June is a special month for us because our parents always rent a beach house and treat us and our families to a fun week at the beach. We typically kick off Riegel Beach Week on Father’s Day with a big, festive dinner. It’s a great way to set the tone for the week to come and also to celebrate the fathers in our lives.
Tracey has come up with a delicious dinner for this year’s feast, and it’s easy to prepare for family and friends. The menu features plenty of fresh summer ingredients but is hearty enough to fill up all the hungry men at your table.
THE MENU: • Calypso Salad
• Moorish-rubbed Pork Tenderloin stuffed with Cream Cheese and Jalapeños
• Maque Choux-baked Grits
• Peach and Rhubarb Cobbler with Brown Sugar and Bourbon Ice Cream
CALYPSO SALAD
This salad is adapted from one of Tracey’s husband’s favorite restaurants: the Calypso Grill in Grand Cayman. The restaurant’s house salad is fresh and delicious and includes a different mix of ingredients than you typically find in a green salad, but the combination of flavors and textures works well together. This salad is a lovely way to start off a hearty summer dinner.
Servings:6
For the dressing: 1 tablespoon fresh chopped shallots
¼ cup Champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ cups grape seed oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1. In a small bowl, whisk the chopped shallots, vinegar and mustard together.
2.Slowly drizzle in the grape seed oil as you continue whisking until everything is incorporated.
3.Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
For the salad: 1 head of butter lettuce
2 cups baby romaine lettuce
1 bunch asparagus
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup green olives
½ cup thin slices of Parmesan cheese
1. Wash the lettuce and dry it well. Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and place into a large salad bowl.
2. Trim the ends off the asparagus and cut into thirds. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Quickly drop in the asparagus for 1 minute.
3.Drain the asparagus and run them under cold water to stop them from cooking.
4.Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them into the salad bowl along with the blanched asparagus, lettuces and green olives.
5. Right before serving, drizzlein half the dressing and toss. Top the salad with the shaved Parmesan cheese and serve.
6. Cover the remaining dressing and chill for a later use.
MOORISH-RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE AND JALAPEÑOS
We cook pork tenderloins frequently because they are easy to prepare for a crowd and hard to mess up. That being said, we are always looking for new twists on our favorite standby protein. This Moorish rub is one we have used for years. It is Spanish-inspired and full of great flavor. We took this recipe a step further by butterflying the tenderloins and stuffing them with a little cream cheese and fresh sliced jalapeños.
Servings: 6
2 (2-pound) pork tenderloins
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
¼ cup olive oil
2 fresh jalapeños
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1. Trim the fat off the tenderloins and remove the silver skin.
2. Butterfly the pork by turning the knife blade parallel to the cutting board and making a lengthwise cut through the middle of the loin, making sure to stop before cutting all the way through. Open the tenderloin like a book and set it flat on the cutting board.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the pork to about ¼-inch thickness.
4. In a small bowl, combine the salt, spices and lemon zest together.
5. Drizzle the flattened tenderloins with the olive oil on both sides. Season both sides with the spice rub.
6.Spread an even layer of cream cheese along the inside of the pork tenderloins, leaving about a ½-inch border along the edges of the meat. Place a single layer of the sliced jalapeños down the center.
7.Carefully roll the pork tenderloins lengthwise and secure the seam with toothpicks. Place the stuffed pork tenderloins in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill.
8. Heat the grill to 375 degrees. Place the pork seam-side down on the grill. Cook for 12 minutes, then flip. Cook for an additional 11 to 12 minutes then remove from the grill.
9. Place the tenderloins on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Allow them to rest 15 minutes before removing the toothpicks and slicing.
MAQUE CHOUX-BAKED GRITS
Fresh corn is one of our favorite veggies to cook in the summer. We steam it, grill it and even sauté it. Tracey has created a delicious side dish that combines fresh summer corn with onions and bell peppers in creamy stone-ground grits. The corn and bell peppers balance out the richness of the cheesy grits. This dish pairs quite well with the spicy pork.
Servings: 6
4 cups water
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 cup stone-ground grits
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups fresh corn
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup chopped green onions (tops and bottoms)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large pot, bring the water to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the grits and stir the mixture.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the grits to cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth and creamy, about 12 to 14 minutes.
4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions and bell peppers for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add the remaining salt and the red and black pepper, and then fold in the corn. Continue to sauté until the corn is tender. Pour in the cream, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Fold the maque choux into the grits along with the 2 tablespoons of butter and shredded cheddar cheese.
7. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs and then fold into the grits mixture. Add the green onions and stir until everything is incorporated.
8. Pour the grits mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the maque choux grits are puffed and golden. Remove and serve hot.
PEACH AND RHUBARB COBBLER WITH BROWN SUGAR AND BOURBON ICE CREAM
Fruit cobblers are quintessential summertime desserts. They are easy to make, and there is an abundance of fresh fruit like peaches or berries to choose from. For a fun twist, we paired this easy peach cobbler with rhubarb to give it a little more of a kick.
Rhubarb is in season in the late spring and early summer. It looks like pink celery and can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores when in season. It is very sour if eaten raw but has a wonderful, slightly tart flavor when it is cooked down with sugar and other fruits. If you are unable to find rhubarb, this cobbler is equally delicious without it; just substitute an additional half pound of peaches in place of the rhubarb.
Servings: 6
For the cobbler filling: 1½ pounds ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (frozen peaches work well if fresh are not available)
½ pound rhubarb, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1. In a large pot, combine the peaches and rhubarb along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well to combine.
2. Heat this mixture over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn off the heat.
For the cobbler topping: 1 cup flour
½ cup rolled oats
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons cold butter
2-3 tablespoons ice water
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, salt and sugar.
2. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of cold water and use your fingers to gently mix in the water. The topping should be very crumbly and damp.
To assemble the cobbler: 1.Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. Pour the filling into the prepared baking sheet, then crumble the topping. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is toasty brown and the fruit is bubbling.
3. Remove from the oven and allow the cobbler to sit for 10 minutes until serving. Serve warm with ice cream.
For the bourbon ice cream: Making homemade ice cream in the summer is always a treat, and with so many great ice cream makers now on the market, it couldn’t be easier. The base for this ice cream is rich and delicious, and the brown sugar gives it a caramel flavor. If you are making it with kids in mind, just leave out the bourbon.
Yields: 1 quart
1 cup half and half
3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
1 cup light brown sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
2 ounces bourbon
1. In a saucepot, heat the half and half and milk over medium-low heat to just under a simmer. (This is scalding the milk.)
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until thick.
3. Remove the pot from the stove and add a few spoons of the scalded milk into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, then gently whisk the egg mixture back into the pot with the scalded milk.
4. Return the pot to the stove over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon.
5. Quickly remove the pot from the heat and strain the custard into a container. Stir in the vanilla and bourbon to flavor the custard.
6. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the custard to prevent a skin from forming, and allow the custard to come to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator to chill completely.
7. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions to finish making your ice cream. This will keep for up to 1 week in the freezer.
This article was originally published in the June 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.
