there's no sausage to be found in this mix but rather kickin' red chile flakes, black pepper, fennel seed, basil, oregano, and other Italian classics.To bejewel the tart, sprinkle some halved heirloom cherry tomatoes and little dollops of goat cheese. Bake this tart until golden brown. Make it extra special by sprinkling some fennel pollen before serving your wedge. Fennel Pollen is delicate, sweet and fragrant and compliments the bursts of tomato perfectly.Fennel Pollen on before baking or if the tart is still very hot — its flavor is heat sensitive! One of our favorite things about fennel pollen is how the fennel flavor is so forward yet somehow light and delicate. It makes for an excellent garnish and an elegant flavor enhancement.

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Creole Breakfast Corn Bread

Sunday brunch just got a down-home makeover and it is delicious! Cajun and creole seasonings offer bold bites of flavor on top of this quick and easy cornbread. As with many good things, it begins with bacon and ends with runny eggs in a flavorful breakfast hash. Perfect for a laid back Sunday morning, this dish is not fussy. Cook up some crispy bacon and caramelized onions to start, bake the cornbread in the same pan, then complete the hash with bitter greens and cherry tomatoes for little bursts of flavor. The whole skillet gets jazzed up with our Creole Spice. and broiled to finish. Topped off with runny eggs, the whole dish just comes together beautifully. Serve alongside a Voodoo Bloody Mary and laissez les bon temps rouler!

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Savory White Bean Soup

Creamy white beans, aromatic savory and perfectly cooked vegetables make this rustic soup a mid-winter delight. With a nod to the upcoming Mardi Gras season we've brightened the dish with Bay Leaf & Black Pepper Meyer Lemon Paste. The soup is a quick cook and makes the perfect weeknight dinner. It is best served right away to enjoy the bright colors and healthy texture of the vegetables alongside your favorite loaf of crusty bread.

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Goulash

Goulash is a big bowl of comfort! We used Hungarian Paprika and Caraway Seed to make this rich tomato beef stew. Hungarian Paprika is bright and mildly sweet, while the Caraway Seed is nutty and earthy. Both of these serve as an excellent base to bring out the hearty flavors of the beef and the tomato's umami character. When you're looking for something rich and flavorful, goulash is a perfect answer. This meal is made of kitchen staples, which is perfect for when you have no idea what to cook. Chances are, you've got most of the ingredients already on hand! Goulash is delicious with your carb of choice. Potatoes, pasta, rice or root vegetables all work equally well. For our photo-shoot, we used egg noodles as a family favorite.

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Grilled Polenta and Vegetables Provencal

Summer = grill = good times. Especially when it comes to fresh vegetables. Throwing your vegetables onto a hot grill gives them that "je ne sais quoi" you can't get any other way. And when you add a touch of our Provencal Seasoned Salt, well, it's enough to make the most reluctant veggie eater sit up and take notice. The bright, lively flavors of this seasoning salt can turn the most mundane zucchini and eggplant into a French-inspired masterpiece. Now, those nice crispy veggies need somewhere to bed down, so why not throw a firm piece of creamy, luscious polenta, also spiked with Provencal Seasoned Salt, onto the grill with them? The Provencal Seasoned Salt, featuring a blend of fennel, garlic, chervil, tarragon and other spices carries beautifully throughout the dish. There you have it, a perfectly matched set. This easy method for cooking polenta comes to us from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. Adding a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water serves to soften the outside of the polenta grains, allowing them to quickly break down and release their starch, eliminating the need to stand over a hot stove, stirring constantly for 25 minutes. What's not to like about that?

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Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Fra Diavolo translates as “Brother Devil”, and refers to this spicy, tomato and seafood-based pasta dish. The tomato sauce is light, perfect for spring and the Marash Chile Flakes add a mellow heat with well rounded flavor that plays perfectly with the sweetness in the vegetables. The gentle, warming heat increases upon reheating, so keep that in mind if you’re planning for leftovers.I’ve been making this dish for many years, but only recently came across a technique that really helps bump up the flavor. More advanced cooks are well aware of how to coax the maximum amount of flavor from shrimp by utilizing the peeled shells, and now I do the same. It’s really not that difficult, and it’s amazing the difference it makes to the dish. Most Fra Diavolo recipes call for a long noodle such as linguine or spaghetti, but I prefer a corkscrew-shaped pasta, or any other shape with crevices that can capture and hold onto the sauce. Regular or gluten-free pasta works equally well here.

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The Day After: Turkey in Mole Olé Sauce

November 23rd. The morning after. As the food coma fades, we find ourselves fridge-gazing at the thought of any more mashed potatoes. The traditional flavors of the season have begun to seem dull and we ask ourselves a question mankind has pondered since the dawn of time: How can we jazz up the leftovers?Enter the mole! This hearty sauce using our Mole Olé blend satisfies the craving for an exotic departure from standard fall flavors and transforms your leftovers into a delicious new dish too easy to believe. Make it a day or two before the marathon holiday cooking begins so that it's all ready to combine with leftover shredded turkey on Thanksgiving Friday. Use it to stuff enchiladas, wet burritos smothered in more of the glorious sauce, or as a filling for tacos.

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Shawarma Chicken Salad

Shawarma Chicken Salad brings exotic taste to a familiar recipe. Our Shawarma Spice boasts powerful flavor that mimics spit roasted goodness at its best, and grilled chicken is a delicious way to enjoy it. We've been grilling so much I found myself with leftovers and this happy accident was born. The shawarma chicken salad combines all the great flavors of a sandwich, but without the bread. For this salad we chose to keep it light, but add hot sauce and olives if you like those, or a side car of hummus to round out the meal.

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