arts & life

dining in

Light and

(mostly)

healthy warm-

weather fare.

Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist

Summertime

S

ummer on the porch — the
idea is so American. We think
of it with nostalgia, even if we
don’t have our own memories. In my
picture-perfect recollection, there is
a breeze and a light summer meal —
loads of fresh fruit, a leafy, crunchy
and healthy salad and lots of bright,
tart lemon everywhere. Add some
ripe, red tomatoes and we’ve got the
perfect Michigan summer.

BRIE WITH FRESH
BERRIES AND HONEY
I’ve made this to serve warm or at
room temperature (just skip the
heating part) with tiny individual
Brie cheeses and with large 2-kilo
brie rounds. Don’t be limited by
using only Brie: Many soft and semi-
soft cheeses work well, including
Camembert, goat cheese (Chevre
or Montrachet) or even soft blue
cheeses.
1 Brie round, uncut (any size),
room temperature
1-2 cups sliced strawberries,
blueberries or raspberries (or a
combination), using as many as
you desire according to the size of
your Brie
¼-½ cup sliced almonds (or
any other favorite nut or seed
— walnuts, pecans, pine nuts,
sunflower seeds are all good
options)
Honey (or real maple syrup), any
variety, to drizzle over Brie

Preheat oven to 325℉. Place uncut
Brie round in an attractive baking
dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until
softened. Sprinkle the berries and
nuts over. Drizzle honey over. Serve
with good-quality crackers or your
favorite bread, sliced thin or cut into
chunks. Makes varied servings.

44 July 21 • 2016

GAZPACHO
Traditionally, gazpacho contains
bread and is often served strained
and smooth. I prefer this chunkier
version.
About 2 pounds ripe red toma-
toes, cut into chunks
1 medium cucumber, peeled, cut
into chunks
6 scallions, white and green
parts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (or red-
wine vinegar), or more to taste
Sea salt to taste
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce, such as
Tabasco, or more to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more
to taste, plus more for drizzling
Tomato juice or ice water (to thin
the gazpacho if needed)
Optional ingredients:
Fresh herbs: Dill, basil and cilan-
tro are good choices
Minced red onion
Diced avocado
Fresh chilis — any type (omit the
pepper sauce if you wish)
Fresh or frozen corn kernels
Cooked black beans

Using one vegetable at a time,
puree or process each vegetable
until almost smooth, but with a few
chunks still left. Combine all the
ingredients in a bowl or large pitcher
and add remaining ingredients.
Makes 6 or more servings, depending
on the portion size you prefer.

SUMMER PASTA
WITH TUNA AND PEAS
Canned tuna and peas are often
paired together in recipes. I’m not
sure why, but I do know that peas
brighten and add texture to almost
every dish.
12 ounces pasta
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped red or Bermuda

onion
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped garlic
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup cream cheese, softened
2-3 cans water- or oil-packed
tuna, white or light, drained
10 ounces frozen peas, thawed
Fresh grated Parmesan or
Pecorino cheese, to garnish
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh chopped chives
Lemon wedges, to garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil
and cook pasta according to pack-
age directions, to al dente. Do not
overcook.
While the pasta is cooking, melt
butter in a large skillet over medium-
high heat. Add onions and garlic and
saute until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the wine and cream cheese and
cook, stirring with a whisk, until the
cream cheese is melted and incorpo-
rated. Stir in peas and tuna and cook
until heated through.
Immediately drain the pasta (do
not drain well, the pasta should be
quite wet). Transfer the pasta back
to the pot and add the tuna mixture.
Stir or toss to coat the pasta and
season well with salt and pepper to
taste. Add grated cheese and chives
and toss well. Serve with additional
cheese and lemon wedges to squeeze
over the pasta at the last moment.
Makes 6 servings.

MIXED GREENS WITH
CUCUMBER, CORN AND
AVOCADO WITH GARLIC
VINAIGRETTE
I like to make this with dandelion
leaves, when available.
12 ounces mixed greens — any
variety (sturdy lettuces, such as
Romaine, remain crunchy for a
while)
1 small cucumber, peeled or

unpeeled, diced
1 cup fresh, uncooked corn
kernels (just cut them from the
uncooked cob)
½ cup fresh chopped dill
1 avocado, cut into thin wedges
Kosher salt and fresh ground
pepper to taste
Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. grained Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. garlic

Combine all salad ingredients,
except avocado, in a large bowl. Set
aside.
Combine dressing ingredients in a
jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake
well.
Pour half the dressing over the
salad and toss well. Add more dress-
ing (if needed) and salt and pepper to
taste. Makes 6 servings.

CHESS PIE
This is about as homey as it gets.
1 (9-inch) pie shell, homemade
or premade
Filling:
1½ cups sugar
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
5 eggs
¼ cup milk (or buttermilk)
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cornmeal
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest
¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350℉.
Using an electric mixer, cream
together sugar and butter in a large
bowl. Add the eggs and beat until
incorporated. Mix in the remaining
ingredients and transfer the filling to
the unbaked the pie shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-60
minutes, until set in center (if the
crust begins to color too quickly, tent
with a bit of foil). Serve warm or at
room temperature. Makes 6-8 serv-
ings.

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