Simple Summer Suppers

There's something about August that makes me want to cook. The days and nights take on a long, leisurely pace, the tables at the farmer's market overflow with fresh produce and thoughts of new recipes dance in my head. But in D.C. - it's hot. It's hot and humid and sticky. Not exactly ideal weather for slaving over a hot stove. I've got a pile of "go to" recipes to get me through the dog days of summer, however. Recipes that are simple and flavorful and light - perfect for those August nights.

Shrimp Salad Rolls
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties

3 T. plus 1 t. kosher salt
1 lemon, quartered
4 pounds large shrimp, peeled
2 c. mayonnaise
1 t. Dijon mustard
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. black pepper
6 T. fresh dill, minced
1 c. red onion, minced
3 c. celery, minced

Bring 5 quarts of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add the 3 T. salt and the lemon wedges. Add the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, until the shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cool water.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, 1 t. salt, pepper and dill. Combine with the cooked shrimp. Add the red onion and celery and check the seasonings. Serve on its own or on toasted buttered rolls.

Chickpea Salad with Homemade Pita Chips
Salad adapted from Orangette

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ t. olive oil
¼ t. garlic, minced
Salt to taste
¼ cup loosely packed shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently to mix. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, until serving.

2 "rounds" of pocket pita bread
Olive oil
Garlic salt
Kosher salt

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut each pita round into 6 triangles. Pull apart each triangle at the "seam" so you have twenty four thinly sliced triangles. Place pita triangels on a rimmed cooking sheet and toss with olive oil, garlic salt and kosher salt to taste. Bake for 10 minutes, or until chips begin to brown. Watch closely so they don't burn!

What are your favorite easy summer meals?

Farmer's Market Friday: Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is the true overachiever of the produce section. A leafy green vegetable similar to spinach, chard offers a host of nutritional benefits. It has oodles of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Plus, it's pretty! It has big curly green leaves and a thick crunchy stalk, which can be bright yellow, orange, white or a gorgeous shade of magenta, depending on the variety.

Swiss chard makes its farmer's market debut in early June and tends to stick around until August. Pick some up this weekend!

Since many people are unfamiliar with chard, I've posted a recipe that features the vegetable below. You can use any color or variety of chard. One of my summer favorites!

Penne with Swiss Chard
Adapted from the Waterpenny Farms Recipe Book

2 c. penne pasta
4 c. swiss chard, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can canellini beans, drained
4 T. olive oil
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, diced

Cook penne in large pot until al dente. Add chopped chard and continue cooking until chard is wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain pasta and chard.

In a large serving bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add pasta mixture and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Farmer's Market Friday: Strawberries

June is the season for strawberries. Farmer's Markets will be overflowing with baskets and baskets of the delicious red berries this weekend.

The options abound - you can make strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam, or just pop them in your mouth whole. Strawberries are also a fruit that lend themselves well to being used in savory combinations, like this salad recipe that is a staple at my summer table.

Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

12 oz. baby spinach

1 1/4 c. chopped strawberries

1/4 c. sliced toasted almonds

1/3 c. feta cheese

Place sliced almonds in a ungreased skillet over medium heat. Stir often until golden brown, watching closely so the almonds don't burn. (You can definitely skip this step - the salad tastes just fine with "untoasted" almonds, but the toasting adds an extra layer of flavor!)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and top with Poppy Seed Dressing, tossing well to coat.

Poppy Seed Dressing

3 T. sugar

2 T. milk

1 T. white wine vinegar

3 T. lite mayonnaise

1 T. poppy seeds

Combine ingredients in a small bowl, stir with wire whisk until combined. (Tip: I usually make my dressings in a large measuring cup with a pour spout, so I can pour the dressing directly onto the salad with as little mess as possible!)

What are your favorite recipes featuring strawberries?

On the Road: Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez

In 1947, Louis Armstrong recorded the famous theme music for the movie New Orleans, a song entitled 'Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans', a beautiful anthem to the city which has been performed by various artists bewitched by New Orleans over the years.

Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans, and miss it each night and day...

Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans, when that's where you left your heart...

While a portion of my heart does belong to New Orleans, almost all of my appetite does.

Since falling in love with a boy whose entire heart (except the sizable portion reserved for me, of course ;) ) belongs to New Orleans, I've had multiple opportunities to indulge in the various culinary delights that city has to offer.

To kick off the summer, we traveled down south for our annual Louisiana food fix. Our days consisted of visiting with old friends, relaxing by the pool, sipping ice cold cocktails, and feasting on delicious meals. It was a perfect vacation. It's no wonder so many people leave their heart in New Orleans.

Restaurant August

301 Tchoupitoulas St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

504-299-9777

As in years past, our weekend in the Crescent City coincided with my birthday. To celebrate, we made a reservation at Chef John Besh's restaurant in the Central Business District. The bar and reception area at Restaurant August is dark and clubby - the kind of place where you expect to see a table of Southern Gentlemen holding court in the corner, sipping bourbon and puffing on cigars. The main dining room is brighter and airier, however, and an inviting place for a special meal.

Upon being seated (45 minutes after our reservation...), our waiter brought over two complimentary glasses of champagne. I'm not sure if it was to make up for the extended wait or to honor our special occasion, but it was a nice gesture and went a long ways toward erasing any irritation from the delay in being seated.

Our meal started with an amuse bouche of seafood bisque, served in a petite eggshell. The soup was rich and velvety and bursting with pieces of fresh crab and shrimp. I wish it had been offered as a starter because the two bites I had left me wanting more! We split an appetizer of goat cheese ravioli tossed in a light cream sauce with fresh spring peas and crispy pancetta. It was also incredibly delicious - we asked our friendly server for more homemade bread so we could sop up every last drop of the cream sauce. Licking the plate is generally frowned upon, I'm told... We each got a fish entree for our main course - the fish was perfectly seasoned and cooked and served over a portion of steamed fresh vegetables. For dessert, we ordered the strawberry trio - mini tasting portions of three desserts featuring strawberries. When they presented the plate, the pastry chef had written "Happy Birthday" across the top in chocolate, a festive touch.

Martin's Wine Cellar

714 Elmeer

Metairie, LA 70005

504-896-7300

I can get lost for hours inside gourmet food and kitchen stores - wandering up and down the aisles perusing random kitchen gadgets that I never knew I absolutely had to have, checking out bottles of unique marinades and delicious brownie mixes, dreaming of stocking my tiny kitchen to the brim with new purchases. When we wandered into Martin's Wine Cellar, a local chain with 4 outposts around the Gulf Coast region, to pick up picnic supplies en route to Oak Alley Plantation, I knew our estimated time of arrival at the estate would have to be pushed back. We browsed through the offerings at Martin's and picked up some "only in Louisiana" items, such as Zapp's potato chips and Cafe DuMonde beignet mix, as well as a few books on New Orleans food and culture. We also stopped by the bistro/deli (only available at the Metairie location) to pick up some sandwiches for the afternoon.

When Andrew was finally able to pry me away from the store and we arrived at the mansion, we unpacked our picnic under the shade of a grove of ancient oak trees. The sandwiches were huge and featured fresh hearty ingredients - thick slabs of homemade bread, oven roasted turkey, ripe red tomatoes. After we washed them down with mint juleps from the bar at Oak Alley, this city girl was ready to trade in her high heels and Starbucks for lazy afternoons enjoying good food and strong drinks under the oak trees...

Camellia Grill

626 South Carrolton

New Orleans, LA

504-866-9573

Camellia Grill is an institution. The tiny restaurant, located in the Uptown area of the city, features counter seating, saucy waitstaff and delicious food. A favorite haunt of Andrew's during his days at Tulane, I had heard a lot about the restaurant and was excited to finally have the chance to try it, as it was closed during my last two visits to the city due to Hurricane Katrina. After a modest wait, our party of four was seated next to one another along the serpentine counter and promptly greeted by a white coated waiter.

We visited Camellia Grill our last day of vacation, on our way to the airport. Even though it was afternoon, I settled on a bacon and cheese omelet as I love to eat breakfast anytime of the day and had heard raves about their eggs over the years. They certainly didn't disappoint! The omelet was light and fluffy and bursting at the seams with full strips of bacon and cheddar cheese. It was served with a hot crispy tangle of french fries. To further add to the gluttony, I ordered a chocolate milkshake. Hey, it's vacation. And it's New Orleans.