Summer The Flourishing Times

This is a double serving of cantaloupe and cucumber summer salad. The recipe of cucumber, cantaloupe, lemon basil and red onion come together on wooden bowls. A wooden spoon and fresh lemon basil frame the image

Cantaloupe & Cucumber Summer Salad

By Brandi McRill / June 16, 2021 / 0 Comments

This refreshing summer salad will delight your taste buds without spending hours in the kitchen!

This is a birds eye view of our refreshing vegetarian summer salad loaded with Chick Peas and avocado.

ChickPea & Avocado Summer Salad

By Brandi McRill / January 25, 2021 / 0 Comments

A friend and I recently met at a local chain, Fadi’s Mediterranean, and I fell IN LOVE with their ChickPea & Avocado salad. I discovered Fadi’s years ago. I needed a quick lunch and was curious about Mediterranean food. When I walked in, my mouth hit the floor…several feet of beautifully colored salads, meats & […]

This is a blue bowl filled with Red Bell Pepper Dressing and Marinade. The sauce is adorned with a few fresh basil leaves. The bowl sits on top of the blue and white kitchen towel, with a raw red bell, fresh basil and a wooden spoon to make the image more aesthetically appealing.

Red Bell Pepper Dressing/ Marinade

By Brandi McRill / July 29, 2020 / 0 Comments

Who doesn’t LOVE Red Bell Peppers? They are loaded with antioxidants, packed with Vitamins A & C and seem to be a great source of B6, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and folate. Did I mention that they taste AMAZING? Even non-veggie lovers can’t resist the sweet crunch of red bell peppers. Honestly, I’m not a […]

This is a charcuterie style platter of Salad Nicoise.

Farm Fresh Salad Nicoise

By Brandi McRill / July 22, 2020 / 2 Comments

I don’t even remember the first time I heard of this fancy salad, to be honest. I always RUINED the name until I realized how incredibly easy it was to pronounce… Salad Nicoise??? Say it with me now…Salad Nee- Swaz. Salad Nee-Swaz. Salad Nicoise. See, easy peasy! What is Salad Nicoise? This delightful salad originated […]

Birds Eye View of Verde BBQ in a mason jar and blue and white checkered towel in the background.

Verde BBQ Sauce

By Brandi McRill / July 15, 2020 / 0 Comments

Do you know the difference between a tomato and a tomatillo? People often mistake tomatillos for ‘green’ tomatoes but in fact, they deserve a category all of their own. Otherwise known as the Mexican husk tomato, this green, or green-purple fruit, originated in Mexico and was cultivated by the pre-Columbian people of Mesoamericans. It was […]

This is a bowl of cushaw, corn and pepper soup sitting on a silver plate, in a blue bowl with a black and white napkin alongside it.

Cushaw Squash, Corn & Pepper Soup

By Brandi McRill / July 8, 2020 / 0 Comments

For some reason, our farmers always have a crop of cushaw squash right at the end of July. Cushaw squash has fall flavor reminiscent of butternut or acorn squash but with a touch of mildness. They are rather unique looking things. The skin is easier to peel than a traditional winter squash. Peeling them exposes […]

Not Your Grandma’s Cucumber Salad

By Brandi McRill / October 4, 2019 / 0 Comments

It’s officially fall. However, Houston did NOT get the memo. With temps still in the 90’s, most of the cold weather crops need nighttime temps to drop we we can usher in the next season’s crop of vegetables. I have been trying to fill the co-op boxes with diversity but we are all yearning for […]

Green Bean Summer Salad

By Brandi McRill / August 17, 2018 / 0 Comments

So, due to a co-op SNAFU, I ended up with far too much cilantro. Like WAAAAAAAAY too much. In my quest to dress ‘all of the things’ with cilantro, I came across the very last of my green beans. Green Beans…AND….Cilantro? Is it possible?– surely… Has anyone tried it?– Likely…Right? Well, I got a little […]

Summer Corn Confetti Salad

By Brandi McRill / August 3, 2018 / 3 Comments

Houston in August is hot!!! Like, next level hot. The idea of standing in front of a stove when temps are averaging high 90’s seems insane. Over the next 5 Fridays we will be sharing some of our favorite salad recipes designed to keep your kitchen cool while still highlighting the summer’s harvest. The first […]

This is a birds eye view of the Bravado Ground Chicken recipe. A bottle of Bravado Crimson Hot sauce sits on top of a fall colored dish towel and a wooden spoon. a

Bravado Spice Co Serrano Basil Hot Sauce Ground Chicken and Basil

By Brandi McRill / May 15, 2018 / 0 Comments

A farmer friend approached me with an excess of ground chicken and in need of a recipe that will appeal to her customers. I had never had Thai Chicken and Basil before and she suggested I give it a shot. I’m so glad I did!! I used pastured meats. While this recipe can be interchanged […]