Summer Splendor Recipes
The Italian summer calls to mind visions of beautiful wine, fresh creamy cheeses, and garden-fresh produce simply and beautifully prepared. Hence, this week’s box captures the flavors of summer by way of Italy with a bounty of produce that includes heirloom tomatoes, Italian eggplant, fennel, and zucchini, plus Skagit River Ranch Italian sausage and fresh fior di latte mozzarella-style cheese from Ferndale Farmstead Creamery. Also included for this relaxed, refreshing spread: Italian Rustica bread, farm-fresh eggs, ripe yellow peaches, and fragrant, garden-grown herbs. Mangia!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Fresh Peach Caprese
Summer perfection on a plate!
Roasted Ratatouille Toasts
A delightful spin on the classic stew, this time slathered on toasted Italian Rustica bread as a starter!
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil-Pesto Vinaigrette and Fresh Mozzarella
A beautiful twist on the classic Caprese salad!
Grilled Fennel
A wonderful side for grilled chicken or steak.
Grilled Lemon-Garlic Zucchini
Brushed with a herb-kissed butter mixture, these zucchini slices pair well with grilled chicken, fish or steak.
Peach Cobbler
It’s hard to beat this classic summer dessert—just add vanilla ice cream!
Fresh Peach Caprese
Summer perfection on a plate!
Ingredients:
3 ripe peaches
1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese
10 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Slice the peaches and the mozzarella into pieces of a similar thickness.
2. Layer sliced peaches, mozzarella, and basil leaves on two plates, dividing the ingredients evenly between the two. Drizzle evenly with balsamic vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Roasted Ratatouille Toasts
A delightful spin on the classic stew, this time slathered on toasted bread as a starter!
Method:
1 heirloom tomato, roughly chopped
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, some sliced in half, others left whole
½ eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 zucchini or summer squash, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 sweet pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
⅓ cup olive oil
2½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 loaf rustic bread or focaccia, sliced into ½-inch-thick slices
½ cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta or fresh ricotta
½ cup basil, thinly sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large roasting pan, toss the tomatoes, eggplant, squash or zucchini, pepper, onion and garlic with red pepper flakes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned and the tomatoes have released their juices. Stir the vegetables halfway through cooking, and then toss again once they have been removed from the oven.
2. Remove the vegetables from the oven and increase the temperatures to a broil. Lightly brush each slice of bread or focaccia with olive oil. Place them on the upper rack of the oven and toast until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.
3. Top each toast with a generous portion of the ratatouille mixture, and then add a little crumbled feta or dollop of ricotta on each. Garnish with the basil and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Summery Bucatini Pasta with Italian Sausage
This light and lovely pasta makes the best of summer tomatoes and herbs; we also recommend adding a dollop of this week’s fior di latte cheese to each serving!
Ingredients:
1 pound semolina pasta, such as this week’s bucatini
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound mixed cherry and heirloom tomatoes, cut in half for the cherry tomatoes, and then in bite-sized chunks for the larger heirlooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons finely-chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
¼ cup julienned basil leaves
Fior di latte cheese, for garnish
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, shallot and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste, and allow to sit while preparing the rest of the dish so that the flavors meld.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the water, stir gently and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.
3. In a large skillet, cook the Italian sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling into bite-sized pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink. Add the tomato mixture and the drained pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to combine. Stir in the basil and season with additional salt if needed. Transfer to individual serving bowls and add a generous dollop of cheese to each and drizzle again with olive oil before serving.
