Fourth of July Favorites
Zucchini Carpaccio
Thinly slice one zucchini. On the bottom of a dinner plate, pour about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl it to coat the plate. Shingle the zucchini. Season with salt. Juice 1 lemon over the whole plate and garnish with sliced jalapeño.
Watermelon Tomato Salad
Smear a nice amount of quality ricotta on the bottom of a dinner plate and top with bite-size pieces of watermelon. Halve cherry or grape tomatoes and scatter throughout the watermelon. Season with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with torn basil.
Mignonette
Dice one shallot and place in a bowl. Season well with salt. Then cover with red, white, or champagne vinegar.
Simple Salad Dressing
Combine the juice of 1 lemon. Add equal parts olive oil. Season with salt. This will serve 2, double, triple, etc. as needed. You can add a tablespoon of mustard for each serving, if desired.
Crumble Topping (for a Pie or Cobbler)
Using your hands, mix together 1 stick slightly softened butter with 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Mix together until crumble forms and top a pie. If making a cobbler in a standard brownie pan, double.
Simple Caprese Romaine
Shingle romaine leaves on a large plate. Dice 2 tomatoes and season with salt and olive oil. Toss and top the romaine. Season the whole salad with salt, olive oil, and a splash of vinegar. Top with as much Parmesan cheese as you can handle.
Strawberry Cherry Crostata Filling
Combine 1 quart cut strawberries with 2 cups pitted and chopped cherries. Season with 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon all purpose flour and toss to combine. Place mixture in a free-form pie crust or prepared uncooked pie shell. Top with the crumble above or another layer of pie dough.
Simple Greek Salad
Place chopped tomatoes in a large bowl. Scatter chopped cucumbers, olives, red onions, and sliced peppers. Dress with a liberal sprinkle of salt, olive oil, and a few splashes of red wine vinegar. Top with feta and then sprinkle with dried oregano.
Simple Tomato Salad
Shingle quality, ripe tomatoes on a plate next to sliced fresh mozzarella. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Rest for 5 minutes and then season again with salt and olive oil.
Shrimp Tacos
Season 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp (with tails off) with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 heaping teaspoons dried cumin, 2 heaping teaspoons dried oregano, a small pinch of cayenne, and pepper. Grill or pan sear and serve with taco elements.
Whipped Feta Dip
Place 1 lb. feta cheese in a food processor and with the blade running on high, blend until fully smooth. This may take a few minutes. If it’s having trouble smoothing the mixture out like a restaurant-style dip, add a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil. Plate and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper.
Melon Salad
Place sliced honeydew and cantaloupe on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with sliced cucumbers, sliced jalapeño, and fresh mint.
Stone Fruit & Feta Salad
Cut a few ripe stone fruits and scatter on a plate with a chopped tomato. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Break feta bites over the salad and garnish with sliced jalapeño and mint.
Rosé Clams
Place a dozen scrubbed little neck clams in a pot. Add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup of wine (or enough to cover halfway), juice of 1 lemon, the squeezed lemon halves, 3 to 4 smashed cloves of garlic, and a sprinkling of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5-ish minutes until the clams open. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Dry Rub Salmon
Combine 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Rub desired amount over salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds, bake or grill salmon until cooked through.
Whole Roasted Branzino
Season a scaled and gutted branzino with salt. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices and fresh herbs (such as thyme and/or oregano). Place on a sheet tray and roast at 425 degrees F for 15, or drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill. Grilling for 7 to 8 minutes per skin, or until skin is charred nicely and the fish is opaque. You can also place the sheet tray on the grill if you want to avoid the mess or potential skin-to-grill loss.