We love hosting summer dinners on the deck and I’m always looking for dishes that can be made ahead and served at room temperature. Here are my go-tos:
Peach Caprese (similar to the Nectarine Caprese in The Forest Feast)
Sesame Farro Salad (from The Forest Feast Gatherings)
Roasted Potato + Greenbean Salad (from The Forest Feast Gatherings)
BBQ Corn Salad (from The Forest Feast Road Trip)
Happy cooking!
I love adding a grain salad to my dinner party menus because it’s hearty and does well made in advance. Farro is like a bigger, chewier rice and Trader Joe’s has a 10-min bag of it that I use often. This recipe is from The Forest Feast Gatherings cookbook. Enjoy!
I know I am spoiled by the produce in California, but I have to say- I do miss the New York City Greenmarket. The produce that pops up in Union Square (and in farmers’ markets all over the city) is truly spectacular, especially in late summer. Coming out of the subway at 14th Street and seeing all the farmers amidst the cityscape is so unique and exciting. While at the market, it’s common to see big city chefs shopping for their dinner menus and The New Greenmarket Cookbook tells the stories behind these chefs and recipes.
The cookbook is by my friend Gabrielle and it’s beautifully compiled with so many fresh ideas. I shot with a lot of these chefs when I was working as a food photographer in New York, so it’s really fun to have this collection of their recipes. Here’s one super simple summer recipe I tried the other day that was a total winner. I made it while visiting my parents’ little cabin up in Sonoma County, where they have an enormous garden with 50+ tomato plants growing this summer (crazy!). Such a simple idea and SO delicious. Happy cooking!
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BROWN BUTTER TOMATOES
From The New Greenmarket Cookbook by Gabrielle Langholtz and GrowNYC. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014
Recipe by Amanda Hesser, Food52.com and Provisions
2 large or 3 small ripe beefsteak tomatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Coarsely ground black pepper
Baguette or other country bread, for mopping up the butter
Most locavores have more recipes for tomatoes than Eskimos have names for snow. But this preparation, which drizzles beurre noisette over tomatoes in place of the classic olive oil, will stop you in your tracks. As surprising as it is simple, it’s the kind of thing you can slap together in mere minutes for a solo snack or serve to guests on fine china.
Core the tomatoes and slice them 1⁄3-inch thick. Divide the slices among four plates (preferably warmed), overlapping the slices just a little. Place the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and set over medium heat. Let the butter melt completely. It will begin bubbling. Let the butter simmer away, cooking off its water, until it begins to smell nutty and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Swirl the pan every 30 seconds or so. When the butter turns the color of a hazelnut, remove it from the heat. Use a soup spoon to ladle it over the tomatoes. They’ll sizzle! You want to dress the tomatoes with the butter, as if you were pouring ganache over a cake—be generous!
Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, then rush the plates to the table so everyone can taste the tomatoes while the butter is hot. Mop up the butter and tomato juices with good bread. Toast to summer!
Serves 4
I recently went peach picking at a friend’s place up in Sonoma County and came back with a TON of peaches! (thanks for all your peach recipe ideas!) This salad is one of my favorites and I make some version of it all summer long!
serves 4-6
3 peaches, sliced
1 large (heirloom-type) yellow tomato sliced
1 large (heirloom-type) red tomato, sliced
small handful fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
1 (8-oz) ball fresh mozarella cheese or burrata, torn into bite-sized pieces
olive oil, flaky salt (like Maldon) and freshly ground pepper
Scatter all ingredients on a platter. Drizzle the top with a good quality olive oil (try my Forest Feast x PRMRY finishing oil, it’s perfect for this), plus salt and pepper. Enjoy!
For an easy summer appetizer just stack a strawberry, a mozzarella ball and a leaf of basil on a toothpick! Like my Watermelon Feta Mint bites, they are great for BBQs and picnics as they can easily be made ahead. They were part of a summer entertaining menu I put together for InStyle magazine recently- see the whole menu here!
