By Beverly Levitt, Special to JTNews
Summertime, when the living is easy and the produce is sweet, is also the time when entertaining is at its peak with summery wedding and anniversary activities and our own volition for taking our outdoor furniture out of storage and hosting festivities in our own backyard.
No matter the celebration, take advantage of the most flavorful offerings of summer, which turn any occasion into a supreme celebration of the senses. With all the talk about buying local, in season, and sustainably grown produce, we often lose sight of the best reason to encourage folks to grow their own vegetables or seek out an organic farmer who grows his produce nearby: The flavor.
There’s nothing like the mélange of fragrances from peas hanging from curly vines, bright yellow squash blossoms peaking through velvety leaves, the intoxicating perfume of vine-ripened tomatoes, aromatic basil, rosemary, tarragon and thyme. I don’t even mind my eyes watering from the acrid pungency of onions, chili peppers and garlic as I can hardly wait for them to punctuate my favorite summer salads.
One whiff and it’s Proust’s Madeleine; I am 6 years old, sitting in my mother’s garden, stuffing mud-layered tomatoes, basil, sweet onions and radishes into my mouth, while visions of summer picnics dance in my head.
In summertime our cooking chores are simplified because we can depend on the robust flavors of our vegetables, instead of feeling obligated to drown dull winter veggies in heavy sauces and exotic spices, or overshadow them by hearty meats, which now clash with warm temperatures and sunny moods.
Summer is also the best time of year to eat our veggies raw, preserving all the vitamins and minerals depleted by cooking. Try carrot, celery and jicama sticks, zucchini rounds, half moons of bell pepper, florets of broccoli and cauliflower, mushroom buttons. Even delicate baby asparagus and snap beans are delicious au natural.
Savory salsas, creamy guacamole and veggie kabobs are also better this time of year. Crisp, crunchy raw veggies can be enhanced by creamy dips seasoned with fresh herbs, nuts, olives or pimientos. A wonderful combination is cream cheese or yogurt, flavored with ripe olives, chives, spinach, mushrooms and hazelnuts. Make a hot cheddar cheese dip with chili peppers, garlic, cilantro and tomatoes. Try roasting onions, garlic, tomatoes and colorful bell peppers with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic and some fresh basil, rosemary, or thyme. Or serve your tomatoes ice cold sprinkled with a tad of French salt, atop some white mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Using vegetables in season — from local gardens right to your table — yields not only the best quality, the biggest variety and the sweetest taste, but the best price. It’s odd that we actually pay more for grocers to buy vegetables that they put into cold storage for months, then pull out as the fresher supplies get slim — giving us a tired substitution for their younger counterparts. So, enjoy early summer vegetables now. Save the canned and frozen stuff until a gloomier time of the year.
Garden Vegetable Risotto
1/2 cup shallot onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup yellow pepper, sliced
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1-1/2 cups arborio rice, rinsed in colander
5 cups homemade chicken or vegetable broth, boiling
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup carrots, sliced in rounds
1/2 cup Japanese eggplant, sliced in rounds
1/2 cup mushrooms, halved
1/2 cup baby asparagus, halved
1 cup baby pear tomatoes, halved
1 Tbs. fresh chives, minced
1 Tbs. fresh basil, sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In heavy skillet sauté shallots, garlic, yellow pepper in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, cook until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add rice, cook until grains are coated, but not browned. Increase heat; add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently, for the next 15 minutes. Add wine, carrots, and eggplant; cook 10 more minutes. Add mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes, cook 5 minutes more. All liquid should be absorbed and the rice tender, but not firm. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with chives and Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.
Broiled Eggplant with Sun-Dried and Plum Tomato Sauce
2 large purple eggplants
Olive oil as needed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 large sweet Walla Walla onion, minced
8 cups sweet plum tomatoes, puréed
1/2-cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked in 1-cup water for an hour, then chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt, coarsely ground
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced
1/2 cup fresh thyme, chopped
1 /2 cup Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Cut eggplant into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices. Brush with olive oil. Broil five minutes, until brown. Turn and brown the other side. Drain, and then remove to baking pan. Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil. When light golden brown, add plum and sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, lower flame, and simmer for 40 minutes. Add basil and thyme. Pour tomato sauce over eggplant, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; bake for 15 minutes until cheese is hot and bubbly and eggplant is tender. Serves 6.