A perfect Fall margarita

We are inspired by Thanksgiving to let everyone know how to use our Sal de Margarita gourmet sea salt…. for there is no doubt that the season deserves a cocktail to serve when friends and family gather for such festive celebrations.

Of course, at Sal del Mar, just the word festive leads us to the margarita genre, but not the classic one that we all know. And not one that is sticky sweet. After trying out several renditions of margaritas... including a pumpkin margarita that spoke to the season but was too heavy and thick...we decided on a Cranberry Margarita.

There is a perfect balance of the cranberry juice sweetness, the smoothness of the tequila and brightness of the lime. And when blended up in a margarita glass, rimmed in Sal del Margarita salt, it says Thanksgiving celebration!

A margarita anytime

We think margaritas are meant to drink anytime. We don't wait for sunny weather. This margarita is made with freshly squeezed greaefruit juice, tequila and lime and the combination suits sitting in front of a fire as much as a sunny beach. Here's our recipe:

2 oz of Blanco Tequila
2 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. agave nectar
Sal de Margarita sea salt

Fill a small cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the tequila, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, lime juice, triple sec and agave nectar. Put on the lid and shake. Strain the cocktail into your Sal de Margarita rimmed glass and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

Pour a layer of Sal de Margarita onto a small plate. With a slice of lime, wet half of the rim of the glass.(Rimming just half the edge with salt, lets you control how much salt you taste with each sip.) Dip the glass into the salt at a 45-degree angle and roll it from side to side. Be careful to not let any of the salt drip into the glass. 

TIP:  Take the grapefruit and lime out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. It is easier to squeeze citrus when it isn't cold.

 

Cinco de mayo and a margarita

It takes just a few ingredients to make a great margarita. Tequila. Cointreau. Limes. But don't forget to salt the rim of the glass.  Salt  complements the lime and tequila ingredients. 
To quote Rick Bayless: "Without salt, you can produce a tasty creation.. but not a drop-dead delicious one..”
Try just salting half the rim and then you can sip either with or without salt. Sal del Mar gourmet sea salt delivers a crisp salty taste which you don't get from just any salt. 

Our favorite recipe for one margarita (we like making them one at a time) is:  
1 1/2 oz. of a silver tequila
3/4 oz. Cointreau
1-1/2 limes (about 1 oz) squeezed  
Pour into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Cover and shake vigorously until froth and cold. Pour into a Sal del Mar crusted martini glass and serve. 

The harvest

Here is a basket full of one of my favorite things....tomatoes. It’s harvest time and the Farmer’s Markets have tables laden with them. They look so beautiful as a still life that I grab my camera and do a mini photo shoot.

I always buy too many, tomatoes.

Just a pinch of Sal del Mar will do.
Heirloom tomatoes, Sal del Mar, avocado, bacon and toasted focaccia. 

The Fall Harvest is here and the heirloom tomatoes are so colorful and sculptural that I do a mini photo shoot to try and capture their beauty. Even sliced, they are so picturesque, especially with a pinch of Sal del Mar. Stacked in a sandwich with bacon, avocado, they are scrumptious.

Tomatoes

It is that time of year that tomato lovers, love. It's hard to not come home with a basket full. There are many recipes, but somehow a tomato just needs a sprinkle of Sal del Mar.

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Paula's dish

This tortilla appetizer is incredibly easy to make and it also is a perfect match with a margarita. My friend, Paula Hamilton, taught me this recipe when she was in Mexico a couple of months ago working with me on designs for Sal del Mar.. We decided to do a photo shoot and scouted out from my cupboards this hand-painted, terra cotta plate and a big palm leaf from the courtyard to prop it with. 

Here’s the recipe: 
Cut corn tortillas into half or quarter sizes.
Fry in oil.
Drain on a paper towel and immediately sprinkle on Sal del Mar and chili powder. 

The traditional Mexican tequila cocktail

Here is one of my favorite Mexican tequila cocktails, the Paloma.  It is traditionally made with grapefruit soda, Squirt!  But this version uses fresh grapefruit juice which I like because it cuts through the flavor of the tequila. It is a great recipe to increase to make a pitcher of Paloma for a party. You can combine all the ingredients, cover and refrigerate until chilled about 2 hours.
Use the grapefruit and lime to to crust the rim of a glass as described in the recipe below. 

2 oz of Blanco Tequila 

2 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

1 oz. fresh lime juice

1/2 oz. triple sec

1/2 oz. agave nectar

Sal de Margarita sea salt

TIP:  Take the grapefruit and lime out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.

Pour in the tequila, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, lime juice, triple sec and agave nectar into a pitcher and stir. Pour into a Sal de Margarita rimmed glass with iceand garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

Sal de Margarita rimmed glasses for a party

RECIPE FOR SALTING THE GLASS

Pour a layer of Sal de Margarita onto a small plate.
With a slice of lime, wet half of the rim of the glass. (Rimming just half the edge with salt, lets you control how much salt you taste with each sip.)
Dip the glass into the salt at a 45-degree angle and roll it from side to side. Be careful to not let any of the salt drip into the glass. 

TIP:  Salt the rims in advance of serving a margarita. It allows the salt to dry on the rim so that the salt won't drip into the margarita. It also saves time when preparing margaritas for a party.

Asparagus loves Sal del Mar

The subject of our photo shoots is, of course, our "very photogenic" Sal del Mar. At our photo shoots we love to get our creative juices going on how we are going to tell a story around our photograph. We chose an easy subject for this shoot...asparagus. It is such a natural subject with its regal look...their purplish plumes and stalks of vivid green.  

After the photo shoot, we made Ina Garden's recipe. because there's no better way that baking  them in the oven, instead of blanching them in water which diminshes  some of their flavor. 

INA GARDEN ASPARAGUS RECIPE

2 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus  
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Sal del Mar gourmet sea salt (of course)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 lemons, cut in wedges

If the stalks of the asparagus are thick, peel the bottom 1/2 of each.
Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast in a 400 oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute.
Serve with lemon wedges.