You might win this gift tote with three
delicious jars of Dolce Nonna marinated
vegetables. Photo courtesy Dolce Nonna.

Everyone from foodies to those looking for shortcuts in the kitchen will appreciate Dolce Nonna Marinated Vegetables.

The Italian-style marinated veggies are made in small batches from the highest-quality ingredients. The Sweet Red Peppers, Eggplant and String Beans are hand-packed in the highest quality extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, Sicilian oregano, garlic and spices, creating versatile, all-natural ingredients that are a godsend.

Pull them from the pantry to create hors d’oeuvre, glamorous sandwich and salad garnishes, bruschetta, pasta toppings and more. The delicious, nutritious vegetables packed in heart-healthy olive oil are a guilt-free way to accessorize food.

• THE PRIZE: Dolce Nonna Marinated Vegetables Gift Set. One winner will receive three-jar gift set of Dolce Nonna marinated vegetables in a handsome reusable bag with a dish towel, wooden spoon and recipe cards. Marinated vegetables include Sweet Red Peppers, Eggplant and String Beans. Approximate Retail Value: $45.00
• TO ENTER THIS WEEK’S GOURMET GIVEAWAY: Go to the box at the bottom of our Gourmet Vegetable Products Section and enter your email address for the prize drawing.Learn more about Dolce Nonna at DolceNonnas.com.

   

But store shelves have limited space: Unless you visit a theoretical Shortbread Emporium, you’re not likely to find all the different types of Walkers Shortbread—the variety of shapes (fingers, ovals, rounds, petticoat triangles) and flavors (chocolate chip, chocolate covered). And there are oatcakes, which we love with cheese (and so must Queen Elizabeth II, as the boxes carry her royal warrant).

There is also a bevy of biscuits (the British word for both cookies and savory biscuits): Belgian Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Chunk and Hazelnut, Fruit and Lemon, Oatflake and Cranberry, Stem Ginger, and White Chocolate Chunk & Raspberry.

Walkers has been baking shortbread in the Scottish Highlands since 1898. While other old-time bakers have substituted cheaper ingredients in their original recipes, Walkers still uses only the finest pure ingredients with no artificial colors, flavorings or preservatives. The cookies are certified Kosher OU-D and are suitable for vegetarians.

Crown a sundae with a Petticoat Tail short-
bread for an unforgettable presentation. Photo courtesy Walkers.

And then there are the cakes: Courvoisier Liqueur Fruit Cake, Drambuie Liqueur Fruit Cake, Glenfiddich Whisky Cake and more (sorry, the alcohol is not kosher-certified).

Save 20% Through April 1st

NIBBLE readers enjoy a 20% discount through April 1st. So try new things—and pick up a few Easter Basket gifts for your friends. Use code nibblewalkers at checkout. Head over to WalkersUS.com and dig in!

• Check out the history of shortbread.
• Find more of our favorite cookies and brownies, plus recipes, in our Cookies Section.

Chai lovers: You can now enjoy this spiced exotic treat in your own home. Rishi, sellers of organic tea, have launched an organic and Fair Trade Masala Chai tea concentrate.

Masala chai is made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.

Chai is the generic word for tea in Hindi and Punjabi and many other languages around the world—English speakers use the word “tea” from the Chinese “te” (from a dialect spoken around Xiamen). If you ask for chai, you’re only asking for tea; so show your superior knowledge and ask for masala chai if you want spiced tea.

Rishi’s Masala Chai concentrate is all natural and microbrewed (brewing in micro-batches enables producers to adjust each batch according to the seasonal characteristics of the ingredients). You just add milk, then heat it or drink the tea cold over ice.

The concentration of fine spices in Rishi’s brew makes your mouth tingle and transports you to the Indian subcontinent (put on some appropriate tunes as you enjoy the masala chai).

There’s a bonus: Every purchase helps the Jane Goodall Institute including Roots & Shoots, a global, environmental and humanitarian program for young people from preschool to college.

Learn all about tea and find more of our favorite teas in our Gourmet Tea Section.

Dill is a natural with scrambled eggs and omelets (add cheese, especially feta). Add it to tuna, egg, potato and chicken salad. Toss it with cooked vegetables.

In a yogurt and cucumber salad, dill becomes the famous Greek dish, tzatziki.

As a garnish, snip fresh dill onto just about anything. Add it to hot dishes like soup just before serving.

Put a sprig in a martini or a Bloody Mary.

And it’s a beautiful pairing with lamb and poultry.

Dill originated in Eastern Europe and grew wild in the Mediterranean basin and in West Asia. Sprigs of dill were found in the tomb of Amenhotep II and in Roman ruins in Great Britain. The Talmud required that tithes be paid on dill.

Dill. Photo courtesy BaldorFood.com.

[1] A refreshing watermelon and strawberry salad with feta or goat cheese (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

[2] Yellow watermelon is a special treat (photo © DP Seeds).

[3] Greek feta is the best: no overly salty like others (photo courtesy Murray’s Cheese).

Watermelon is the juiciest of melons, with a very appropriate name given that the fruit contains about 92% water by weight. Mankind has been enjoying watermelon for a long time. There is evidence that it has been cultivated in the Nile Delta since the second millennium B.C.E.

Watermelon is a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene and lycopene (the latter in the red-fleshed variety only). But first and foremost, it’s delicious.

Watermelon has long been featured in summer recipes: in mixed fruit salads, martinis, smoothies, sorbet, on the grill, and so much and more.

Watermelon is wonderfully refreshing in this Watermelon Salad with Thai Basil & Feta. Just because it’s called a “salad” doesn’t mean it has lettuce—or even a recognizable vegetable. Other greens, such as parsley or basil can turn mixtures of ingredients into salads.
 
 
PICK YOUR SALAD INGREDIENTS

 
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*Substitute fresh lime juice for the vinegar, or use a citrus-infused vinegar or olive oil (blood orange, lemon, lime, etc.) If you have chile-infused oil, you can use that too, ideally half-and-half with non-flavored oil.
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SUMMER BASIL TYPES

Beyond what you find in the supermarket—the herb called sweet basil—there are many different basil varieties, each with distinct aromas and flavors. We love the conventional basil, but in the summer months, we head to the nearest farmers market to pick up some special varieties.

If you live in a temperate climate, you may only see these in the summer months. If you have a garden, plant your own!

 
There are many more basil cultivars.

There are numerous watermelon salad recipes, plus sides and sandwiches with watermelon, at Watermelon.org.

We can’t wait to try the Watermelon Tabbouleh Stacks with Grilled Chicken. And perhaps whip up some watermelon sorbet!