Summer Pasta Salad With Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Corn & Basil
A simple pasta dish that offers a winning summertime combination of tomatoes, corn, basil and fresh mozzarella. It is great for any backyard food affair because it goes with just about everything. Dress this salad just before serving as the pasta absorbs the dressing and you may need additional lemon juice or oil.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Penne Pasta
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 ½ Cups Fresh Corn
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 ½ Cups Fresh Mozzarella (Cut Into Tiny Cubes)
4 Tomatoes (Cored & Diced)
Zest From 1 Lemon
1 Cube Basil Leaves (Rinsed & Dried)
Dressing
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Aged Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Finely Minced Garlic Clove
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil For Pasta
½ Teaspoon Salt
Bring the water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta. About two minutes before the pasta is done add the corn. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente. Drain both the pasta and corn. DO NOT rinse. Add 1 tablespoons olive oil to the cooling pasta to keep from sticking. Shake to distribute the oil and set aside to cool.
To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, olive oil and salt. Before serving, combine the pasta and corn with the fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and lemon zest. Mix in the dressing and gently slice the basil into thin strips and add to the salad. Serve immediately. Serves 10
Blueberry Crumble
Who doesn’t love blueberries?! Blueberry Crumble is such a simple and delicious dessert. Something about it just warms the tummy!
INGREDIENTS
Blueberry Filling
2 Pints Fresh Blueberries
1/3 Cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
Topping
1 Stick Butter
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ Cup Oats
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon Salt
The first thing that you will need to do is to make the topping. Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the butter until it is all crumbly and the largest butter chunks are pea sized. Next toss the blueberries with sugar, flour and lemon juice. Transfer the blueberry mixture to a buttered 9 inch baking dish. Spread the crumble on top and bake in 350° F oven for 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling gently through the crumble. Serve warm. Serves 6
Cold Watermelon Soup
More and more farm stands and supermarkets have a variety of melons in the summer. Watermelon is one of the ultimate tastes of summer.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Juicy Watermelon
½ Cup Chablis
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Mint
Lime Slices For Garnish – Optional
Cut off the watermelon rind. With a melon baller, but out 8 balls of watermelon fruit and reserve them for garnish. Remove all the seeds, cut the watermelon into rough chunks and spin them in a food processor. Add the wine, lime juice and chopped mint. Puree until smooth. Chill for several hours. Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish with reserved melon balls and lime slices. Serve 4
Victoria’s Garden Party Cake
This cake is so easy to make! People will think you spent all day in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Stick Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Orange
2 Jumbo Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Crème Fraiche
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
2 Ripe Peaches (Pitted & Sliced In Half)
¼ Cup Fresh Raspberries For Serving
Whipped Cream For Serving
Preheat the oven to 375° F and grease a nonstick 9 inch sprinform pan. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon & orange juices plus the zests and combine. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Follow with the dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Add the crème fraiche and combine briefly. Scrape the sides so that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the raspberries evenly around the cake. Set the peaches in the batter, in a circle, with the cut sides up. Place the pan on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Let the cake cool completely. Serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream. You can substitute blueberries for the peaches if you wish.
Serve 8
Haricots Verts, Almonds, Cherry Tomatoes & Goat Cheese Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Pounds Haricot Verts
2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
½ Cup Sliced Toasted Almonds
2 Thinly Sliced Shallots
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¾ Cup Crumbled Goat Cheese
Steam the beans over boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove immediately and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain well and lay on paper towels to further dry. In a large serving bowl combine beans, tomatoes and toasted almonds. In a small bowl combine shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Whisk well and pour over haricot vert mixture. Gently combine and top with goat cheese. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6
**To Toast Almonds – Toast In A 400° F. Oven On A Cookie Sheet For 4 Minutes.
Victoria’s Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
This recipe was inspired by my mother’s custard filled sponge cake. Pour yourself a big glass of super cold milk or a cup of dark coffee and enjoy one or two of these sinful delights.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour (plus more to coat the tins)
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Softened Butter (plus more to coat the tins)
3 Jumbo Organic Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour standard muffin tins. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed for 5 minutes until thick and pale. Beat in the dry ingredients. Bring the milk and butter to a boil and will the mixer on low speed add the milk mixture to the batter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla. Divide the batter among the muffin cups making sure to fill each half way. Bake cupcakes for 15 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and ONLY 10 minutes or they will stick. Then transfer to wire racks and let cool. Using a serrated knife cut each in half horizontally. Spread a spoonful of vanilla custard on each cupcake bottom. Sandwich with the top. Spoon glaze over each and serve immediately.
CUSTARD INGREDIENTS
5 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cup Scalded Milk
1 Slightly Beaten Egg
1 ½ Teaspoon Butter
½ Teaspoon Vanilla
Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl. Scald the milk on medium heat (nearly boiling). Add the first three ingredients and stir over a medium heat until thick. Remove from the heat and add some of the warm milk mixture into the beaten egg and mix. Slowly add this to the remaining warmed milk. Cook long enough to cook the egg which should be for about 1 minute. Stir the custard constantly. Add the butter and vanilla and stir. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cover with waxed paper directly on the surface of the custard to avoid a hard skin. Chill in the refrigerator. This can be made a day ahead.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE INGREDIENTS
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
4 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Stir often. Drizzle over cupcakes immediately! Makes 12
Seared Yellowfin Tuna With Asparagus
Look for yellowfin tuna that has been caught by pole and line or by trolling. Either method is ocean friendly and results in little or no bycatch.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Yellowfin Tuna (Cut into Portions)
3 Tablespoons Prepared Spice Rub (Lemon Pepper, Ginger or Tandoori)
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
2 Pounds Trimmed Asparagus
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds (White or Black)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Grated Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Teaspoon White Miso Paste
2 Tablespoon Cold Butter
Coat the tuna with the spice rub. Heat the canola oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. When the pan and oil is hot, place the tuna in the pan and sear for about 3 minutes to get a nice crust about ¼ inch thick. Turn the tuna over and sear the other side.
At the same time as you’re searing the tuna, heat the olive oil in another sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sesame oil followed by the asparagus. Sauté the asparagus for about 4 minutes until it turns dark green. Add the sesame seeds and remove the asparagus from the pan and turn the heat up to medium high. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and ¼ cup water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and whisk in the miso until smooth. Whisk in the butter until smooth. To serve, divide the miso broth among 4 plates. Place the tuna atop the broth and arrange asparagus around and over the tuna if you wish. Serves 4
Watermelon and Persecco Parfaits
This adult dessert is cool and refreshing. It is great for those hot evenings and very easy to make. Watermelon is one of the ultimate tastes of summer and everything gets better with Persecco.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Diced Watermelon (Remove The Seeds Or Use Seedless)
1 ½ Cups Fresh Raspberries
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Cups Persecco
2 Tablespoons Chambord Liquor
Layer the watermelon and raspberries in 4 parfait glasses. In a glass pitcher combine the Prosecco, Chambord and lemon zest. Stir and quickly pour over the parfaits. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Never refrigerate tomatoes as the cold temperature dulls the flavor and changes the texture.
INGREDIENTS
1 Small Sliced Very Thin Red Onion
¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Pounds Quartered Mixed Color Heirloom Tomatoes
½ Cup Chopped Chiffonade Basil
½ Cup Shaved Ricotta Salata
In a serving bowl, combine vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and sliced red onion. Combine and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. This will soften the onion. Combine the chopped basil and top with shaved cheese and serve. Serves 6
Lobster Chowder
This Lobster Chowder is more like a Lobster Bisque. With the lobster meat and fresh corn added it is delicious!
INGREDIENTS
3 Lobster Shells
6 Cups Water
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Celery Heart
1 Chopped Carrot
2 Sliced Leeks
1 Chopped Onion
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne
1 Cup Fresh Cooked Corn
½ Cup Lobster Meat
2 Tablespoons Chopped Flat Leaved Parsley
To make the lobster stock you will need to crack the lobster shells up a bit and throw them into a food processor a few pieces at a time. Pulse them until they break up into small pieces. Put the shells into a pot and cover with water. Cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. Strain so that you have no remaining shells. This should give you about 4 ½ cups lobster stock.
In a heavy saucepan melt the butter and sauté the celery heart, carrot, leeks and onion for 5 minutes. Do not overcook these vegetables. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute constantly stirring. Now add the lobster broth and whisk until smooth. Gently cook for 20 minutes over a low heat until the vegetables are tender. Remove the mixture and put into the food processor and puree. Return to the saucepan and add the cream. Stir. Add the salt and cayenne and stir. Finally add the corn and lobster meat and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and ladle equal amounts into 4 warm bowls. Sprinkle with the chopped flat-leaved parsley. Serves 4
