Seasons and recipes go hand-in-hand, and while hearty stews and thick, cheesy casseroles are great for winter, summertime calls for fare that's light and bursting with the flavors of farm-fresh ingredients.
It also helps when summer dishes are a snap to make. After a day spent soaking up the sun, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven or stand over the range.
Two of my favorite recipes for the hot season are a twist on otherwise traditional foods: a cold soup and a grilled salad. Both are easy to prepare and can be served as an appetizer or snack, or together as a delicious and nutritious meal.
Crank up the fan, grab your favorite chilled libation, and make these cool creations for yourself or for as many guests as your house can hold – both are treats for all the senses.
GAZPACHO
This chilled vegetable soup is a cinch to make and is bursting with vitamins and minerals. If you love tomatoes, this soup is for you, and even those wary of this juicy, red summer fruit (it's technically a berry) can be won over with this soup's bright flavor.
Experiment with different vegetables and the amounts of vinegar, pepper, and lemon juice to find the taste that's just right for you. This recipe will serve 4-8 people, depending on serving size.
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup chopped and peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
3/4 teaspoons chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 cup tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/8 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Flat-leaf parsley or cilantro as garnish
Got all those ingredients together? Great - that's the hardest part of making gazpacho. All you need to do now is mix it all together in a bowl and let it sleep overnight in the fridge. All those ingredients and flavors will meld, marinate, and get very happy together.
Although you can serve your gazpacho chunky, I recommend blending it. You'll still get texture – almost like a salsa consistency - and better flavor dispersion.
After the mixture has sat refrigerated 12-24 hours, pour it into a blender (you might have to do this in batches) and blend until mostly smooth but retains some chunks.
Ladle into bowels, garnish with the parsley or cilantro. Serve with chunks of crusty bread.
GRILLED HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE
The idea of grilled salad might sound odd, but you'll be a believer after you taste the slightly charred leaves, balanced by a tangy-sweet vinaigrette dressing. This will make 2 servings.
For the salad portion:
1 bunch of romaine
1 can (5 oz.) tuna (or seafood of your choice)
4 oz. artichoke hearts
2 oz. sliced black olives (kalamatas are also great on this)
Croutons
Shaved parmesan cheese
For the dressing:
6 oz. good-quality extra virgin olive oil
3 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 oz. white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of dried oregano flakes
1 shallot, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste
This might look like a lot of ingredients for a salad and dressing, but you should be able to have this plated within 15 minutes – less time than it takes to get in the car and grab some greasy burgers and fries.
And leftover vinaigrette is a great dipping sauce for raw veggies or as a marinade for meat and seafood. Whatever the case, use it within a day or two, refrigerating the leftovers (it will solidify when cold; just take it out of the fridge and let it warm a bit to liquefy again).
Make the dressing first and then let it refrigerate a few minutes while you cook the lettuce.
A vinaigrette is an example of an emulsion, in which you temporarily combine two ingredients that otherwise wouldn't mesh. In this case, it's olive oil and the acidic liquids (the lemon juice and vinegar).
Vinaigrettes usually call for a ratio of 3 to 4 parts oil to 1 part acid. Feel free to play around with this to match your tastes.
To get a very smooth emulsion, you can blend the acidic liquids and other ingredients in a blender, then slowly incorporate the oil. For an even simpler method, put the ingredients in a jar and shake it well.
In the jar (or blender) throw in the minced garlic. Then add the sliced shallots.
Zest some lemon peel. If you don't have a dedicated zester, use the finest setting of a cheese grater. Lemon zest is very flavorful and gives your dishes a wonderful, fresh taste (just be sure not to include any of the bitter pith).
Take that same lemon and juice it. Squeeze the juice into the jar or blender, being careful to leave out the seeds. Add the wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and oregano flakes.
Shake or blend. You've just made a homemade vinaigrette that will beat the pants out of anything in the store.
For the lettuce:
Take your head of romaine and lop off about 2/3 of the leafy section – you can use this later for a mixed salad. Halve the remaining head, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
On a medium-hot grill, heat the lettuce 2-3 minutes. The idea is to warm the salad; you really don't want it "hot," so just grill for a minute or two.
Plate and garnish with the olives, tuna, artichoke hearts, croutons, and shaved parmesan cheese. Drizzle on your homemade vinaigrette, and serve immediately.
