If nature had a dress code, it would be this plate — colorful, bold, and unapologetically rich in nutrients. There’s a reason why diversity in your meals is a pillar of wellness: each color brings its own army of antioxidants, minerals, and flavors to the table. Red, green, yellow, white, brown — they don’t just look pretty on a skewer. They work together to nourish you from every angle.
Eat the Rainbow, Build the Beast: A Grilled Meditation on Smoky Drama, Flavor, and Fullness – From the Hudson Valley Style Magazine’s Culinary Wellness Edition – Hudson Valley Style Cooking with Maxwell Alexander – Presented by Alluvion Vacations
Today, we’re grilling up Cowboy Skewers. It’s not a salad. It’s not a stew. It’s structured, sexy, and direct — just like a Hudson Valley summer evening. Think crisp local apples for that snap, bright bell peppers from the farmstand down the road, and mushrooms straight outta Delhi (no, not the city in India — the Catskills kind, fifteen minutes from the cabin). This is a story of textures and colors — layered, intentional, and sizzling with good energy.
Ingredients
-
Hudson Valley apples (crisp + firm)
-
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
-
Fresh mushrooms (farmer’s market variety)
-
Red onion (for drama)
-
Rosemary, thyme, oregano
-
Cracked black pepper, sea salt, smoked paprika
-
Avocado oil (high-heat friendly and sass-approved)
-
Optional: squeeze of lemon or dash of balsamic before serving
Pro Tips:
-
Slice everything thick enough to hold its shape on a skewer.
-
Marinate veggies in avocado oil and herbs for at least 20 minutes — let the flavors flirt.
-
Double-skewer mushrooms so they don’t roll off and hit the grass.
-
Don’t overcrowd the grill. Give your skewers space to shine — like your fabulous self at a dinner party.
Colorful Bites, Ancient Wisdom
Before these rainbow skewers even touch the heat, they’re already a wellness powerhouse. Red onions, local organic apples, bell peppers, mushrooms — every hue signals nutrient-dense magic. Each color carries antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins that support everything from your immune system to your radiant skin glow.
Those rustic herbs — rosemary, thyme, oregano — aren’t just for flair. They’ve been used for centuries to soothe, balance, and heal. Rosemary boosts memory, thyme supports immunity, and oregano? It’s an antiviral ninja in leaf form.
As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Every layer on these skewers is intentional — flavorful, healing, grounding. When you season with love, you’re not just cooking; you’re connecting to something timeless.
Serving It Up, Cowboy-Style
Bold. Balanced. Beautiful. These skewers are a declaration — vivid, deliberate, and full of soul. Laden with local produce and plated with care, they embody the spirit of wellness travel: mindful bites, radiant color, and full-bodied flavor touched by Catskill Mountain air.
Lay your skewers on a clean, modern ceramic platter — because yes, we’re at a rustic farmhouse, but it’s still mountain luxury. Drizzle with lemon or balsamic glaze for depth and pair with a chilled glass of Hudson Valley Seyval Blanc or a lightly oaked Chardonnay. The wine draws out the grilled sweetness of the apples and peppers while keeping things crisp, balanced, and effortlessly fabulous.
Each skewer is more than a meal — it’s a flag of flavor. A rainbow tribute to Pride, to plant-based pleasure, and to the undeniable magic of diversity.
And if anyone asks why there’s no meat on the grill, just smile and say:
“Sugar, this cowboy’s got enough smoke, spice, and color to carry the whole damn cookout.”
Experience The Body & The Feast in full. Own your collectible print copy of the Hudson Valley Style Magazine: Culinary Wellness Edition — available now on Amazon.
For a taste of the vision, read the edition’s intro here: Hudson Valley Style Magazine Drops The Body & The Feast – Culinary Wellness Edition
