June 16--Meatballs made easy
We love meatballs, but they're time consuming to make. To the rescue: Gourmet Chicken Meatballs from The Original Brat Hans (http://www.theoriginalbrathans.com. The refrigerated line offers four flavors: Buffalo-Style, Pineapple-Teriyaki, Pesto Parmesan and Sweet Asian. The Sweet Asian, with its scallions and soy sauce, challenged the Pesto Parmesan for first place in our opinion. A short microwave (or oven) visit delivered tasty, juicy roughly 11/4-inch bites. A 12-ounce package is $5.99. At Whole Foods Market (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com.
Up your grill game
Smoked sausages get an extra kick with a few flavorful additions. Consider this pair from the Johnsonville line of smoked sausages: Jalapeno Cheddar and Cheddar Beer. There's a hint of brew in the beer version, but it's the bits of jalapeno and cheese in the hefty links that won us over. Cooked on the grill or in the stove or microwave, they are bound to get attention. A 14-ounce package: $4.49. A store locator: http://www.johnsonville.com.
Charmer for gardeners
Cook-gardener-illustrator Heather Hardison piles all her passions into the charming "Homegrown: Illustrated Bites From Your Garden to Your Table" (Stewart, Tabori Chang, $16.95). You need not be an artist to enjoy her clever illustrations, nor a gardener or master cook to enjoy her "produce-centric" recipes (blueberry cake, beet and fennel salad, etc.). Her mantra: "Gardening and home cooking foster a mindfulness and calm that we all could use." At bookstores nationwide.
jhevrdejs@tribpub.com
