The glorious produce of summer doesn’t happen all at once, but gradually throughout the season. At every moment, we anticipate the arrival of the longed-for cherry, peach, melon, corn, tomato, pepper.
But by mid-July, we’re on the road to plenitude at the farmers’ market, with nearly everything on offer at the stands. It all lends a dose of excitement: Cooks can have fun with vegetables. Summer supper can be simple, easy living.
For this month’s menu, itap not a three-course meal but rather a spread that hits the table all at once — preferably outdoors, if conditions are right.
A recent trip to Turkey has me in kebab mode since I’ve returned, and skewered meat is just the thing for the small gathering I plan to host. A juicy and colorful tomato salad is definitely in order, as is a savory pilaf, a bowl of irresistible yogurt-tahini sauce and a peach of a peach dessert.
My ideal tomato salad uses as many shapes, sizes and colors of fresh-picked beauties as possible from a garden or farmers’ market. Summer is prime time for tomatoes, and itap a wise cook who goes for the tastiest, ripest ones. But a salad of all red ones is lovely, too.
Likewise, make use of new-crop red onions, the smaller the better, for the tart onions that are scattered over the salad. This salad has no vinegar or lemon juice — it relies only on the ground sumac to supply its unique sour notes. Sumac, a spice favored throughout the Middle East, is great for adding lemony appeal when citrus isn’t available. Sliced onions with salt and sumac, tossed in a bowl, is all you need. (Though many cooks also add a little lemon juice.)
So, imagine a large platter with a thick layer of sliced and wedged tomatoes and split cherry tomatoes, all carefully seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with fruity extra-virgin olive oil. For brightness, there is mint, dill, cilantro and basil, chopped at the last minute. Now imagine it topped with crisp, puckery onions.
For the most tender lamb kebabs, shoulder meat is the best choice. Its marbling makes the meat juicy. Lean leg meat is a little tricker to grill as it tends to taste dry if overcooked. The precut lamb stew meat at the supermarket butcher is often a mixture of the two.
To get it done right, ask a nice butcher to cut the lamb for you. Halal butchers will often have just what you need. I find it easiest to grill short skewers threaded with smaller portions of meat, around 5 ounces each.
After they marinate in olive oil and aromatics like allspice, cumin and garlic, grill the kebabs over coals or under the broiler. The kebabs look beautiful served on a pile of arugula with lemon wedges and a bright, creamy yogurt sauce alongside.
A savory pilaf is easy to make and fills out the table nicely. Itap a rice pilaf with toasted orzo and onions, similar to other pilafs made with vermicelli. Use good chicken broth as the cooking liquid for the most stellar pilaf. You can, of course, serve flat breads like lavash or pita if you prefer.
Fruit desserts are the way to go in the summer, especially when good peaches are in. You can keep things mighty simple.
Here’s how it goes: Take some peaches and split them in two, removing the pit. Slightly underripe peaches work well, or use firm ripe ones. Lay them, cut side up, in a baking dish or skillet and sweeten them with a little brown sugar and honey. Now broil them until they’re nearly burned.
When serving, the addition of a little salty feta and toasted pistachios gives these peaches a certain elegance. It tastes good warm or cooled. Just be sure to spoon some of the pan juices over, too.
Summer Tomato Salad With Sumac Onions
Summer is the best time to make this salad, using an assortment of shapes, sizes and colors of fresh-picked beauties from a garden or farmers market. Likewise, make use of new crop red onions, smaller the better. Note the salad contains no vinegar or lemon juice -– it relies on powdered sumac to supply its unique sour notes. Sumac is a spice favored throughout the Middle East and one well worth having in the spice cupboard. This is a simple salad to make and delivers lots of flavor. Serve on its own or to accompany everything from roast chicken to grilled shrimp. For brightness, chop the herbs at the last minute and add just before serving.
By David Tanis
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 small red onion
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 2 pounds medium or large tomatoes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- Handful of small basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
Preparation:
1. Slice onion crosswise into 1/4-inch rings and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then cover with ice water and set aside.
2. Cut the medium/large tomatoes into slices or wedges and halve the cherry tomatoes. Place slices or wedges in one layer on a wide platter and arrange cherry tomatoes on top.
3. Season everything generously with sea salt and black pepper.
4. Drizzle the tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil. Just before serving, sprinkle the dill, cilantro and mint over the tomatoes, then add the basil leaves.
5. Drain and blot onions dry. Separate the rings and return them to the bowl. Dust generously with sumac and an extra pinch of salt, and scatter over the salad. Sprinkle with more sumac to taste.
Lamb Kebabs With Orzo Pilaf
For the tenderest lamb kebabs, shoulder meat is the best choice because its marbling keeps the meat juicy. Lean leg meat is a little trickier to grill as it can turn dry if over-cooked. Often the precut lamb stew meat at the supermarket butcher is a mixture of both. To get exactly what you want, ask a nice butcher to cut the lamb for you. Halal butchers will often have just what you need. After the meat marinates in olive oil and aromatics, grill it over coals or under the broiler. Serve the kebabs on a bed of arugula with lemon wedges, some flatbreads and a bright zesty yogurt sauce.
By David Tanis
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: About 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, grated or smashed to a paste
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- A few handfuls of arugula
- Lemon wedges
- Lavash or other flatbread, for serving
For the Yogurt Sauce:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 3 garlic cloves, grated or smashed to a paste
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- Large pinch of sea salt
- Speck of ground cayenne
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Orzo Pilaf:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- Sea salt
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 small bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth or water
- 3 tablespoons finely sliced scallion greens (optional)
- 1 small lemon (optional)
Preparation:
1. Put lamb cubes in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, then add cumin, coriander, allspice, pepper flakes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, mix seasoning thoroughly into the meat, coating well.
2. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to several hours (or even a day in advance). Thread the lamb cubes onto short skewers without crowding (about 5 to 6 ounces of meat per skewer).
3. While the lamb marinates, make the yogurt sauce: Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add tahini and garlic and whisk briefly to dissolve. Whisk in yogurt, salt, cayenne and olive oil. Let rest, then taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use, at least 10 minutes. It tastes best fresh, but it will last 2 days.
4. Prepare the orzo pilaf, if making: Melt butter with oil in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a little salt, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the orzo and let brown lightly, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add rice and stir to combine. Add bay leaves and garlic, then the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and put on the lid. Cook for 20 minutes, until all broth is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered to rest and keep warm.
5. When ready, prepare the grill or heat your broiler. Grill the skewers or set under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, and aim for medium-rare. (You want them juicy but not rare.) Arrange a bed of arugula on a large platter. Set the grilled skewers on top and serve with garlicky yogurt sauce and lavash or other flatbread.
6. Fluff the orzo, sprinkle with the scallion greens and zest the lemon over the top before serving.
Broiled Peaches With Feta and Pistachios
Fruit desserts are the way to go in summer, especially with a simple recipe like this one. The peaches are broiled until nearly burnt with a little brown sugar and honey. Slightly under-ripe peaches work well or use firm ripe ones. The addition of a little salty feta and toasted pistachios gives the dish a certain elegance. And it tastes good warm or cooled.
By David Tanis
Yield: 6 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 6 medium peaches or nectarines, preferably freestone
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey, plus more for serving
- 6 (1/4-inch-thick) slices feta (from an 8-ounce slab)
Preparation:
1. Heat the broiler. On the stovetop, set a small pan over medium heat. Add the pistachios. Toast nuts until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Chop roughly and set aside.
2. Cut the peaches in half, removing the stones. Place peach halves in a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe baking dish or skillet cut-side up. Sprinkle each half with a scant tablespoon light brown sugar. Drizzle each peach half with about 1 teaspoon honey.
3. Place dish under the broiler about 6 inches away from the heat source, and broil until sugar is browned and blackened here and there, and the peaches have softened a bit, about 7 to 10 minutes, turning the dish as necessary. Cool to room temperature.
4. To serve, place 2 peach halves on a plate. Place a slice of feta on each plate and sprinkle everything with chopped pistachios.
5. Drizzle with any juices remaining in the pan or a little more honey if desired.
This article originally appeared in .
