This time of year, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven or fire up the grill—even though it’s the perfect time to get together with friends and enjoy a lazy evening meal. But summertime entertaining doesn’t have to entail the heat of baking, broiling or grilling. We have a delicious and filling menu this month that requires almost no cooking.
We start with a Gazpacho, a fresh and flavorful cold soup that is chock full of summertime veggies. It is an ideal first course because it is cool and refreshing. We follow that with a Yucatan-style Crab Tostada with Avocado Cream, which is loaded with the delicious lump crabmeat so bountiful this time of year. It’s easy to throw together and will wow your guests. The dessert doesn’t take much time to prepare either and can be done well in advance.
So don’t waste time in the kitchen. Get out and enjoy the patio, a cool summer supper and a nice bottle of wine with your loved ones.
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THE MENU:
• Gazpacho
• Yucatan-style Crab Tostada with Avocado Cream
• Puff Pastry Shells with Lemon Mascarpone and Berries
Recipes by Tracey Koch
Gazpacho
Gazpacho has an ancient history that actually dates back to the Romans in southern Spain. It has been served for centuries since then throughout Spain and Portugal. The main ingredients are tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and garlic. It is a wonderful and refreshing cold soup that is a perfect and healthful dish to serve during our hot summer months.
Yields: 6 one-cup servings
¼ cup chopped onion
½ cup plain Panko bread crumbs
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons seeded chopped jalapeños
1 cup peeled and seeded chopped cucumbers
5 cups seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 cups tomato juice
Salt to taste
1. Place the onion in a bowl of ice water. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes then drain well.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the onion, bread crumbs, garlic and lime juice. Process until the mixture becomes a paste.
3. Add the bell pepper and jalapeño, and continue processing until well blended.
4. Remove the lid and scrape down the sides. Add the cucumbers and tomatoes. Process again until everything is incorporated.
5. With the machine running, add the tomato juice to thin the gazpacho out a bit. Season with a little salt if needed. This soup will be thick with a little texture to it.
6. Place the gazpacho in a large bowl and cover. Chill the soup for at least a couple hours before serving. This may be made a day ahead.
7. Before serving, the soup will need to be stirred and the seasonings may need to be adjusted.
Yucatan-style Crab Tostada with Avocado Cream
This Yucatan-style tostada is a delicious and satisfying dish to serve as an appetizer or main course. The crabmeat topping is very easy to assemble and can be made ahead of time—just make sure to pick through the meat thoroughly. It is truly a treat to eat and a fun spin on the Mexican-inspired dish.
Servings: 6
For the Avocado Cream:
2 large ripe avocados
1 clove minced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of Tabasco
1. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe avocados along with the garlic and lime juice.
2. Once the avocado mixture is smooth, add in the salt and Tabasco.
3. Cover and chill until you are ready to assemble the tostadas.
For the crab topping:
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat,
carefully picked through for shells
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. In a large mixing bowl, place the jumbo lump crabmeat, chopped onion, bell pepper and jalapeño.
2. Pour in the lime juice, Creole seasoning and hot sauce.
3. Gently toss everything to coat, making sure not to break up the crabmeat. Sprinkle in the cilantro and chill for 1 hour or until you are ready to make the tostadas.
To assemble the tostadas:
12 round flat tostada shells
Yucatan-style crab topping
Avocado Cream
Baby arugula
Fresh lime wedges
1. Spread a couple of tablespoons of the Avocado Cream on the bottom of each tostada shell.
2. Place a little of the baby arugula on top followed by a couple tablespoons of the crab topping.
3. Serve the tostadas immediately along with fresh lime wedges.
Puff Pastry Shells with Lemon Mascarpone and Berries
This dessert is very easy to make, but it will look like you worked in the kitchen all day. The puff pastry shells are readily available in the freezer section of the grocery store and take almost no time to prepare. The lemon mascarpone filling is sweet and tangy and is the perfect combination to complement the fresh berries and the crisp puff pastry shell.
Servings: 6
1 box frozen puff pastry shells
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1⁄3 cup powdered sugar, divided
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
½ pint blueberries
½ pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Break off 6 of the frozen puff pastry shells and place them onto the baking sheet. Reserve the remaining shells in the freezer for a later use.
3. Make sure the oven is completely warmed before baking the shells for 18-20 minutes or until they are puffed and golden.
4. Remove the shells from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut the tops off the shells and gently remove the doughy middle. Place the pastry shells on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
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5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the mascarpone with the lemon zest, ¼ cup of the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Blend until all is incorporated, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour. The mixture will thicken as it chills.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the blueberries and strawberries along with the remaining lemon juice and powdered sugar. Chill the berry mixture until you are ready to serve.
7. To serve, place a couple of dollops of the mascarpone mixture into each of the puff pastry shells. Top each shell with some of the mixed berries and serve.