Floribbean Fare

Ahhh, September. That month between truly blistering summer heat and the promise of cooler days. I always liked September (despite all of us collectively holding our breath during this typically most active month of hurricane season).... because now and then it gives us a "hint" of those refreshing days to come. In between the lingering humidity there are occasional wisps of dry air that make you want to hang outside a while longer to confirm your fleeting suspicions that you just felt a touch of Fall. And as occasionally occurs, even in September, there was a light, cool breeze when we stepped outside this morning, and I was compelled to stand out on the porch awhile and enjoy it. I noticed that even the wood porch beam I wrapped my arm around felt cool. Hooray for September!
Despite the slight nuances of September and our intense eagerness for cool weather, we know that it is still a tropical, summery month. A perfect time to enjoy some tropical fare for dinner! The nice thing about warm-weather dinners, besides their freshness, colors and festive flavors, is that they are often quick to make it to the table. So not long after you slip in that calypso CD, tonight's dinner will be done! Think fish tacos with crisp lettuce and juicy tomato, sour cream and fresh, homemade guacamole....yum! Served with hot crinkle-cut french fries, the meal is nearly complete.....unless you also have Jamaica Tea in mind! Made with the calyces of a hibiscus known as Roselle, the hibiscus tea can be enjoyed hot or iced. It has a nice, citrusy flavor and is sometimes referred to as the 'Florida Cranberry'. In Jamaica, they serve it cold with ice, and often will add fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and a splash of rum. What a fruity, refreshing tropical drink!

We actually grew a couple Roselle hisbiscus plants this summer. It was so exciting to see the buds/calyces! Since I only collected a few "buds" I really didn't have enough calyces and I miscalculated the amount of water to boil/steep them in. Normally roselle is a dark red color, like that of cranberry or grape juice. While the calyces certainly gave up all their color (the deep red steeped right out into the water, leaving behind white calyces), they were still more diluted than they should have been....so instead I ended up with a lovely, light pink color! It was still very nice, and next year I plan to grow more plants so we can harvest more calyces. (*By the way, this is the same tea you buy in the store known as hibiscus tea or "Red Zinger").

I urge everyone to enjoy the last bits of summer even as you anticipate the exciting and cooler days of autumn. And on that note, I'd like to say thank you to Jenn, who awarded me the "Liebster Blog" award for Sunshine Food and Wine! I am so very happy for this recognition and have posted the award under a new, special tab at the top. (The award is given in special recognition by other fellow bloggers for those who have a less than 200 members). Thanks again, and I just want to also thank everyone who follows my blog...there would be no point to it without all of you!

**Don't forget to check my "Recipes" tab if you're interested in trying the above recipes.