Late Summer Cooking and Entertaining - With Incentives
Welcome to the end of Summer - a great time to show-off or enhance your culinary skills. In these ideas for late summer, you will find a bias for foods using fresh herbs and late summer vegetables that highlight some of the last seasonally fresh items typically available. It is a great time for mushrooms and truffles among others.
We are offering a chance to win a Shopping Spree at To-Table valued at $250 for those who demonstrate, through posts on Instagram(#totablelatesummercooking or email posts to info@to-table.com) and Facebook, of your creations with To-Table ingredients. (Fine print: To-Table Inc, in its sole discretion, will select winner(s))
Here are some recipe ideas for late summer. Also se our Pinterest page for more ideas.
Grilled Quail with White Polenta
3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk $
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Prepare grill.
Bring milk and half-and-half to a simmer over medium-high heat in a small, heavy saucepan. Gradually add 1/4 cup cornmeal, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes or until polenta is thick and creamy, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Keep warm.
Place the quail, breast side down, on a cutting surface. Cut the quail in half lengthwise along backbone, cutting to, but not through, other side. Sprinkle the quail with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and minced parsley. Place the quail on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Discard skin. Serve the quail with polenta and lemon wedges. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.
Cooking Light October 2006
North African Lamb Kebabs
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds Lamb Tenderloin or Sirloin Chops, cut into 1-inch cubes with some of the fat attached
- 6 warm pita breads, for serving
- Yogurt Dipping Sauce, recipe follows
- Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, mint, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and olive oil. Add the lamb to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Soak 8 to 10 bamboo skewers in warm water for about 1 hour before assembling the kabobs.
Preheat the grill to high, and lightly oil the grill grates to prevent sticking. Thread the lamb onto the soaked skewers and place on the grill, turning to evenly cook, about 12 to 14 minutes.
Drizzle the pitas with sauce, then wrap the pita around the meat on the skewer, fold over and twist the skewer off the meat. Serve.
Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2006
Asian Grilled Pork Chops
1⁄4 cup reduced medium soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
Yellow Squash with Wild Mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces wild foraged or cultivated mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 medium yellow squash, or courgettes, sliced lengthwise paper-thin on a mandoline
Kosher salt Black pepper
In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, and cook until the mushrooms are browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, salt and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Blistered Shishito Peppers with Olive-and-Basil Salt
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Place the olives and basil in the bowl of a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add the salt and pulse to combine. Spread the salt mixture on a baking sheet; place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is quite dry. Remove and let cool, then break apart using your fingers.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the grape seed oil and give it 1 minute to heat up. In batches, so as to not overcrowd the pan, fry the peppers until blistered on all sides, 2 or 3 minutes per side. With tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the peppers to a paper-towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with some of the flavored salt; use about 2 tablespoons of the salt mixture and reserve the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a later use.
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water. Drop squash blossoms into the boiling water until slightly wilted, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer immediately into the cold water to chill. Remove to paper towels to drain.
- Mix goat cheese, egg yolk, Gruyere cheese, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; stir until smooth. Spoon filling into a heavy, resealable 1-quart plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Cut a small corner off the bag.
- Gently insert the cut corner of the bag all the way to the bottom of the open end of a blossom and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling inside. Pick up petals and drape them up over the filling, covering filling completely. Fold any excess petals over the top of the filled blossom to keep them out of the way. Refrigerate filled squash blossoms until cheese is set and firm, at least 30 minutes.
- Combine self-rising flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl; whisk in ice-cold water, a little at a time, until batter is smooth and has the thickness of pancake batter.
- Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1 inch into a heavy skillet (such as a cast iron pan) and place over medium heat. Heat oil until a thermometer placed into the oil, not touching the bottom, reads 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). A drop of batter carefully dripped into the oil should sizzle immediately.
- Remove squash blossoms from refrigerator and dust lightly with all-purpose flour on all sides. Shake off excess flour and dip blossoms in batter. Let excess batter drip off.
- Gently lay coated squash blossoms in the hot oil on their sides; cook about 6 at a time until pale golden brown, 1 minute on the first side and 30 seconds to 1 minute on the remaining sides. Let cool slightly before serving.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water. Drop squash blossoms into the boiling water until slightly wilted, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer immediately into the cold water to chill. Remove to paper towels to drain.
Mix goat cheese, egg yolk, Gruyere cheese, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; stir until smooth. Spoon filling into a heavy, resealable 1-quart plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Cut a small corner off the bag.
Gently insert the cut corner of the bag all the way to the bottom of the open end of a blossom and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling inside. Pick up petals and drape them up over the filling, covering filling completely. Fold any excess petals over the top of the filled blossom to keep them out of the way. Refrigerate filled squash blossoms until cheese is set and firm, at least 30 minutes.
Combine self-rising flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl; whisk in ice-cold water, a little at a time, until batter is smooth and has the thickness of pancake batter.
Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1 inch into a heavy skillet (such as a cast iron pan) and place over medium heat. Heat oil until a thermometer placed into the oil, not touching the bottom, reads 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). A drop of batter carefully dripped into the oil should sizzle immediately.
Remove squash blossoms from refrigerator and dust lightly with all-purpose flour on all sides. Shake off excess flour and dip blossoms in batter. Let excess batter drip off.
Gently lay coated squash blossoms in the hot oil on their sides; cook about 6 at a time until pale golden brown, 1 minute on the first side and 30 seconds to 1 minute on the remaining sides. Let cool slightly before serving.
- Chef's Note:
- Use shredded Gruyere, Cheddar, Manchego, or any other firm cheese in the filling.
Italian-Style Grilled Octopus
In a large pot, place the octopus along with the wine, peppercorns, 1 lemon cut in half, cork, and garlic. Cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the octopus until it is tender when pierced with a sharp knife. (Anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.) Drain, and allow the octopus to come to room temperature.
Light one chimney of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, spread evenly over coal grate. Alternatively, set the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover gill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Toss the octopus with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.Place the octopus on the grill and cook for a few minutes on both sides until the octopus is well browned, but still remains moist, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Cut the octopus tentacles, place on a platter and drizzle with the remaining olive oil, juice of the remaining lemon, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or at room temperature with lemon wedges if desired.
Potatoes with truffles
Put the potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water and place over high heat. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat and cook the potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, let cool slightly, then peel and cut into 1/10 inch wide slices.
Place the butter in a fairly large pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter has melted, add the potatoes and cook until golden, turning them carefully.
Remove the potatoes from the heat and garnish with sliced truffle. Season with salt, pepper, grated cheese and a couple drops of lemon juice.
Serve the potatoes and truffles while still warm.
Stuffed Cuttlefish: Seppie Ripiene
Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali
In a medium bowl, combine the chopped cuttlefish with bread crumbs and eggs. Chop 2 of the garlic cloves and add with the onion and 1/3 cup parsley to the bread crumb mixture. Stir in the milk and 3 tablespoons oil and mix together briefly. Add salt and pepper, to taste, cheese, olives, and tomatoes. Using your hands, mix well, and stuff each of the whole cuttlefish loosely with the mixture.
Finely chop the remaining clove of garlicand add to a small bowl along with the remaining 3 tablespoons parsley. In a pan large enough to hold the cuttlefish in 1layer, heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add finely chopped garlic and parsley. When aromatics begin to sizzle, arrange stuffed cuttlefish in the frying pan, open side down. Brown for about 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully turn, and brown on the other side. When brown on both sides, add white wine to the pan, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until cuttlefish are tender. If the pan starts to look dry, add more wine.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired, and the small amount of sauce left in the pan spooned over the cuttlefish.
Recipe copyright 2002, Mario Batali. All Rights Reserved
Pasta With Sausage & Eggplant Sauce
6 baby Eggplant, Peeled & Cut Into 3/4 Inch Dice
2 Teaspoons Salt
3 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Peeled & Diced
3 Spicy or Mild Italian Sausage, Meat Removed From Casings (please specify uncooked when ordering)
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced.
1 (28 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
Salt & Pepper To Taste
1/2 Teaspoon Hot Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
3/4 Pound Pasta of Choice (See Notes Above)
To Serve:
Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
Toss the eggplant with the 2 teaspoons of salt and place in a colander.
Let sit 20 minutes, then squeeze dry.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and sausage meat.
Cook, using two forks to break up the meat as it cooks until it is no longer pink.
Add the eggplant, and continue to cook until the eggplant has softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook an additional minute or two.
Add the tomatoes, paste, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Add a small cup of water if sauce thickens too much).
Stir in the parsley and basil.
Taste, and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
While the sauce is finishing cooking, cook the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water until it is “al dente”, following manufacturers instructions.
Drain, and return the pasta to the pot.
Add a large scoop or two of sauce to the pasta and toss to coat.
Serve the pasta in individual bowls with an additional spoonful or two of sauce on top.
Pass the grated cheese at the table, and enjoy!
Italian Rib Eye
10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Place the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, and salt into a mortar or small bowl, and mash into a coarse paste. Stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and white pepper until evenly blended. Scrape half of the mixture into a separate small bowl; set aside. Spread the remaining half of the herb mixture evenly over the steaks. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Cook the steaks on the preheated grill for 7 minutes, then turn over, and coat with the reserved herb mixture. Continue cooking 7 minutes more for medium-well, or until your desired degree of doneness has been reached.
Pan-Roasted Baby Artichokes
24 baby artichokes, about 3 pounds
- Peel off and discard a few outer petals of the artichokes until you reach the pale, tender center. Trim the top and stem end, then quarter each artichoke. There should be no discernible choke, but if there is, remove it with a paring knife. Put the artichokes in a bowl of cold water to which the lemon juice has been added.
- In a wide, heavy, nonaluminum skillet, heat a 1/2 inch of olive oil over medium heat. Drain and blot the artichokes and, when the oil is nearly smoking, carefully add them to the skillet. Season well with salt and pepper, stirring to coat with oil. Let the artichokes brown slightly, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until they are tender when probed with a paring knife.
- Add the red pepper, garlic and parsley. Stir well and let sizzle for a minute or so. Transfer the artichokes to a platter, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve with lemon wedges, or sprinkle sparingly with red wine vinegar. Eat hot, or at room temperature.
Chili Lemon Cuttlefish
2 Prepared cuttlefish (heads on)
Rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
4 Garlic cloves, diced
4 Tablespoons chili sauce or Mojo Picon sauce
Olive oil
Parsley
Method
- Wash the cuttlefish and remove the heads by pulling away from the body, remove the beak by pushing your thumb through the head, discard.
- Keep the cuttlefish heads and tentacles whole, slice the body in half lengthways and then cut into half inch wide strips.
- Place the cuttlefish pieces into a bowl/Spanish cazuela and grate over with the lemon zest. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish and add the garlic along with the chili or Mojo sauce.
- Mix well, cover with tinfoil and marinade in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- Remove the cuttlefish from the fridge and discard the marinade.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the cuttlefish, fry for 3 – 4 minutes or until tender.
- Serve with fresh mixed salad, white Rioja and fresh crusty bread.
Tip:
- Octopus can also be used for this recipe, add chili flakes to the marinade for extra bite and marinade overnight if using Mojo sauce.