By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
July has come and gone, and we continue to relish in the warm summer sun. Between beach trips, stop by your town’s farmers market and pick up some fresh, in-season produce. Maybe you are having friends over for barbecues or stopping by your cousin’s pool with the kids. Summer is a great season for foodies because everything tastes extra yummy with sand between your toes and sun on your skin. Here are four recipes that’ll wow your crowds and power up your appetite:
Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
- 6 English cucumbers
- ½ cup of rice vinegar
- 1 cup of roasted peanuts
- 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Sesame seeds (for garnish)
Thinly slice the cucumbers (after washing them) using a sharp knife or mandolin. Transfer into a bowl.
Chop the peanuts finely and roast in the oven on a sheet pan with a touch of olive oil at 350 degrees for five minutes. Let cool briefly.
Add soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and rice vinegar. Combine with peanuts and cucumber slices and toss lightly.
Top with sesame seeds and serve with stir fry or teriyaki burgers.
Summer Veggie Pizza
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces of store-bought pizza dough
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 ounces of asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound of summer squash
- 2 lemons, freshly squeezed
- 10 oil-packed anchovies, diced
- 1/3 cup of fresh basil
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- Shaved Parmesan
Let dough rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Coat a cast-iron skillet in 1/8 cup of olive oil and stretch the dough to reach all sides of the pan.
In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and anchovies. In a small bowl, combine salt and spices.
Spread cheese mixture evenly across the dough. Add asparagus, squash, basil, and shallots. Sprinkle spices on top and drizzle with oil.
Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Once it’s fully cooked, top with shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!
Modern Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cans of pinto beans
- 1/2 pound of bacon
- 1 cup of cola soda
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of ketchup
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup of adobe chipotle
- Salt to taste
Saute bacon over medium heat until crispy, 7 minutes.
Remove bacon from heat and cook down diced onion in bacon fat until jammy, 10 minutes.
Pour beans into a large pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the rest of the ingredients, including bacon and onion. Mix thoroughly.
Bake for 35 minutes uncovered until fragrant and bubbly. Serve warm!
No-Churn Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 30 Oreo cookies
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Place cookies in a plastic Ziploc bag. Crush cookies into bits using a rolling bin. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cream, milk, vanilla, salt, and sugar. Whisk together and pour into freezer-safe containers. Add crushed cookies and mix evenly into the cream base.
Freeze for at least 24 hours until hard. Scoop into bowls and enjoy as a delicious dessert!
