I’m starting to think my closet will never be cleansed of my wooly, winter-wear. Sure, the sun is trickling down through the leaves, but the heater is on full blast. The last few days have dipped into the thirties overnight. Sunday afternoon we even brought my sad lemon tree back inside, straining to pull the giant bushy tree back over the threshold to prevent more leaves from dropping 0r, worse, yet, to avoid losing the baby lemons. Even my once-happy tomato plants are complaining of frost damage.

To think – just last month it was 93F.

What can I say. That’s Oklahoma weather for ya.

The good news is our Ghanaian menu is great for all weather conditions. Indeed, many Africans eat spicy, hot food, even in the summer. The logic? Spices and warm food in hot weather induces heavy sweating; when your forehead breaks out into a sweat, the droplets catch a breeze and cool you down. Brilliant.

Of course, it helps that many Ghanaians cook in outdoor kitchens.

What sounds good to you?

Red Red (Black eyed peas in red sauce) [Recipe]
Stewed black-eyed peas with curry, red palm oil, poblano peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Often served with fried plantains [Recipe]

Spicy Chicken Peanut Soup (Groundnut Soup) [Recipe]
Chicken simmered in stock lightly seasoned with natural peanut butter, hot peppers, onions, and tomatoes. You can make this as spicy or mild as you’d like. Great served plain or over rice.

Watermelon Lemonade [Recipe]
Burst into summer with this refreshing mixture of watermelon, fresh lemon juice and sugar, to taste.

All recipes and the meal review will be posted by Monday morning.