Best of Summer
We’ve eaten so well (too well) this summer, but it’s not hard to remember the very best meals of the season. It’s hard to beat fresh-from-the-garden Pico de Gallo and freshly mashed guacamole, paired with slices of grilled steak, authentic fried tortilla chips and white rice that has been tossed with parsley, lemon juice and a touch of olive oil. Crowd pleaser! Regarding the pico de gallo proportions, keep in mind that the onions and cilantro are equal partners with the tomatoes. Finely dice a jalapeno, squeeze the lime. Salt, pepper. You got it.
this father's day feast was followed by valrhona chocolate cake
Last week, the ridiculously succulent and flavorful beef came from Carlton Farms, just up the road. After serving as grill master, breathing in those heady aromas, Scott nearly knocked us over to get to the table and bite into that steak. And the leftovers! Toss the rice, pico de gallo and steak slices together for an incredible lunch salad. Early this summer, in a meal shared with our dear friends Cameron & Suzy, the pico de gallo and guacamole and rice were delicious with seasoned sautéed shrimp.
Another summer smash…pesto. In a fit of cleaning over the winter holidays, I rediscovered my Braun immersion blender that has mini-chop attachment. This thing is such a snap to pull out, use and rinse off that it makes producing a small batch of pesto an effortless side-project, and frequent harvests have added to the health of the basil plants. I use it fresh or stash in the freezer. Come winter, my frozen homemade homegrown pesto will beat the pants off store bought, so why not? This winter, I can mix it into ricotta for my skillet lasagna recipe or throw it into a vegetable soup, or spread on a turkey Panini.
Last year, a tip from the Oregonian led me to “put up” some corn. While it’s sweet, plentiful and cheap, just cut the kernels off the ears and freeze. I didn’t do enough last year to take me very far into the winter, but it was a delicious time-saver none-the-less, so I’m doing that again.
Now, on another tip from the paper, I’m getting ready to slow-roast Roma tomatoes in the oven. I haven’t done that in ages, and never with the intention of freezing some. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Other bests? Grilled peaches. Home grown green beans with lemon-shallot vinaigrette. Berries with yogurt and homemade maple pecan granola. Roasted poblano peppers. I’m making myself hungry…a sandwich on soft whole-wheat bread, with plenty of mayo and mustard and lightly salted tomato slices will be perfect!
