We’re on a excessive with cooking at my home. Just about the whole lot we’re consuming is from one farmers’ market or one other, as a result of superb summer season produce is upon us. It’s heavenly. The recent, totally shaped taste of ripe, in-season vegatables and fruits makes cooking thrilling — and simpler.
Take, for instance, hothouse tomatoes. In winter, they require a good quantity of intervention to style like a lot, whereas ripe summer season tomatoes want little greater than a sprinkle of salt and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil.
It needn’t be so simple as that, however the summer season first course right here isn’t far more sophisticated. It takes a cue from bruschetta and panzanella, each Italian favorites that function tomatoes, bread, garlic, basil and oil.
In this variation on the theme, a multicolored mixture of well-marinated cherry tomatoes are served spooned over toasted sourdough bread to catch all of the scrumptious juices. The bottom line is, after dressing them, to let the halved cherry tomatoes sit for half an hour or so, to meld with the olive oil, pink wine vinegar, salt and garlic. In fact, these marinated tomatoes may be tossed with greens for a straightforward salad or spooned over grilled fish.
For a fundamental course, I wished one thing akin to clam chowder.
Impressed by New England-style white chowders, made with milk and potatoes, it’s more of a dinner stew than a soup. Pretty straightforward to place collectively, all of it cooks in a single pot, with numerous components added alongside the best way. Begin with sautéed onions and celery, constructing a savory white sauce thickened with a contact of flour. Sliced potatoes go in subsequent, adopted by candy corn and some clams.
When the clams have opened, seasoned chunks of cod are added to complete the stew. It’s good if a few of the fish stays agency and a few breaks up a bit. Checking the seasoning, I pronounced my chowder scrumptious however a contact bland. So, so as to add spark, I completed it with grated lemon zest, slivers of serrano chile and plenty of chopped dill and chives, which provide a vital zing to the gentle, creamy base. You’ll be able to put together the chowder as much as two hours prematurely and reheat it gently simply earlier than serving, to keep away from any last-minute dashing.
I all the time say fruit — whether or not a bowl of candy berries or a wedge of watermelon — makes the very best dessert. However stone fruits are an actual deal with, particularly nectarines, and a little lime syrup makes them into something truly special, including sweetness and a pronounced lime taste. (A squeeze of recent lime juice, although, is important to supply the acidity you need.) Serve the fruit effectively chilled, for an inordinately refreshing end to a meal on a sizzling summer season day.