Sides of SUMMER

Two versatile condiments that are easy to make and packed with flavors of the season

Quick pickled onions, left, can be used to add a bright pop of flavor to a range of summer dishes, while summer butter can be a perfect companion for fresh bread or tossed with pasta. PHOTOS COURTESY MARIANNE SUNDQUIST

Eating with the natural rhythm of the seasons brings about all kinds of good things — better flavor, more nutrients, cost savings, increased variety — and the reduced demand for out-of-season produce helps the local farming community and economy. And as a mom, perhaps my favorite reason of all is that it just makes cooking easy.

When summer rolls around, my cooking style changes. In the fall and winter, my favorite place to be is in the kitchen sipping on tea, making big pots of hearty soups, stews and curries. In the summer heat, all that goes out the window, and the goal becomes making food that is light, refreshing, full of summer flavor and that doesn’t take tons of time. To that end, I wanted to share two quick and easy summer staples: quick pickled onions and summer butter.

The quick pickled onions are so versatile for this time of year and can be used to add a bright pop of flavor to burgers, brats, tacos, grilled meat, potatoes, eggs, rice, quinoa, polenta, salads, etc. This isn’t a fermentation pickle that utilizes salt, water and time to bring about the natural fermentation process. Instead, this is a quick pickle recipe that uses vinegar to bring about the tart pickled flavor, and it happens almost instantly. Every leftover drop of the pickling liquid can (and should) be used to make vinaigrettes for salads, drizzled on grilled veggies or spooned onto rice.

Easy and beautiful, summer butter is perfection when served with slices of fresh bread, radish and cucumbers. And if you happen to have some left over, it’s pretty amazing tossed in some freshly cooked pasta.

Marianne Sundquist is a chef, food business consultant and shares recipes for home cooks on I stagram@chefmariannesundquist. She owns the catering business Daya, which has shifted for the time being into an online general store, sourcing and delivering pantry staples to area residents. Visit dayasantafe.square.site and email her at marianne@dayasantafe.com.

SUMMER BUTTER ½ cup grass-fed unsalted butter, room temperature ¼ cup pickled piquillo peppers, finely diced ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan ¼ cup fresh herbs (like chives, thyme, tarragon, parsley, lavender, even fennel fronds) Sea salt and black pepper Red pepper flakes Preparation: Smear butter on a cake pedestal or wooden board into whatever shape feels appropriate. Sprinkle peppers, parmesan and herbs over the top. Crack sea salt and black pepper over the butScrape ter. Finish with a light sprinkle of red pepper flakes. leftovers into a bowl and store in the fridge to be used later.

1 large red onion, thinly sliced 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and thinly sliced 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced ¾ cup red wine vinegar ½ cup water ½ cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon salt Preparation: Put onion, jalapeños and garlic slices in a heatproof glass jar. Bring red wine vinegar, water, maple syrup and salt to a boil. Pour this mixture over onion and peppers. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use. Can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Marianne Sundquist Magic Table