Seasonal Recipes

August brings the vibrant heat of late summer—and with it, bold, fresh flavors that celebrate the season. Whether you’re planning a backyard gathering or just looking to shake up your weeknight meals, our August recipe picks deliver a perfect mix of smoky, zesty, and sweet. From Jamaican Jerk Chicken that packs a punch to Salmon Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa that burst with tropical brightness, this month’s menu is all about savoring every bite. And for something lighter or indulgent, we’ve included crispy Vegan Zucchini Fritters and rich, nutty Tahini Chocolate Bars. Let’s make the most of summer’s final stretch with dishes that are as lively as the season itself.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Total Time	Servings
(4 Hour Marinate) 1Hour 15 Minutes	8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 scallions, roughly chopped
• 2 Scotch bonnet chiles or habanero chiles (seeded, if desired), chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for grill
• 2 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) whole chickens, quartered
• Small thyme sprigs, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Process onion, scallions, chiles, garlic, allspice, peppercorns, five-spice powder, nutmeg, dried thyme, and salt in a food processor until a coarse paste forms, about 15 seconds. With processor running, gradually pour soy sauce and oil through food chute, and process until combined, about 10 seconds. Transfer marinade to a large nonreactive bowl.
2. Add chicken pieces to marinade, and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
3. Preheat grill to medium (350°F to 400°F). Let chicken stand at room temperature while grill preheats. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Coat top grate with oil; place chicken, skin side down, on grate. Grill, covered, turning chicken occasionally, until well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken breast registers 160°F and thigh registers 170°F, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Transfer chicken to a platter, and let rest 10 minutes. (Internal temperature of breasts will continue to rise to 165°F.) Garnish chicken with thyme sprigs, and serve with lime wedges.

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Salmon Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa

Time	Servings
30 Minutes	8

INGREDIENTS

Salmon

• 16 oz salmon fillets (2 or 3 salmon fillets)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ⅓ cup fig spread or more, for thickening the glaze (I prefer to use Divina brand)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• red pepper flakes to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic minced

Mango Peach Salsa

• 2 mangos mangos ripe, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 2 peaches cored and diced
• 1 sweet red bell pepper small, diced
• ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder  or more
• salt and pepper to taste

Taco sauce (cilantro-lime crema)

• ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 lime medium size, freshly squeezed
• ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped

Other taco ingredients

• 8 tortillas (yellow or white corn tortillas or flour tortillas)
• ½ cup Cotija cheese crumbled
• fresh cilantro chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine together olive oil, honey, chili powder, fig spread, and red pepper flakes. Mix everything well.
3. Slice salmon into large chunks. In a baking dish or on a sheet pan, season the salmon with salt and pepper, and toss the salmon pieces with minced garlic, and half of the sticky sauce you just made in the previous step.
4. Roast for about 10 or 12 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
5. Remove from the oven. Toss the salmon with the remaining half of the sticky sauce.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the taco sauce (crema) ingredients: Greek yogurt, mayo, Dijon mustard, Sriracha sauce, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro. Set Aside for assembly.

For the Mango Peach Salsa

1. Prepare the mango peach salsa while the salmon is roasted in the oven.
2. Note about mangos. Wash them thoroughly to get rid of any debris. Use ripe mangos. Always peel the mangos. Pit the mangos and dice them into cubes.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine diced mangos, diced peaches, diced red bell pepper, chopped fresh cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chili powder. Toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add more lime juice and chili powder, if you like.

Assembly

1. Toast the tortillas over an open gas stovetop flame on medium or low heat – (depending on your stovetop). Use tongs and flip them often until lightly charred and blackened around the edges. Note: Watch your tortillas carefully at all times and adjust the flame if they get too burned. Flip the tortillas quickly with tongs as they start to get blackened around the edges.
2. Assemble the tacos by stuffing the cooked salmon and fruit salsa into the warmed, lightly charred tortillas. Top with taco sauce (crema), crumbled Cotija cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, and a pinch of chili powder.

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Tahini Chocolate Bars

Total Time	Servings
1 Hour 10 Mins	36 Bars

INGREDIENTS

Tahini layer

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (230g) tahini*
• 1/4 cup (84g) honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/4 cups (141g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1 3/4 cups (175g) graham cracker crumbs (about 11 whole graham crackers, crushed)

Chocolate layer

• 3 tablespoons (42g) heavy cream
• 2/3 cup (113g) semisweet chocolate wafers, or chopped semisweet chocolate
• sesame seeds, for sprinkling on top

Directions

1. Get out an 8″ square pan. For easiest removal of the bars, line the pan with a piece of parchment long enough to come up and over two opposite sides – i.e., make a parchment sling. If you don’t have parchment leave the pan unlined and ungreased.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients until evenly blended and smooth.
3. Press the mixture over the bottom and into the corners of the pan. Set aside.
4. Heat the cream in a saucepan or in the microwave until the mixture begins to steam.
5. Add the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. If necessary, reheat very briefly to soften any remaining unmelted bits of chocolate.
6. Pour the chocolate over the tahini layer, spreading it with the back of a spoon or offset spatula to make a smooth, even layer; you can shimmy the pan back and forth gently to smooth it out as well.
7. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top of the chocolate.
8. Let the bars rest at room temperature until the chocolate has set but is not firm, an hour or up to several hours depending on how cool or warm your kitchen is. Resist the temptation to put the bars in the refrigerator; this will over-harden the chocolate and make it difficult to cut cleanly.
9. Once the chocolate has set cut the bars into 36 squares; a table knife or bench knife works well here. Let the bars rest in the pan for several hours (overnight is best) until the chocolate is firm and the tahini layer has set.
10. Store bars, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for a month or more.

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Vegan Zucchini Fritters

Total Time	Servings
47 Minutes	22-24 Fritters

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ pounds (680g) zucchini, peel kept on
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
• ¾ cup (12g) fresh dill, tough stems removed and finely chopped*
• ¼ cup (4g) fresh mint leaves finely chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (bruised tops trimmed)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• ⅓ cup (43g) all purpose-flour**
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (90g) panko bread crumbs (or homemade bread crumbs; don’t use regular store-bought bread crumbs)
• 1/2 cup (75g) vegan feta, crumbled***
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed to cook the second batch
• Flaky sea salt for finishing

Directions

1. Use the wide holes on a box grater to grate the zucchini. Leave the top nub of the zucchini on so you can use it as a handle while you grate. For a faster option, use a food processor if you have a reversible shredding disc.
2. Add grated zucchini to a colander. Sprinkle with 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt; toss to combine. Drain for at least 10 minutes, or for a few hours.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the flaxseed meal and 4 tablespoons of warm water. Whisk well, then set aside for 10 minutes to gel up.
4. In a large bowl, combine the dill, mint, scallions, cumin, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, several cracks of pepper, flour, panko, and feta. Stir to combine.
5. Squeeze out the water from zucchini. Add the zucchini to a nut milk bag, mesh produce bag, or thin dish towel. Over a bowl, use your hands to squeeze out as much water out as you can (almost like you’re using an icing bag). Move the zucchini around a bit and reshape into a ball. Squeeze the zucchini in sections to release more water. If needed, use both hands to squeeze. Repeat a few times, moving the zucchini around so all of it gets evenly squeezed.
6. Finish the zucchini batter. To the herb/flour filling, add the prepared flax eggs and stir to incorporate with your hands. Finally, break up the squeezed zucchini and add it to the filing. Use your hands to incorporate the zucchini until just combined and you can squeeze the batter between your fingers to roll into balls. Don’t mix too much, as this causes zucchini to release more water.
7. Shape the fritters. Line a large plate with parchment paper. Scoop 2 tablespoon (25 to 30g) portions of the batter (we find it easier to just weigh it using a scale). Using your hands, compact the dough tightly before pressing with your palms to form a patty (this ensures they stick together). Slightly flatten the patty (it should resemble a double stuffed Oreo in size), a scant ½ inch thick (1 cm thick). Place the patties on lined plate. For smooth edges, cup each patty with your hands, gently rotating in a circular fashion to seal edges and round the shape.
8. Preheat the pan. Line a large plate with paper towels. Heat 3 TBSP olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes to heat up. To test, add a drop of water; if it sizzles immediately, it’s ready.
9. Carefully add the patties to the pan, as many as you can fit without overcrowding (12 fritters will fit a 12-inch frying pan). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, lightly pressing down on each patty with your spatula halfway through. Once the bottom is golden brown, flip and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom is also golden brown (slight charring in spots is okay). Some fritters will be done a bit sooner than others.
10. Transfer fritters to towel-lined surface to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Repeat with the remaining zucchini mixture, adding 2 to 3 more tablespoons of oil to the pan (with a 12-inch pan, you should be able to fry the fritters in 2 batches).
11. Serve warm as is, or with vegan tzatziki for dipping.

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