Summer is in full swing–tomatoes, basil, corn squash. . .it’s heaven really. By all means try the bruschetta with basil, goat cheese and grilled peaches and make Julia Child’s summer squash tian–it’s a lovely affair and a wonderful technique. And I doubt you need much in the way of advice on the sweet corn. Enjoy!
Recipes
Pesto
Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Basil and Grilled Peaches
Corn Ideas
Zucchini/Summer Squash Pickles
Summer Squash Tian (from Julia Child)
Chicken Salad with Green Beans and Creamy Basil Dressing
Stewed Green Beans, Tomato and Bacon
Chard Tart
Pesto
I used to be a purist about pesto and I’m not anymore. I use almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts since I never have pine nuts. I use aged, Asiago Stella (available at Pastaworks and City Market) because it’s much cheaper than Parmesan and still very good. I also use the food processor. And you can scale this up or down very easily. It keeps well in the fridge, topped of with a thin layer of good olive oil, for at least a week or more. And you can put it on so many things—use it as a sandwich spread; stir it into deviled eggs or a frittata thin it out for a salad dressing . . . .
1 bunch basil, leaves picked (between 2 and 3 cups leaves, packed)
2-3 smallish cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
Generous handful of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or pine nuts
About 2 ounces of Parmesan or aged asiago (Asiago Stella available at Pastaworks/City Market)
1/3 – 1/2 cup of good-tasting extra virgin olive oil (or more)
Salt and freshly ground peper
If you have a mortar and pestle, a strong arm and some time, by all means make the pesto by hand. I almost always now make it in a food processor and it’s very good that way too.
Put the nuts and cheese in the processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the basil, garlic and salt and process until well chopped. Then slowly add the oil. Don’t over process. Adjust for salt and oil. Then store in the fridge until ready to use.
Bruschetta with Fresh Goat Cheese, Basil and Grilled Peaches
Another idea for your beautiful basil this week—gorgeous and delicious!
Serves 5 as a side/starter
5 good crusty slices of bread, toasted or grilled
3-4 ounces fresh goat’s cheese (or fresh ricotta or some other mild, spreadable cheese)
Handful or two of whole basil leaves
1-2 large peaches, washed but not peeled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Good olive oil
A little lime juice or balsamic vinegar
Set your oven to broil or turn on/light your grill. Slice the peaches into 1/4-inch thick slices, working your way around the peach vertically. Spread the peach slices on a cookie sheet and brush lightly with olive oil and broil for a few minutes on each side until just browning in a few spots. You don’t want them to fall apart so watch closely. Alternatively grill on foil on a grill.
Cut your slices of toasted bread in halves or thirds. Spread generously with goat cheese and cover cheese with basil leaves. Salt and pepper the bruschettta at this point and drizzle with a little good olive oil. Then top with the broiled peach slices, more freshly ground pepper and a very light drizzle of either lime juice or balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!
Corn Ideas
- On the cob: butter, salt
- Cooked and then sliced off the cob, mixed with diced tomato, red onion, basil and olive oil and red wine vinegar, s & p for a wonderful salad/side
- Quick succotash: sliced off the cob and then cooked in butter or with some diced bacon, finely chopped green beans, onion and diced summer squash
Zucchini/Summer Squash Pickles
–from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers
These are very similar to the bread and butter (cucumber) pickles my mother has made for decades. They’re quick to make, wonderful with burgers or anywhere else that calls for a little zip. They are nicely balanced, sweet and savory.
1 pound zucchini (medium-smallish) or other summer squash
1 red torpedo onion
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed yellow and/or brown mustard seeds
scant 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Wash and trim the zucchini or other summer squash, then slice 1/16-inch think on a mandolin. Slice the onion as thinly as possible as well. Place together in a large but shallow bowl, add the salt and toss to distribute. Add a few ice cubes and cold water to cover, then stir to dissolve the salt.
After about 1 hour, taste and feel a piece of zucchini- it should be faintly salty and softened. Drain, making sure to remove any reaming ice cubes. Dry very thoroughly between towels, or use a salad spinner. The zucchini needs to be very dry- otherwise it will not be crisp. Rinse and dry the bowl you were using.
Combine the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds, and turmeric in a saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside and cool until room temperature.
Put the zucchini back in the bowl and add the cooled brine. Stir to distribute the spices.
Transfer the pickles to jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least a day before serving to allow the flavors to mellow and permeate the zucchini. Rogers says these will keep indefinitely in the fridge.
Summer Squash Tian
–adapted from by Julia Child via Food52
This is a brilliant dish—it really is. I made it in honor of Julia Child’s 100th birthday earlier this week. It takes a little bit of time but is well worth it and uses a little over 2 lbs of summer squash. We had this for dinner with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, basil and feta. Perfect summer food.
Serves 6
2 to 2 1/2 pounds zucchini, well washed (about 4 medium to large-ish squash)
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 cup minced onions
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, mashed or finely minced
2 tablespoons flour (all purpose, rye, spelt. . .)
About 2 1/2 cups warm liquid: zucchini juices plus whole milk, heated in a pan (watch this closely so that it doesn’t curdle)
About 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese (save 2 tablespoons for later)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 425.
If squash are large, halve or quarter them. Grate the squash on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl that you’ve lined with a clean, cotton dish towel. Toss the grated squash with about 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons of sea salt and let sit while you continue with the dish.
In a large (11-inch) ideally ovenproof (cast iron or All-clad) frying pan, cook the onions and rice slowly in the oil for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and translucent. The rice may brown a bit which is just fine. Raise heat slightly and stir several more minutes until lightly browned.
Now bring the ends of the towel together and twist and squeeze all the liquid you can out of the squash and into the bowl it’s been resting in. You will get about 1- ½ cups of salted liquid. Add milk to make 2 ¼ – 2 ½ cups liquid and warm gently in a saucepan. Don’t boil.
Now stir the grated and dried zucchini and garlic into the onion and rice mixture. Toss and turn for 5 to 6 minutes until the zucchini is almost tender. Sprinkle in the flour, stir over moderate heat for 2 minutes, and remove from heat. Gradually stir in the hot liquid, being sure the flour is well blended and smooth. Return over moderately high heat and bring to the simmer, stirring. Remove from the heat again, stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese.
Taste very carefully for seasoning. Now if you’re skillet isn’t oven proof turn the mixture into a buttered baking dish, top with remaining cheese and drizzle the olive oil over the cheese.
Bake in preheated 425-degree F oven until tian is bubbling and top has browned nicely. The rice should absorb all the liquid. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Chicken Salad with Green Beans and Creamy Basil Dressing
–adapted from Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwagon
A different twist on chicken salad and lovely for a summer meal on a bed of lettuce and some good bread.
1 lb cooked chicken, diced
1/2 a torpedo onion, white(red) and green parts thinly sliced
¾ – 1 lb fresh beans, cooked in salted boiling water for about minutes, drained and run under cold water and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 – 1½ cups diced tomato
Dressing:
¾ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup homemade or store bought mayonnaise
1 tablespoon good olive oil
¾ cup (packed) thinly sliced basil
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Dress chicken, scallions, beans, onions and tomatoes gently and serve on bed of torn lettuce dressed lightly with a little olive oil and lemon juice and salt.
Stewed Green Beans, Tomato and Bacon
This is so simple and so good. Made it last night and had the leftovers for breakfast at room temperature. Heated up with a fried egg it would have been even better this morning.
Wash and trim as many green/wax beans as you want to use. Cut the beans into about 3-inch lengths. I would suggest making a lot of this since it keeps well and is so good.
2-3 sliced bacon, diced
½ a large onion, roughly chopped
2-3 tomatoes, diced (no need to skin or seed)
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
In the largest skillet you have, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and bacon and sauté, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and several generous pinches of salt and stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes over high heat. Then add the diced tomatoes, stir well again and bring everything to a brisk simmer. Then turn the heat down and cover the pan and cook gently for about 20 minutes until everything is tender, the tomato is broken down and coating the beans. Taste for seasoning and serve drizzled with more olive oil.
Swiss Chard Tart
Serves 6
Don’t be put off by the tart dough. It’s really pretty straightforward and the result is a gorgeous and delicious dish that keeps well, is a good at room temp and is good with any leafy geen.
1 recipe Tart Dough (recipe follows)
1 large bunch of chard, leaves only, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. butter
1 large or two smaller onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
Zest of 1/2 a small lemon (optional)
3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan
A few pinches of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
Preheat the oven to 425ºF
Heat the butter in a wide skillet; add the onion and cook it over medium heat until it is translucent and soft. Add the garlic, and the chard leaves by handfuls, if necessary, until they all fit. Sprinkle in a large pinch of salt. Turn the leaves over repeatedly so that they are all exposed to the heat of the pan, and cook until they are tender, 5 minutes or more.
Make the custard. Beat the eggs; then stir in the milk, lemon peel (if using), grated Parmesan, and a few scrapings of nutmeg. Stir in the chard and onion mixture. Taste and season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell and bake until the top is golden and firm, about 40 minutes.
Tart Dough
–adapted from David Lebovitz
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
(or ¾ cup apf and ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour)
4 1/2 ounces, about 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons cold water
Make the dough by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and use your hands, or a pastry blender, to break in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.
Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of the water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, stirring the mixture until the dough holds together. If it’s not coming together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water.
Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.
Once the dough is large enough so that it will cover the bottom of the pan and go up the sides, roll the dough around the rolling pin then unroll it over the tart pan. “Dock” the bottom of the pastry firmly with your fingertips a few times, pressing in to make indentations