The sun is beating down, the car seats are scorching, the humidity is out of control, and its way too hot to cook! It’s summer!

Most home cooks agree that avoiding the oven or even the stovetop in the heat of summer is one of the best ways to beat the heat. Unfortunately, that often corresponds with lazy cooking and food that doesn’t have much flavor. Well that’s just sad! And certainly not the way it should be. Even food that doesn’t involve a stove can be delicious, exciting, and flavorful. Let’s take a look at a few summer preparations that don’t involve much heat and utilize our fabulous spices and seasonings.

First up, Gazpacho! Who can denounce this summer-time favorite? Our Crazy Salt makes a fantastic seasoning agent for this seasonal treat. Simply add a little in while you’re blending, and then finish with a sprinkle over the top. This intensely flavored (and colored) salt is from Guerande France, a city on the western coast of the country – known for its salt marches. In these marches, salterns have been built, where workers collect up to 15,000 tons of cooking salt each year and approx. 300 tons of fleur de sel or “flower of salt” per year. After collection, the salt is seasoned with pink and black peppercorns, thyme, chili, cumin, and coriander.

Next up, ceviche! This chilled cup of acid cooked goodness is a real summertime treat and pairs perfectly with many of our spices and seasonings. We’d recommend pairing with our Timut Peppercorns and Toasted Yuzu Sesame Seeds. The Timut Peppercorn is perhaps one of the most unusual ingredients you’ll ever encounter. While technically a peppercorn it doesn’t have any of the typical peppercorn characteristics. Instead, it screams of juicy citrus fruit flavors! Notes of grapefruit, lime, and yuzu with an exciting electric zing make this one show stopping spice. The Japanese citrus fruit Yuzu, makes up the backbone of the Toasted Yuzu Sesame Seeds. The seeds are seasoned with a reduction of fresh yuzu juice. Each time the seeds are sauced, they’re dried and toasted – infusing the flavor deep into the seed and allowing it to crisp to perfection. The crispy crunchy texture paired with the delightfully tangy citrus flavor makes them a joy to add to your meals.

How about a cocktail? There’s nothing better on a hot summer day than an icy refreshing margarita. And you simply can’t go wrong with a salted rim! But don’t reach for the boring old table salt. Try rimming your marg with our stunning Pink Himalayan Salt with Roses! This exotic seasoning combines delicious Pink Himalayan Sea Salt from India and beautiful fragrant roses from Pakistan. The results are unforgettably delicious!

Lastly, we can’t forget that harbinger of summer, grilled corn on the cob. Local sweet corn is just coming into season and it really don’t get more iconic summer eats than crunching into a freshly roasted ear of corn. We’d recommend seasoning them with a combo of our Beechwood Smoked Salt and Wild Tailed Peppercorns. The smoked salt is harvested in Guerande France and has an intensely smoky flavor that pairs so well with sweet summer corn. The Wild Tailed Peppercorn’s exotic earthy nose with woodsy notes of brine make it a fantastic pairing.

While the hot summer heat makes it a bear to cook, it’s a wonderful time to eat! Indulge in raw or quick cooked plates that don’t keep make you a slave to the stove! Now is the time to really take advantage of fresh summer salads, raw seafood, and grilling. Be sure to season those ingredients with the very best and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a delicious summer!