For late summer evening meals, we frequently opt for a bowl or cup of a cold soup and a light pie-type entree that we can bake earlier in the day to serve cold or at room temperature -- satisfying, but light for appetites which are dulled by the heat.
The cold soup, whether based on a savory broth or a puree of fresh fruit, is a particularly refreshing way to start a summer meal. This is the time to drag out those antique glass bowls or mugs that are collecting dust in the china cabinet, or perhaps, a stemmed goblet if the soup is a smooth consistency for sipping.
All that's needed to finish the meal are some tall glasses of ice tea or your favorite sugar-free beverage and fresh fruit for dessert. Or, in case of the last two meals where the soup is fruit-based, some low-sugar cookies using any one of the several recipes we've provided you over the last 10 months - such as the Chocolate Meringue Kisses, The Duchess of York's Sandies, or even a small wedge of the Chocolate Zucchini Cake (see this month's "cooking tip"). If you don't want to bother baking, you can purchase low-sugar cookies at a bakery or store (just check the label and count your carbos).
Our first menu features a creamy blend of cucumber and buttermilk, lightly seasoned and sprinkled with a bit of fresh mint at the last minute for a burst of flavor and color. Hopefully your mint garden is rampant at this time of year (ours is about to take over the shade garden in which we grow several varieties) or you can always buy mint at the supermarket. Use any leftover sprigs in your ice tea. The savory pie makes use of frozen or refrigerated phyllo dough (if frozen, be sure to allow time to thaw before using). Phyllo is a staple in our kitchens as we can make savory pies, tarts, strudels, and turnovers with very little fat grams as a quick spritz of refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray can take the place of coating each layer with melted butter. The result is a bit more crumbly and fragile that when we used to use butter, but the flavor's there and once we've learned how to handle phyllo that hasn't been coated with melted butter, the appearance is there, also. Phyllo dries out very quickly so be sure to work quickly and keep the dough sheets covered with a barely damp paper towel until you're ready to work with a sheet. Our pie has a Greek origin - much like spanakopita, except instead of using spinach, we're using yellow summer squash.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
By this time of year, our chives are drying back so we're fortunate that you can always buy fresh chives at the produce market or a small carton of IQF chopped chives in the frozen food section of most grocery stores. Along with parsley and other fresh herbs in a sweet onion (Vidalia, Texas 1015 Supersweet, Walla Walla or Maui) broth, you have the makings of a cold soup that you'll want to make time and time again. With this we're serving a ricotta and tomato cheese pie that's baked on a purchased thin-crust pizza shell instead of the traditional flour and butter pie crust. The pie's delicious, warm or cold.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
Our third meal features a fruit soup -- an immigrant to the United States from northern Europe: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Poland, or Russia. Fruit soups are quite popular in some regions of the U.S. but almost forgotten as a soup choice in the rest of the country. Since peaches are at their peak and will soon be a lingering memory (until we start getting the really good mid-season imports from South America), we're featuring a cold peach soup that deserves your prettiest glass bowls or cups. The pie is a savory version of frittata, which with its mixture of vegetables and cheese become quite dense and savory when served at room temperature or cold. This is one of the few times we use whole eggs. You can always used egg substitute with good effect. A nonstick skillet makes it easy to invert it out onto a serving platter to cut into wedges like a pie.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
Our final meal is Southwestern in flavor, starting with a vibrant chilled watermelon gazpacho that's served at the Golden Door, one of Southern California's most prestigious spas. The new seedless watermelons make the gazpacho a snap to make; try it another time with yellow watermelon and a yellow bell pepper. Teamed with a highly spiced ground meat pie (we used ground turkey to cut the fat grams) that's baked in a corneal biscuit crust, you have the makings of a meal that everyone will love. Tell the kids it a new kind of taco.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
