UMMERTIME

Memorial Day marked the unofficial beginning of summer and I’m looking forward to some lazy, hazy days filled with relaxation—swimming, fishing, grilling and lots of reading.

Without a doubt food is very important during carefree summer days. Order your boiled crawfish NOW because they will soon be out of season. Cover your picnic table with old newspapers on which to put the spicy freshwater crustaceans, chill down some soft drinks and beer (Abita beer if you can get it), and chill out. You might want to have on hand some of Louisiana’s favorite dipping sauces, like cocktail sauce, tartar sauce and remoulade sauce. We have theses and MORE from which to choose.

Another idea for summer enjoyment is fried turkey. The big bird is not only just for Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s also great for any kind of warm weather gathering. My brother-in-law, Al Landry, prides himself on his fried turkeys and this is how he does it. BUT, I suggest you try any of our Cajun Injector seasoning mixes. I love the roasted garlic flavor! Oh, and don’t do this in you kitchen – this is for the backyard or the patio. You will need one of those butane burners with a large pot like the one you use for boiling seafood. Since there is a possibility of hot oil splatters, you might want to put old newspapers under the butane burner to catch the hot oil.

Warmer weather means picnic time. You can picnic on the beach, on your patio, in your backyard or at your favorite park.

The meal can be as simple as wine, cheese and bread. Or you can carry along chilled, marinated vegetables stored in a wide-mouth jar, cold meats, assorted rolls, cold soup, wine, mint tea, cold shrimp or even fried chicken, coleslaw and other side dishes. Homemade cookies, chilled watermelon and seasonal fruits are ideal for summer picnics.

Better yet, let us supply you with all sorts of picnic items. For instance, there are Creole Stuffed Breads, all kinds of seafood pies, mini oyster and artichoke pies, and pralines. Easy enough, right?

The marinated vegetables are easy enough to prepare. See our Recipes section.