The taste of summer
Summer is Snoopy doing his happy dance.
I’m ready for vacations and beach bumming, fresh tomatoes picked right from the garden, and watermelon. Even the thought of pesky flies and buzzing mosquitoes doesn’t deter my longing for those hot sultry days.
I’m excited about the homegrown produce this summer. I started my garden in March. Tomatoes will star in many meals. I make a roasted tomato sauce that freezes nicely and makes a wonderful tomato soup. Blueberries are getting a reputation as super food, so I’ll pick them for cereal topping, and smoothies, and my blueberry cobbler — which makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It is pesto time, too.
A little bit of pesto tossed into a green salad enlivens the flavor without making it heavy or soggy. Try the parsley pesto. It doesn’t have the licorice flavor of basil pesto, but its works very well on pasta or in the Cucumber Tomato Salad.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes “cobbler.” For some people it’s fruit covered with a pastry crust; others picture fruit with a biscuit mixture on top. Mine recipe leans towards the biscuit, but the topping is loaded with nuts and coconut. I prefer fresh blueberries but frozen will do. Make this in the winter with mixed berries just to tease your taste buds.
- 3 pounds tomatoes, about 6 large or 8 medium, cored and halved
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced about 1/4 -inch thick
- 2 carrots sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
Preheat oven to 425˚.
Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread the mixture in a single layer on large rimmed baking sheet; make sure to place the tomatoes cut side down. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the carrots are tender. The top of the tomato skins will get very brown. Using tongs, peel the tomato skins. Let this mixture cool slightly on the baking sheet. Transfer all, including the juice, to a blender and pulse until it is the consistency you like it. Transfer to freezer containers in amounts you would use — perhaps 2 cups to serve pasta to four. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. (Thaw before using) This makes approximately 1 quart of sauce.
Roasted Tomato Soup
This soup with a chicken salad sandwich makes a tasty, fast dinner.
- 1 quart Roasted Tomato Sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup half and half
Heat the sauce and chicken in a medium saucepan. Rub the dried basil between your palms and into the sauce. Add sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low before adding the half-and-half. Serve with a dollop of pesto.
Parsley Pesto
I keep this frozen in 2-tablespoon portions and drop it into cooking vegetables for a fast seasoning. For a real treat, thaw a portion and put it on a hot baked potato.
- 2 cups packed fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup walnuts, plus more chopped for serving
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
In a food processor, puree parsley, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water until a paste forms. With machine running, add oil in a thin stream; process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
Blueberry Cobbler
Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes “cobbler.” For some people it’s fruit covered with a pastry crust; others picture fruit with a biscuit mixture on top. My recipe leans towards the biscuit, but the topping is loaded with nuts and coconut. I prefer fresh blueberries but frozen will do. Make this in the winter with mixed berries just to tease your taste buds.
- 8 to 10 cups blueberries
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup instant tapioca
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick of butter (cold)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup pecans or mixed nuts coarsely chopped
Preheated oven to 375°.
In a large bowl, stir blueberries, sugar, salt, and tapioca. Squeeze the lemon over the blueberry mixture and gently toss. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, coconut, and nuts. Cut cold butter into the mixture until completely incorporated. The mixture will look wet and sandy. Stir in the egg, then drop dollops of this mixture all over the top of the blueberry mixture. Bake until the top is golden and the blueberries bubbling, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool at least an hour before serving. It is very soupy when it’s hot but sets as it cools.
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Refreshing!
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 large cucumber, diced
- 2 tablespoons Vidalia onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons mixed herbs (basil, parsley, mint, and thyme), chopped
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Romaine lettuce
Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a medium glass bowl. Toss with mixed herbs. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, mix the vinegar, olive oil, mustard and honey; shake until well mixed and pour over cucumbers and tomatoes. Serve over romaine lettuce.
