Cucumber Melon Salad with Feta
A true homage to summer, this salad from The Splendid Table is cool, crisp and juicy.
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ cups ripe summer melon, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
¼ cup mint leaves, torn
1 heaping tablespoon finely-chopped scallion tops
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon high-quality olive oil
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt, roll up the pieces in a double thickness of paper towel and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Unwrap and pat dry.
2. Rub a serving bowl with the garlic. Add the cucumber, melon, mint, scallions, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of oil. Gently combine. Season to taste with more oil or vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Top with the crumbled cheese and eat immediately.
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Marinated Persian Cucumber Salad
Super simple and healthy, this salad is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
2 Persian cucumbers
1 red onion
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Peel the cucumbers and then half lengthwise before thinly slicing. Then, peel and thinly slice the onion and place in a bowl with the cucumber.
2. Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and oil in a bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the cucumber and onion mixture and toss well to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1-2 hours before serving cold or at room temperature.
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Lavender-Infused Lemonade
This cool beverage is fragrant with summer lavender.
Ingredients:
Small handful lavender flowers, rinsed and cut from stem
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2-3 cups ice water
1½ cups freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Method:
1. Place lavender flowers in a medium bowl. Pour the sugar over the flowers and use your fingers to gently rub the flowers into the sugar. Pour the boiling water over the lavender sugar and stir with a spoon until the sugar has melted. Cover and let infuse for 30 minutes (or up to several hours).
2. Strain the lavender-infused simple syrup and pour into a serving carafe or pitcher. Stir in the lemon juice. Add another two cups of water. Taste and adjust for tartness. Add more lemon juice if too sweet, or add more sugar if too tart. Add ice and more water to desired level of concentration.
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Breton Coco Shelling Beans with Lemon & Olive Oil
A lovely supper side, these beautiful beans are also tossed with fresh herbs.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds fresh Breton Coco shelling beans in pod
2 tablespoons salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
2 tablespoons combined chopped basil and parsley
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Shell beans. In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook beans with salt until tender and no longer mealy, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain beans and transfer to a bowl.
2. While beans are still warm, toss with remaining ingredients and season with salt. Serve salad warm or at room temperature.
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Sage & Brown Butter Pasta with Summer Squash
This light, summery pasta is deeply flavorful with a sage-butter sauce and crisp squash.
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta of your choice
2-3 assorted summer squash, washed and peeled
4 tablespoons butter
8 sage leaves
½ lemon, juiced
¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or other Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place a large pot of generously salted water on the stove over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain, reserving about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, slice the summer squash very thinly using a sharp knife or mandoline and season with salt and pepper.
3. Melt butter in a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan and continue cooking until golden brown in color. Add sage leaves and sauté until leaves are crisp. Add lemon juice, then gently pour drained pasta into saute pan and heat. Add the cheese and squash, toss to coat and serve immediately.
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Grilled Peppers & Zucchini
Serve these classic grilled vegetables from Domenica Marchetti’s The Glorious Vegetables of Italy atop warm bread.
Ingredients:
3-4 frying peppers
2 zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, sliced thin
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high, then place whole peppers on grate and grill until skins are blistered and blackened. Add zucchini slices and also grill until just soft with grill marks.
2. Transfer grilled peppers to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand about 10 minutes. Remove peppers and lay on cutting board. Cut each in half, seeding and stemming, then scrape off charred skin with a knife. Cut into thin strips.
3. Drizzle olive oil over peppers and zucchini, season with salt and sprinkle with parsley. Toss to coat, then add slices of garlic. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to meld flavors before serving.
Variation: Try rubbing both the zucchini and peppers with our signature F&L dry rub before grilling—delicious!
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Polenta Cake with Stanley Prune Plums
This luscious cake is kissed with juicy plums and citrus peel.
Ingredients:
4 Stanley prune plums, pitted and cut into wedges
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup polenta or yellow cornmeal
1½ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks, plus 2 full eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
Crème fraîche for serving (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan; line bottom with a 9-inch circle of parchment paper. Arrange plums on parchment in pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over the plums. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat until light. Add egg yolks and eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add lemon peel and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Spoon batter over plums in pan and spread evenly.
4. Bake about 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan; cool cake completely. Invert cake onto serving platter; remove bottom of pan and parchment. If desired, serve with crème fraîche.
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Celery & Cucumber Salad with Herbs
This side salad from Martha Stewart is incredibly crisp and refreshing.
Ingredients:
6 celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise
1-2 Persian cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Toss together celery, cucumber, parsley, mint, and oil in a bowl. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature.
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Slow-Roasted Celery
This unexpected side dish is sure to be a new favorite.
Ingredients:
2 bunches celery, halved lengthwise, leaves removed and coarsely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, pressed
3 tablespoons apple cider
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
3⁄4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
2⁄3 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the celery for 3 minutes, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, and let drain. Place the celery on a baking sheet, cut sides down.
3. Whisk the garlic, apple cider and olive oil together, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the celery with half of the dressing and half of the parsley and slide the baking sheet into the oven. Pour the stock over them and cook for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the thickness of the celery), until the celery al dente and the tips are coloring.
4. Transfer to a serving platter if desired. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing; sprinkle with the rest of the parsley, celery leaves, cheese, and hazelnuts; and serve.
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Fresh Pasta with Sautéed Fall Mushrooms
Also rich with chicken stock and herbs, this pasta beautifully captures the flavors of mellow, earthy mushrooms.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh pasta
4 cups mixed mushrooms, washed and patted dry
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup combined fresh chopped parsley, sage and thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
¼ cup grated Grana-style cheese
Method:
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in pasta noodles and cook until al dente, about 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and rinse, reserving ½ cup of the starchy cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil over medium heat, stirring to combine. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are soft and tender and then add chicken stock and cook until reduced slightly, another 3-4 minutes. Add in fresh herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Add in the drained pasta and toss. Add in reserved 1 tablespoon of butter and grated cheese, and mix to distribute. If pasta seems dry, add in reserved cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until adequately moist.
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