The flavors of May always inspire me—from Cinco de Mayo I see the bright red colors of tomatoes tossed with deep green fresh cilantro and the orange hue of grilled papaya wedges, all married together with sliced marinated hanger steak (and that is just the first part of May!).
Mother’s Day is a time for Sunday brunch and cheese blintzes with almond and pecan- peach sauce or in my case, a grilled porterhouse steak with a spicy arugula and roasted red pepper salad with a dot of creamy goat cheese followed by fresh strawberry shortcake. As it continues to warm, I search for lighter sauces and fruit-laden desserts. A splash of apricot nectar in a tall glass of unsweetened iced tea and a grilled salmon BLT with sliced avocado on grilled sour dough bread sings mid-springtime in my kitchen.
We say a fond farewell to Florida strawberries but a welcome greeting to the berries of California—not to mention those wonderful artichokes. By the time Memorial weekend comes around, I am in glee with anticipation of basting the chipotle-rubbed beer can chicken on the grill alongside shrimp macaroni salad and homemade lemon basil sorbet.
With the heat of Southwest Florida also comes the time to move your herb plants over to the windowsill. Since I have an abundance of basil, I will make a large batch of pesto and then freeze the batch in an ice cube tray. That way I only take out 2 cubes at a time to toss with fresh pasta or brush on grilled swordfish.
– Chef Judi Gallagher