Classic Summer Recipes

This is the time of year when classic summer recipes come in handy. They make good use of the produce of the season, from zucchini to corn, from fresh fruit to fresh herbs. These are what make summer eating memorable.

Farms and farmer's markets are selling corn right now. Og course there is classic corn on the cob (made easier with an air fryer) but there's also the deliciou corn chowder which can be made now and then frozen for the colder weather. This is a creamy soup made with crispy bacon  which gives the fat to saute the onion. Potatoes and chicken broth are added to this along with flour mixed with milk and heavy cream. Three cups  of fresh corn along with a pound of Russet potatoes are added. A cup of white Cheddar cheese is added for more richness along with salt and pepper. It's a perfect soup to make on one of those rare cool summer days. Another classic using the ears is corn salad. This is made with fresh tomatoes from the garden, sliced cucumber and chopped red onion. Dress with a simple oil and red wine vinaigrette. Another summer staple is zucchini. Sliced zuccnini coils sauteed in a mix of butter and oil  infused with chopped garlic. This is a perfect side for any grilled meat. Also consider subbing in the squash for eggplant when you make ratatouille too.

Fresh herbs are in bloom right now. It's definitely time to create pesto, the basil sauce from Genoa. This is taking two cups of fresh basil and blending them with half a cup of  olive oil. You could add pine nuts or walnuts if you want but this may cause the sauce to become rancid quickly. Add some Parmesan before you serve it. What's pesto good on? Try it on any kind of pasta from spaghetti to ravioli.It's also good on gnocchi too but even better on grilled chicken and pork chops. MInt is in abundance right now. It can be used in everything from salads to cocktails and mocktails. A refreshing picnic side dish are peas with mint. You could also add a sqwueeze of lemon to this. Try a simple syrup infused with mint. THis is just cooking water and granulated sugar together. A cup of freshly picked leaves is added to this and then strained out. Of course fruit is being harvested right now. It's the time for crisps and crumbles with all sorts of buttery , sweet toppings over cooked blueberries and blackberries,. However  bake classic fruit  muffins chock full of these gems that also include peaches. These are a great breakfast treat, especially slathered with butter.

This is the season that begs for classic recipes from summers past. Use the bounty of the season to create memorable dishes. It's time to make culinary memories.

A Cup of Tea And Kindness

With everything that's going on it'snice just to offer a cup of tea and kindness. If you have a neighbor ,friend or family member who just wants to talk let them. Brew up a cup and let them express their thoughts and feelings.

This is what we need to do these days. We are a country - a world divided and we need to close up those rapidly opening seams. We need to be more understanding to the other side as well as those close to us.Food and drink brings us together. What tea works? Any one. Try a fruity one like Celestial Seasonings lemon zinger or their peach ones. Peppermint tea is also good, not just for soothing hurt or anxious feelings but for calming an upset stomach. Inviting someone over for a cup of tea is great if he or she wants to our their heart out. However a thermos of tea, especially iced works as well. Go to the beach or the park. There's something beautiful and distracting about nature whether it's waves crashing on the shore or looking up to see trees gently waving their branches.Of course coffee is always a good drink to have. Don't discount going out for a decadent cup of iced coffee. There's always Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts to supply you with a creamy , caramel or chocolate laced iced java. Even just a latte is a great boost. Sip and talk at a table or on a bench. You can also head to the park where it;s quieter and you have some privacy.

It's not just a cup of tea that's comforting. Kindness can be inviting someone over for a barbecue or a lovely meal eaten outdoors.The person may want to eat , especially comfort foods. Make hamburgers and hot dogs. Grill some veggies. Make that ultimate  comfort food s'mores. There is nothing more soothing than that yummy mix of toasted marshmallow oozing onto melty chocolate a top a graham cracker. Make it truly indulgent by using chocolate graham crackers and good dark chocolate. You could also just toast marshmallows over a fire pit. Another  way is baking  to go with that tea. We're in the middle of fruit season and that means cobblers, and crisps. Bring over a peach cobbler or blueberry crisp. Cobblers are easy to make so even the most novice baker can create something near perfection. It's just combining milk flour and sugar and placing it over melted butter in a cast iron skillet. The fruit, usually peaches, is added to this and tossed about in the flour. It's put into the oven and baked until the batter turns brown and crusty. A crisp is similar except it has oatmeal and cinnamon in it.

These are tough times. We're at each other's throats more often than not. It's take to share a cup of tea - a cup of coffee or a meal and be there for each other.

Buckles & Crisps & Cobblers Oh My

Summer baking isn't always an easy thing.Who wants to create a complicated torte when it's ninety degrees outside?However there are some tasty baked treats that require almost no work, They are the fruit filled buckles, crisps and cobblers. They are  baking at it's simplest but also at its' most delicious.

For starters, buckles, crisps and cobblers are somewhat alike but there are some differences. Buckles are more buttery and cakelike. Fruit of the season is mixed with a rich batter and sometimes topped with a streusel topping. It's one of America's oldest dessert recipe, having been made in colonial New England kitchens. Originally it was made with blueberries but now home bakers can use peaches and nectarines as well as raspberries and blackberries. It does have to be made with wet fruit hence the buckling effect so unfortunately apples and pears won't work with it.Melissa Clark offered a recipe in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food column. Hers is made with mixed berries such as blueberries  and blackberries along with black raspberries. She also gives it a light sprinkle of cinnamon too and tops the finished buckle with iced cream. Whipped cream or even crème fraiche also goes well with it too.

Crisps are somewhat easier to make and a good starting off point for novice home bakers.They're simply a mix of sugar butter and flour poured over fruit. They can be made with everything from rhubarb and strawberries  to apples and peaches. Apple crisps sometimes have oats added to them as well but it's up to the baker. They're a snap to make , and a fun back to school treat to make with the kids serve with mounds of cool Whip or iced cream.Cobbler is another simple dessert that can be made with frozen biscuits. Bisquick can also be used to create a tasty topping as can yellow cake mix. Your best bet is a scratch  one using flour and baking powder for a light fluffy one. Some home bakers add oatmeal and cinnamon but save that for the crisps. French style has one or two eggs in it for a much more cakier topping.A good cobbler is an equal blend of biscuit that's not too sweet and that will sop up the fruits' juices and fruits that will bake up soft and pulpy. Cobblers can also be made with cherries and blackberries but the peach kind is the best. Again you can serve it with vanilla ice cream , crème fraiche or good old whipped cream.

The weather is sweltering yet you can still bake. Try the super easy buckles  crisps or cobblers with the fruit of the season. They are a snap to make and oh so delicious to eat.