One of my favorite summer diversions has become composing delicious, usually cool, more-veg-than-not, meals made with local summer bounty. All the better if it is inspired by and can evoke a place, time, and mood. Someplace we'd rather be...anywhere, but here.
Here are some recent menus for Summer 2011:
Ciao Italia: Tonight's dinner included roasted red peppers; farm tomatoes & garden basil; fresh buffalo mozzarella; sliced pepperoni; white bean salad with garden sage; spinach wilted in olive oil, garlic and a squeeze of lemon; crusty bread; and a bottle of wine. Later, we enjoyed homemade cherry-vanilla ice pops. Yummy, cool, and so easy!
Simplemente Mexico: Last week, I used up a host of leftovers and re-created them into something totally new and easy. I sprinkled a mild, white mexican cheese on corn tortillas and broiled them to just enough to crisp the tortilla and melt the cheese; a light pico de gallo sauce on the side; and served with a black bean, fresh corn kernel, avocado, cilantro salad with a squeeze of lime. Cold beer made it lively.
Grilling in Greece: One recent warm night, I grilled some lamb rubbed with garlic and rosemary, and served it with homemade cucumber tsatsiki, crumbled feta, olives, and flat bread. The charred lamb was such a lovely accompaniment to the simple sides.
One Night in Nice: Dear Daughter will tell just about anyone her favorite food is a Nicoise salad - much to my chagrin - it sounds so precocious! What she really means is she loves La Nouvelle Observatrice's composed Nicoise with lightly steamed green beans, fresh garden tomatoes, boiled eggs, some briny olives, boiled new potatoes tossed with olive oil and chives, and tuna (if it's in a tin, I use the Italian brand packed in oil, and mix in some fresh parsley). I usually whip up a lemon-dijon vinaigrette, and drizzle it over the colorful platters.
Crunchy-punchy Caesar: This one is an American classic - originating, they say, from the Brown Derby in Hollywood, also ubiquitous at steakhouse menus - actually pretty ubiquitous on any American menu! I do love the effect of the crisp cool hearts of romaine on a summer day. The weekend's stale bread makes the homemade crusty croutons. The aged parmesan reggiano is nutty, and procured during a weekend outing at Eastern Market. I make my vinaigrette with extra punch - lots of lemon, lots of garlic, lots of dijon (extra forte). Grilling even just one or two chicken breasts gives us enough protein for a few people - more people than breasts can - for once - work out here.
More Inspiration than Perspiration: Salmon burgers have become a regular go-to meal around here. Being pressed for time, a little lazy, and taking more credit for the inspiration to eat fresh and healthy, than the actually making of it, I buy pre-made salmon patties at the fish store or Whole Foods Market, grill them up, and serve on whole wheat burger buns, with a spoonful of 1000 Island dressing, some romaine (See Caesar - regularly in my fridge in the summer months), and a slice or two of tomato (see other recipes - perfect in July and August)
Late July Harvest Show-off: Pasta primavera was featured recently on this blog. A quick sautee of summer squash, sweet onion, corn, tomato and basil - no need to be saucy about it. I serve it over a small portion of pasta - the pasta-veg/sauce ratio is no more than 1-to-1. Aged parmesan is grated over our bright yellow-red-green dishes right at the table. Yum.
Don't forget the power of good, cold craft beer, chilled white (or even pink) wine, bubbly seltzer (add a dash of cranberry juice or a flavored syrup for fanciness), lemonade (with or without pureed raspberries), and homemade ice cream (just 20 minutes, plus freezetime in the ice cream maker) to get credit for being a domestic goddess. Nigella, my luscious, eat your heart out!
Here are some recent menus for Summer 2011:
Ciao Italia: Tonight's dinner included roasted red peppers; farm tomatoes & garden basil; fresh buffalo mozzarella; sliced pepperoni; white bean salad with garden sage; spinach wilted in olive oil, garlic and a squeeze of lemon; crusty bread; and a bottle of wine. Later, we enjoyed homemade cherry-vanilla ice pops. Yummy, cool, and so easy!
Simplemente Mexico: Last week, I used up a host of leftovers and re-created them into something totally new and easy. I sprinkled a mild, white mexican cheese on corn tortillas and broiled them to just enough to crisp the tortilla and melt the cheese; a light pico de gallo sauce on the side; and served with a black bean, fresh corn kernel, avocado, cilantro salad with a squeeze of lime. Cold beer made it lively.
Grilling in Greece: One recent warm night, I grilled some lamb rubbed with garlic and rosemary, and served it with homemade cucumber tsatsiki, crumbled feta, olives, and flat bread. The charred lamb was such a lovely accompaniment to the simple sides.
One Night in Nice: Dear Daughter will tell just about anyone her favorite food is a Nicoise salad - much to my chagrin - it sounds so precocious! What she really means is she loves La Nouvelle Observatrice's composed Nicoise with lightly steamed green beans, fresh garden tomatoes, boiled eggs, some briny olives, boiled new potatoes tossed with olive oil and chives, and tuna (if it's in a tin, I use the Italian brand packed in oil, and mix in some fresh parsley). I usually whip up a lemon-dijon vinaigrette, and drizzle it over the colorful platters.
Crunchy-punchy Caesar: This one is an American classic - originating, they say, from the Brown Derby in Hollywood, also ubiquitous at steakhouse menus - actually pretty ubiquitous on any American menu! I do love the effect of the crisp cool hearts of romaine on a summer day. The weekend's stale bread makes the homemade crusty croutons. The aged parmesan reggiano is nutty, and procured during a weekend outing at Eastern Market. I make my vinaigrette with extra punch - lots of lemon, lots of garlic, lots of dijon (extra forte). Grilling even just one or two chicken breasts gives us enough protein for a few people - more people than breasts can - for once - work out here.
More Inspiration than Perspiration: Salmon burgers have become a regular go-to meal around here. Being pressed for time, a little lazy, and taking more credit for the inspiration to eat fresh and healthy, than the actually making of it, I buy pre-made salmon patties at the fish store or Whole Foods Market, grill them up, and serve on whole wheat burger buns, with a spoonful of 1000 Island dressing, some romaine (See Caesar - regularly in my fridge in the summer months), and a slice or two of tomato (see other recipes - perfect in July and August)
Late July Harvest Show-off: Pasta primavera was featured recently on this blog. A quick sautee of summer squash, sweet onion, corn, tomato and basil - no need to be saucy about it. I serve it over a small portion of pasta - the pasta-veg/sauce ratio is no more than 1-to-1. Aged parmesan is grated over our bright yellow-red-green dishes right at the table. Yum.
Don't forget the power of good, cold craft beer, chilled white (or even pink) wine, bubbly seltzer (add a dash of cranberry juice or a flavored syrup for fanciness), lemonade (with or without pureed raspberries), and homemade ice cream (just 20 minutes, plus freezetime in the ice cream maker) to get credit for being a domestic goddess. Nigella, my luscious, eat your heart out!
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