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Summer is for Eating
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It's finally here! The sunshine has arrived to draw us outside, and to bring crops of splendid produce up from the dirt. Nature provides us with this moment of culinary harmony, in which we are not in the mood to hover over a hot stove, but still dine well, because the fresh bounty needs little in the way of adornment. When the first local supersweet corn hits the market, all we need is a pot of boiling water and some butter. At the first picking of scented, juicy tomatoes, slicing and sprinkling on salt is the extent of our labors in the kitchen. The wonder of burstingly sweet fruits, rampant zucchini and leafy greens without even a hint of wilt is enough to satisfy even the most demanding palate.
As exciting as the first ears of corn or slabs of juicy tomato may be, we eventually tire of eating them quite so plainly. Cooking with the summer booty is still a breeze. The extra liveliness of the great produce this time of year is such that a few small efforts can take that raw material and transform it into a memorable meal.
Try these recipes as part of your celebration of summer.
Peperonata with Almonds and Raisins
Recipe By: Robin Asbell
Serves 4
This classic celebration of peppers is a versatile side dish for meats, as well as a topping for bread. Double it and freeze some for when peppers cost four times what they do now.
1 large onion
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large green pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
1. Thinly slice peppers and onions. Heat oil in a large skillet over
medium heat. Saute onions until softened. Add peppers to pan, lower
heat and saute for 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes
longer. Add vinegar, raisins and sugar and stir, cooking until sugar is
dissolved and the liquids coat the vegetables. Salt and pepper to
taste.
2. Top with toasted almonds, serve at room temperature.
Smoky, Nutty Arugula Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette
If you don't feel like grilling, you can get your smoky-flavor fix with this salad. Or, you can play it off the grilled flavors of your main course. Smoked almonds always seem like a treat, and this is a great way to stretch a small portion of them into a meal-long
experience.
Recipe By: Robin Asbell
Serves 4
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste from a tube
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 pinch smoked paprika or chipotle powder to taste
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup toasted almond oil, or olive oil
5 ounces baby arugala, washed and dried
4 ounces french beans, blanched
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces smoked gouda, slivered
1/4 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
cracked black pepper
1. Whisk together garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, smoked paprika or
chipotle (if using) and salt. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the oil
to make an emulsified dressing.
2. Layer arugala, french beans, tomatoes, on a platter and sprinkle
over the gouda and almonds. Grind pepper over salad to taste. Drizzle
dressing over all and serve immediately.
Grilled Shrimp and Vegetables with Fusilli
Instead of a one pot meal, this is a one grill, one bowl meal. Feel free to grill other vegetables, like onions, yellow squash, asparagus and jalapenos for this recipe.
Recipe By: Robin Asbell
Serves 4
1 pound large shrimp deveined
1 small japanese eggplant ( 5 oz)
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium zucchini (5 oz)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 tsp
2 cup fresh basil chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped
4 ounces fusilli pasta, about 2 cups
4 ounces feta cheese or chevre
1. Heat the grill, and put on a pot of water for the pasta. Toss shrimp
in a teaspoon of olive oil, reserve. Cut all the vegetables in 3/4
inch chunks, and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Put the
vegetables in a grilling cage, or heat the grill with a grill wok, or put the
veggies on skewers.
2. In your serving bowl, mix the remaining 3Tbs olive oil, basil,
garlic, and tomatoes. Have all your ingredients ready when
you start to grill. Grill the veggies over indirect heat, lid closed, until soft all
the way through, and browned outside, up to 10 minutes. Grill the
shrimp until pink and browned, about 3-5 minutes. Salt the veggies after
grilling.
Put the veggies and shrimp in the bowl with the basil mixture and
cover, to keep warm.
3. Cook pasta, drain and rinse with hot water, drain well. Toss pasta
with the grilled veggies in the bowl. Serve topped with feta or chevre.
Salmon in Caramelized Onion Sweet Corn Sauce
At the height of summer, one can actually get a little tired of corn on the cob with butter, and need to branch out into other ways of enjoying the bounty. Here, caramelized onions and golden corn make a sweet, lemon spiked sauce to pour over salmon steaks.
Recipe By: Robin Asbell
Serves 4
4 Salmon steaks
cracked black pepper and coarse salt
olive oil
3/4 cup sweet corn kernels, cut from about 1 1/2 ears
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 pinch cayenne
4 tablespoons basil leaves for garnish
Orzo or Rice, cooked in stock
1. Prepare to either grill or bake the salmon.
2. In a medium saute pan, saute onions in olive oil for at least half
an hour. Reduce heat as they cook, and stir occasionally. They should
be caramel colored.
3. Cut corn off the cobs and add to the onions, along with the rosemary
and red pepper.
Saute for a minute, then add stock. Bring the stock to a boil, and boil
until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Puree the
corn mixture in a food processor or blender. Add the brown sugar, salt,
pepper, lemon and cayenne, and mix. Transfer to the same pan and keep
warm until serving.
4. Rub steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle to taste with cracked pepper
and coarse salt. Grill over medium coals to desired degree of doneness,
or bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Serve each steak topped with sauce
and a tablespoon of basil. Serve with Orzo or Rice to sop up the sauce.
Makes about 1 3/4 cups sauce.
Mediterranean Chopped Herb Salad
Recipe By: Robin Asbell
Serves 4
1 bunch parsley
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 large tomatoes
8 slices french bread toasted
1. Wash, dry and stem the herbs. Chop them finely. Whisk together the
garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cut the tomatoes in cubes and arrange on salad plates. Cover each
with about 1/2 cup of the chopped herbs and drizzle with the dressing.
Serve with toasted bread.
Peach and Apricot Crisp with Cashew Oat Topping
The secret to a great crisp is to keep it thin, with a layer of juicy fruit topped by a crunchy topping nearly equal in depth. Sweet, summer stone fruits of all kinds are wonderful this way, and need no sugar but the topping.
1 1/2 pounds peaches, apricots and plums 5 cups, chunked
1/2 cup organic butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raw cashews coarsely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Pit and cut up the fruit, putting in a 9 inch
square baking pan as you go.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar, flour, oats, salt,
cinnamon, and cashews. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or so, until top is golden brown and the juices
are bubbly.
(reprinted with permission from Taste for Life Magazine, Summer 2005 Issue)
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June 13,6-9PM at Cooks of Crocus Hill,877 Grand Ave,St Paul MN(651)228-1333
Vegetarian Sushi
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Sushi doesn’t have to involve fish,
more....
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July 10,6-9PM at Cooks of Crocus Hill, 877 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105
(651)228-1333
Summer-Fresh and Gluten Free
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Beat the heat and lose the gluten
more....
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July 11,6-7PM at Cooks of Crocus Hill, 3925 W 50th Street, Edina MN 55424
(952)285-1903
Get Into Juicing
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Join veteran juicer and chef Robin
more....
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July 24,6-9PM at Cooks of Crocus Hill, 3925 W 50th Street, Edina MN 55424
(952)285-1903
Dim Sum Delight
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Hands-on is the best way to learn
more....
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