Whew! It’s a scorcher out there!

Or, I don’t know, some other cliché expression of summer. Point is, it’s the beginning of barbecue season! I’ve never been one for pools. Or sandals, volleyball, heat, sweating, mosquitos or sun burns, for that matter. But when it comes to summer picnics and barbecue, count me in!

And to kick things off, my dear friends and mom, I have THREE recipes today! Okay, so they’re kinda just 3 parts of one meal. But STILL.

I’m partnering with my collaborator-in-crime Marie again for this post. You guys know Marie. She’s the one with the savvy booze knowledge and the supplies to make impressive cocktails for your friends all summer. AKA your best friend now.

This month Marie and I are using the Pineapple Turmeric Shrub from Element Shrub. I first used it to make an apple jicama slaw, then discovered how great it is in a barbecue sauce, so it worked out perfectly for me.

You’ve probably seen an apple jicama slaw on a menu or two before. It’s not exactly new, but it does seem to be gaining in popularity as people discover what a great topping it makes on anything from tacos to burgers to, well, pulled pork sandwiches.

It’s really easy to make, too, and only requires a few ingredients. Here’s the trick, though. The quality of the jicama really matters here. You can find jicama root at almost any grocery store these days, but I haven’t had the best of luck with the ones from cheaper chains. I’d suggest making this one things you pick up from a place with high-quality produce. Whole Foods, Publix, whatever you have near you. The crappier jicama will taste like dirt and be tough, but the good ones are slightly sweet and crisp.

 

You can make the slaw well in advance because it keeps really well and stays crisp for at least several days in the fridge. I was  still eating mine almost a week later the first time I made it, and I speak as someone who is very suspicious of leftovers’ quality.

Now for the pulled pork. If you have a trusty go-to recipe, you’re more than welcome to use that for your slaw vessel, or obviously if you have a real smoker please use that. But all those who are stuck indoors for their cooking or those without a fave pork recipe, here’s one for ya.

Lastly, there’s the barbecue sauce. I know this is one of those hotly contested issues very summer (see what I did there? Hot? Summer? I’m hilarious) Just to give you a gauge of where I stand on the barbecue preference spectrum, I love the ones that are sweet with just a slight kick to them. So for me, this sauce is perfect. If you like a little extra heat, or none at all, feel free to adjust the cayenne. But the shrub in this supplies both the tang of vinegar and the sweet flavor from pineapple, so it works really well.

As always, if you make any of these recipes this summer, or if you get your drank on with Marie’s cocktails, we’d get a huge kick out of seeing them. Tag us on Instagram @nhubble or @happyhourcle or use the hashtag #followthatfork