Summer is synonymous with grilling unless of course you are an urban dweller where open fames on terraces are a no-no. Yet, I do not let this deter my love for grilling and just turn up the air conditioning and crank up the oven to get my grilling fix on.
I recently received a sampling of products from Honey Ridge Farms that helped take my indoor grilling to the next level. I received their Honey Ridge Grilling Sauce and Orange Chili Glaze along with two varieties of their honey crèmes (Lemon and Blackberry) – the latter making for a delicious morning treat.
First up was the Grilling Sauce (Medium variety). This was a sweet and savory tomato-based sauce that was among the most complex I have come across in a long while. It had a wonderful sweetness from honey and brown sugar but then added another savory layer via Worcestershire and natural smoke flavors rounded out with a kick of acidity from pineapple juice and pepper sauce. This is not your father’s grilling sauce. Now given my lack of proper grill, I used it on chicken that I faux-grilled in the oven. The end result being a hearty sauce that does not char or become bitter from the heat of the oven providing the perfect balance of flavor without overpowering the natural favor of your meat of choice.
Its citrus sibling, the Orange Chili Honey glaze is also another real knockout. A wonderfully fragrant lemongrass base provides a solid foundation for a mélange of flavor combinations that truly take this sauce to the next level. A robust vegetable concentrate of squash, onions, carrots, and spices adds an earthy level to the sauce while key lime and chilies give a muted kick to this sauce. Again, I tried this over chicken and it worked beautifully.
In keeping with the “honey” theme, I also sampled two of their honey crèmes which are fruit infused more spreadable-type honey. The lemon crème was the perfect contradiction of citrus zing and sweet honey. The blackberry crème was a bit more subdued on the palate but not overly sweet and the blackberry flavor perfectly complimented the honey. Both of these are amazing on pancakes or spread on your favorite gluten-free bread. I also tried them over ice cream which made plain vanilla far more exciting. The crème hardens slightly as it hits the cold ice cream making for a unique topping.
You can learn more about Honey Ridge Farms on their Web Site where you can also order for home delivery. All of their products are all natural and utilize their locally-sourced artisan honey. Honey Ridge Farms also donates a portion of their profits from their Balsamic Honey Vinegar to help fund research to promote bee colony health – nice!
