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!
Shelled Pea, Red Spring Onion & Sweet Red Pepper Salad
A perfect summer side for grilled proteins and veggies, or even tossed with cold pasta!
Ingredients:
1 pound shelled peas
3 red spring onions, trimmed of ends and finely diced
2 sweet red Bell peppers, seed removed and diced
¼ cup combined chopped herbs, such as parsley, salad burnet, chives and basil
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Vinaigrette:
1 sweet red Bell pepper, roasted at 400° until blackened, then stripped of seeds and chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 small shallot
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prepare vinaigrette, purée the roasted red pepper in a food processor or blender as much as possible, then add the remaining ingredients and run the machine until the dressing is silky smooth. Adjust the vinegar level and seasonings to taste.
2. In a large bowl, combine shelled peas, diced onions and diced pepper. Toss with vinaigrette, then drizzle with the lemon juice. Garnish with the fresh herbs.
Herb-Roasted Cauliflower
Seasoned with parsley, garlic and lemon, this incredibly easy cauliflower recipe is a keeper.
Ingredients:
4-5 cups cauliflower florets
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice, such as parsley, salad burnet and thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Place the cauliflower florets in a large roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
2. Place the roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until cauliflower begins to brown in spots, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and drizzle with lemon juice, tossing to coat; serve immediately while still warm.
Bacon, Onion & Herb Quiche
Light and bright, with a touch of smokiness courtesy of the bacon, this frittata is bound to be a sure-fire hit.
Ingredients:
1 pie crust, either homemade (see recipe!) or store-bought
6 thick slices bacon, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
6 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Sliced green onions, for topping
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. If you’re using a refrigerated pie crust (store-bought or homemade), add it to your pie plate and keep cold in the fridge until ready to use. If you’re using a frozen pie crust, keep frozen until ready to bake.
2. In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and leave all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet. Add in the onions and sauté in the bacon fat until translucent and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
4. Take out your pie crust and scatter the bacon and onions evenly along the bottom of the pie crust. Gently pour the egg mixture over top of the onions and bacon. Sprinkle the mozzarella and goat cheese into the quiche.
5. Place your quiche onto a baking sheet (this just helps in case of spills) and place it into the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes. (The quiche is done when the middle seems set and the crust edges are browned.) Let rest for about 15 minutes before serving.
