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The Thinking Menu
Summer's heat and bounty should influence what we eat.
Annabel Cohen
Special to the Jewish News
S
For Judy Gottlieb, life went along in a
normal fashion until a health scare
changed everything around her. Her
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Those people cared about me. By
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Now feeling well and with a
positive attitude, Judy says, "I can
focus on other things. I have a lot
more living to do."
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July 31 • 2008
ummer eating is distinctly
different from other times of
the year. What we consume is
directly related to how we feel.
I believe that summer foods should
be healthy and easy to prepare. They
should contain lots of just-picked pro-
duce and fresh, leafy herbs when pos-
sible. Foods with heavy sauces are defi-
nitely out of the question. While we can
still eat pasta and potatoes, they should
be fresh and by all means light in mood
and flavor.
There is almost always a cool salad,
whether it be in the green form — leafy
or chopped — or with traditional bar-
becue ingredients, such as potatoes. Or,
it can be in the form of a soup, such as
gazpacho or cold cucumber.
Summer Gazpacho
This recipe takes mere minutes to make
with a food processor.
2 pounds very-ripe tomatoes, cut
into large chunks
1 large cucumber, cut into large
chunks
1 yellow pepper, cut into large
pieces
4 scallions, white and green parts,
cut into 2-inch pieces
2-3 cups tomato (or V-8) juice
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves,
chopped
Hot red-pepper sauce to taste, such
as Tabasco
1 cup cooked black beans, drained
well
Salt and pepper to taste
Place tomatoes in the bowl of a food
processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse
until chopped but not pureed (about 5
seconds). Pour into a large bowl. Repeat
with remaining vegetables. Add lemon
juice, tomato juice, cilantro, Tabasco,
beans and seasonings. Stir and adjust
seasonings to taste. Garnish with sour
cream or yogurt if desired. Makes 8
servings.
Note: The only thing to remember
when making this gazpacho is to pro-
cess each vegetable separately. The color
and consistency of the gazpacho will
be altered if everything is processed
together.
Whole Wheat Pasta With
Lemon, Parsley And Dill
Pesto
1 pound whole wheat pasta fettuc-
cini
4 cups packed fresh flat-leaf pars-
ley
1 cup fresh dill (larger stems
removed)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or
Pecorino cheese
4 cloves of garlic, or more to taste
1 /4 cup extra olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
In the bowl of a food processor,
combine all ingredients except pasta
and pulse until smooth, but not a paste.
Adjust seasonings and pulse again to
mix. Chill this pesto until about 30 min-
utes before serving.
Cook pasta according to package
directions and drain well (do not rinse).
Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, add
the pesto and toss well. Serve immedi-
ately. Makes 6-8 servings.
Roasted Onion, Tomato,
Cucumber and Basil And
Avocado Salad
2 large Spanish or other mild
onion, peeled and chopped
I tsp. minced garlic
1 /4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups ripe, seeded, chopped toma-
toes, any variety
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
leaves
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, plus more
to taste
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 firm ripe avocados
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a roasting
pan or baking dish with nonstick cook-
ing spray. Set aside.
Combine the onions, garlic and olive
oil in the prepared dish and roast,
uncovered, for about 40 minutes, stir-
ring occasionally, until the onions are
golden. Cool to room temperature (you
may make the salad to this point up to a
day ahead — chill until ready to use).
Combine the onions and garlic with
the remaining ingredients except avoca-
dos in a large bowl and toss well.
Dice the avocado and gently toss with
the onion and tomato mixture. Makes 6
servings.
Honey Lemon And Cumin
Marinated Grilled Chicken
2 pounds boneless and skinless
chicken breasts
Marinade:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce, such as
Tabasco
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 /2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Place chicken in a large, zipper-style
plastic bag. Combine all marinade
ingredients in a medium bowl and
whisk well. Pour this over the chicken,
seal the bag and turn several times to
coat. Chill up to overnight (no more
than 10 hours).
Thirty minutes before cooking,
remove the chicken from the refrigera-
tor. Heat grill to medium-high. Place the
chicken on the grill. Discard marinade.
Grill the chicken on both sides until
just cooked through. Serve hot. Makes 6
servings.
Roasted Mediterranean
Vegetables With Radicchio
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut
into 1-inch chunks
1 /4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Italian eggplant (about
3 /4pounds), unpeeled, cut into 1-inch
chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch
chunks
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch
chunks
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried thyme
Kosher salt and fresh ground pep-
per to taste
2 small heads radicchio, cut into 8
wedges each
Preheat oven to 400F. Combine car-
rots and olive oil in a roasting pan
and toss well. Roast, uncovered, for 20
minutes. Add remaining ingredients,
except radicchio, and toss well. Roast,
uncovered, for 20 minutes more. Add
the radicchio, toss again and roast for
10 minutes more. Adjust salt and pep-
per and serve hot or warm. Makes 8
servings. ❑