Make Ahead Dishes Easy Summer Recipes

Summer is the time for parties easy cooking and simple dishes. This means salad barbecue and Jello parfaits. Unfortunately this gets olds fast . what to do? Try other premade dishes such as fried chicken and panzanella followed by an easy  to whip up cake. It's a refreshing change on easy warm weather cooking and can be made for a large party or small get togethers.

Melissa Clark realized this and wrote about it in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.She is a hostess who hosts a lot and, like any of us, would rather spend preparty time getting ready. This works with winter foods such as short ribs and lasagna that can be made a day in advance and then reheated. For summer it's having a host of the usual green and pasta salads, with the main dish being either fish or  something that's easily thrown on the grill. She gives us a throwback, fried chicken , but with her stamp on it. The classic recipe is tweaked with more spices such as Tabasco and Old Bay seasoning. Mustard powder and cracked pepper is also added to a buttermilk based marinade.The chicken pieces should be marinated overnight for the best results. Since fried chicken can lose some of its crunch as it cools, Ms. Clark double coats  the pieces namely legs and wings.Also the meat should be room temperature before frying. Doing this helps the center to cook through. Another must is don't overcrowd the pan. Let the pieces have enough space to bob around and get evenly browned in the oil.

As for the side dish  go with that Ms. Clark recommends, Panzanella, the Neapolitan bread salad,while it may seem an unusual partner , it is a better choice than the usual macaroni salad that gets mushy or the green salad that becomes soggy. It's a great way of using any too ripe tomatoes and stale Italian bread. Cucumbers and onions are added for crunch and mozzarella slices are tossed in for creaminess It is a great salad to pair with steaks and ribs also. Dessert should be simple too. She recommends a coconut cream cake with peaches.it can be assembled three days before making it.This is a flourless cake with the coconut being the cake's base, The filling is a heavy vanilla cream with peaches, the fruit of the season. You could sub in strawberries or even blueberries for a variation.Another idea is just making a chocolate cream - go easy on the cocoa powder for a more decadent dessert.

Summer parties should be a snap to throw. These easy pre made recipes help in creating that breezy atmosphere full of good food. Make them before and spend the rest of the day prepping and primping.