Ah, the taste of summer! Stone fruits, corn, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, watermelon … and the list goes on. These recipes highlight the intense flavors of the season’s bountiful fruits and veggies.
Grilled Stone Fruit Bruschetta
Ingredients
1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 nectarines, cut into quarters
2 apricots, cut into quarters
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
handful of fresh mint leaves
honey for drizzling
Maldon sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Slice the baguette, and brush with olive oil on both sides.
- Fire up the grill! Grill the bread until barely charred on both sides. Carefully grill the nectarines and apricots.
- Assemble the bruschetta by spreading the Mascarpone cheese on the grilled bread, then layer with grilled stone fruit pieces and fresh mint leaves. Drizzle with honey and a sprinkle of finishing sea salt.
Watermelon, Roasted Corn and Mint Salad
From Chef Joseph V. Fasy, Fuquay-Varina
Ingredients
3 ears sweet corn, shucked (yellow, white, or bi-color)
4 cups watermelon chunks, seeded
¼ cup red onion, sliced into rings
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil (more for corn)
2 tablespoons fresh mint ribbons
cracked black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Drizzle corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning on occasion, until slightly charred, about 8 minutes. Remove and cool, then slice kernels off the cob. When slicing, try to leave sections of corn still joined.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Add corn, watermelon, onion, and mint and gently toss all ingredients.
- Sprinkle with feta cheese.
- Serve immediately or chill.
Feeling Peachy Caprese Salad
Salad ingredients
4 ripe peaches
4 ounces arugula
1 4-ounce ball of burrata (or fresh mozzarella) torn into bite-sized pieces
Dressing ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried mint
Garnishes
1 cup balsamic vinegar
6 fresh mint leaves, julienned
Instructions
- Blanch and peel the peaches: Score the peaches with an “X” on the bottom. Place in boiling water for 2 minutes, and immediately plunge the peaches into an ice water bath. Peel the peaches by pulling away the skin with a serrated paring knife. Cut peaches in half, remove the pit, and slice.
- Whisk all of the salad dressing ingredients together until emulsified. In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the dressing.
- Prepare the balsamic vinegar reduction: Place 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and cook gently over medium heat. Do not boil. Stir occasionally and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the amount of liquid is reduced by half and the consistency is thicker and syrupy. Remove the balsamic reduction from heat and set aside.
- Layer the salad together. Place the dressed arugula on a large platter, then arrange the sliced peaches and burrata on top. Garnish with mint and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.
Eggplant Caponata
From Guiseppe Cataldo, Serena
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
5 whole olives, pitted and diced (Cataldo uses a mix of black and green olives)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and crushed by hand
1 cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces
½ cup fresh mint, torn into small pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Lightly salt the eggplant to draw out excess water. Put in a strainer and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat sauté pan over medium heat; add oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook onions and celery until soft and onions are translucent; add garlic and olives. Sauté for 30 seconds, or until garlic gives off a nutty aroma. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sugar and vinegar and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Transfer to a medium bowl and add tomatoes, basil, and mint. Set aside.
- Rinse eggplant to remove salt. Heat oil in a large skillet; add eggplant, zucchini, and squash and cook until soft. Add eggplant mixture to tomato mixture and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Wrap the mixture well with plastic wrap; allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
