Sometimes the best things happen by accident, and this
was one of them….at least it seemed like it at the time. I got distracted while intending to lightly
brown a couple of flattened garlic cloves in some hot oil and ended up with
some crispy medium brown cloves instead.
I went with it, and set them on a brown paper bag to drain while I
barbequed the steak tips and blanched the green beans for a couple of minutes
before running them under cold water. I
chopped up the crispy garlic, dried and cut the beans, then tossed with some
halved Sun Gold Tomatoes, my best extra virgin olive oil, ground white pepper,
and coarse salt. Not sure what possessed
me, it could have been the half bottle of Chianti, but I served the veggies
over the steak tips so the salt and peppered oil, garlic, and juice from the
tomatoes seeped down making for an absolutely incredible combination of
flavors, textures, and temperatures.
Crispy garlic is now a regular addition at our house to all kinds of
vegetables, starches, and meats. In
fact, aside for a bowl of breakfast cereal not sure you can go wrong.
Fruit soups are a great summer treat as well as a refreshing
way to enjoy all the basil and mint that is in abundance this time of year….so
easy too. Peel and seed a cantaloupe and
combine in a blender or Cuisinart with the juice of half a lemon, a cup of
basil, and half a teaspoon of sugar or honey.
Chill for at least an hour or even better, overnight. You could also try spicing it up with a
couple drops of Sriracha hot sauce, some fresh ginger, or a prosciutto garnish. If you only have honeydew prepare the same
way with some fresh lime juice and mint.
It’s hard to go wrong…get chillin’!
Lasagna, as well as two day old cold lasagna leftovers,
are two of the many foods that seem to taste better in the summer, and this
quickie version makes it a whole lot easier to enjoy. Quarter and boil your dried lasagna noodles,
draining about a minute before the recommended cooking time. In the meantime sauté your burger, sausage,
onions, garlic, or in this case, spinach and mushrooms, in a large pot until
cooked before adding a jar of your favorite red sauce, a pint of ricotta, and a
cup of grated parmesan. Adjust your
spices, stir in your drained noodles, and transfer to a baking dish rearranging
any noodles that may be hanging over the lip of your dish. Top with sliced mozzarella and bake for
approximately 45 minutes. You may never
layer a lasagna again.
Grilling season is in full swing and a yogurt sauce is an
easy and refreshing compliment. For this
chicken dish I stirred into plain yogurt, the juice of one lime, two minced
garlic cloves, chopped cilantro, and salt and white pepper to taste. There are lots of options depending on what
you’re making, try fresh orange juice with dill on your salmon, or mint,
garlic, and lemon with your lamb, or how about some Indian spices, or something
as easy as your favorite curry or hot sauce with your veggies. For the best flavor I recommend preparing the
sauce at least an hour ahead of time.
And it lasts for days in the fridge, so always make more than you think
you’ll need.
When it comes to five minute summer appetizers this burrata
with tomatoes and basil ranks high on the list, and the folks at Mablebrook
Farms down in Bennington, VT, make it real easy.
Place your balls of burrata on your serving dish, slice open and split,
add a generous pinch of kosher salt, a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive
oil, a few chopped basil leaves, and some thinly sliced or chopped tomatoes,
then serve with a sliced baguette. For
the creamiest texture pull your container of burrata out of the fridge an hour
or two before serving. Summer is
here….enjoy!
