Summer
Fare

Quick-fix and

delicious pizzas

and salads for

warm-weather
.
inside or out.
eating,inside

ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News

T

he following vegetarian
recipes will make your
Midsummer's Day (anoth-
er name for the first day
of summer because historically, it's
the middle of the European growing
season), more glorious. They're fresh
in ingredients, flavor and attitude.
Pita pizzas are a great appetizer or
lunch meal with their three cheeses
and plenty of fresh garlic. Frittatas
have a similar appeal. In Italy, they're
a lunch or dinner meal.
Interesting salads also take advan-
tage of summer produce, but these
offer the advantage of longer-term
crispiness.
All these recipes can — and
should — be eaten at room tempera-
ture. You can make them earlier in
the day so you can take advantage of
the natural light for as long as possi-
ble. Or take these foods on a picnic,
as they travel well.
And remember to mark the longest
days of the year in the Northern
Hemisphere with reverence. Eat.
Drink. Go outside.

6/21
2002

88

QUICK 3-CHEESE, TOMATO,
OLIVE AND CAPER PITA-ZAS
For a change, make these with French
breads or baguettes.
8 pita breads (with or without pock-
ets)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T. prepared pesto
2 T. minced garlic
2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
2 T. drained capers
1 cup finely crumbled Feta cheese,
any kind
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh grated Muenster or Brick
cheese
32 kalamata olives, pitted and
chopped
2 T. finely chopped fresh oregano

.

Heat oven to 425F. Place pita breads on
2 baking sheets, overlapping them slight-
ly if necessary.
Combine olive oil, pesto and garlic in
a small bowl. Whisk well. Use a pastry
brush to brush this mixture over the
eight pitas. Sprinkle remaining ingredi-
ents of the pitas in the order shown.
Bake the pitas, uncovered, for 10 min-
utes or until the cheese is melted begin-

ning to brown. Serve hot or at room
temperature, cut into wedges Makes 8-
12 servings.

5 VEGETABLE FRITTATA
2 T. olive oil
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped Bermuda or purple
onions
2 cups chopped asparagus
1 cup, chopped red pepper
1 cup sliced zucchini
12 large eggs
1/2 cup lowfat milk or vegetable or
chicken broth
2 T. dried parsley flakes
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat olive
oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium high heat. Add mushrooms
and onions and cook, stirring occa-
sionally until the liquid from the
mushrooms is evaporated. Stir in the
asparagus, red pepper and zucchini
and cook another 2 minutes, stirring
frequently.
Meanwhile, combine eggs, milk or
broth, parsley, salt and pepper in a
large bowl and whisk well. Pour this
mixture over the vegetables in the

skillet and bake for 30-40 minutes,
until the eggs are set and lightly
browned (the frittata will puff up
then deflate while cooling).
Remove from oven and cool before
turning the frittata over on a large
serving platter or cutting board and
cutting into wedges. Makes 8 serv-
ings.

ROASTED GREEN BEAN,
GRAPE TOMATO AND BASIL
SALAD
1 1/2 pounds green beans
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped scallions, red and
green parts
1 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup white or red balsamic
vinegar
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
lengthwise
Remove stem ends of the beans,
but keep the pointed end attached.
Preheat oven to 450F. Arrange
green beans in a large baking dish or
disposable aluminum pan. Drizzle
oil over the beans and toss lightly
with tongs or your hands. Roast,
uncovered, for 10 minutes or until
the beans are beginning to brown
and shrivel. Remove from oven and
cool completely.
Combine beans, scallions, basil,
vinegar, salt and pepper in a large
bowl and toss. Add the tomatoes and
toss again. Arrange the beans in a
serving dish and chill, covered with
plastic wrap, until ready to serve.
Remove the beans from the refriger-
ator one hour before serving. Serve
at room temperature. Makes 8 serv-
ings.

CRUNCHY ENDIVE, CORN
AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD
4 cups Belgian endive, cut into
1/2-inch pieces and separated
4-5 cups Romaine lettuce cut into
1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels,
uncooked
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely crumbled Roquefort
or Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, lightly
toasted
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
kosher salt, ground pepper to taste
lemon wedges, garnish
Combine all ingredients in a large
serving bowl and toss well. Makes 8
or more servings.

❑