Summer cooking should be a breeze, more pleasure than chore. So keep it simple. Have a simple salad, something for the grill, a homey fruit dessert. If you can find someone to help with the preparation, so much the better.
This menu, relying on fresh summer produce, is easy to accomplish and yields a refreshingly light, flavorful meal.
For an utterly summery first course, consider a shaved zucchini salad. The idea is very thinly sliced, very fresh zucchini or other summer squash, lightly dressed with salt, lime juice and olive oil, and finished with lots of basil, mint and crumbly creamy feta. It's extremely refreshing and takes practically no time to make. Adding strips of squash blossom for a colorful garnish is nice, as are other edible blossoms like nasturtium or calendula.
The farmers market is where you'll find the best-tasting choices for summer squash. I prefer not-too-small, not-too-big specimens, shiny, smooth and unblemished. They're worth seeking out.
For a casual hot-weather main, whether lunch or dinner, I like spicy lamb burgers with tahini sauce, inspired by the Eastern Mediterranean.
The lamb base is no trouble to put together: You just knead hot pepper, spices, garlic and olive oil into a pound of ground lamb. Press the mixture into small patties as thin as possible and grill them quickly over hot coals for three minutes per side, or pan-fry them with olive oil in a hot cast-iron skillet if you prefer. (The patties will be cooked medium but remain juicy.)
Top the burgers with a dollop of the garlicky tahini sauce you have just stirred up. I like to add sliced tomato and avocado, and a few strips of roasted pepper. They're heavenly served in toasted pitas but are just at home on a bun.
For dessert, I'm of the persuasion that fruity desserts are the way to go all year round but especially in summer, when produce is in such abundance. A crumble is both simple and delicious.
Truth be told, for this menu, I had my mind set on apricot — until there were none at the market. So I pivoted to ripe mangoes instead. I had never before ventured into cooked mango territory; my only (happy) experiences had been with raw ripe mango and green mango salad. I'm thrilled to report that mango makes an excellent crumble, with or without a handful of berries thrown in.
But if you can't manage baking a crumble, rest assured that a plate of sliced juicy mango is a perfect summer dessert, too.
Zucchini Salad with Basil, Mint and Feta
Serves 4 to 6.
For an utterly summery first course, consider this shaved zucchini salad. The idea is very thinly sliced, very fresh zucchini or other summer squash, lightly dressed with salt, lime juice and olive oil, with lots of basil and mint and crumbly creamy feta on top. It's extremely refreshing and takes practically no time to make. Adding some strips of squash blossom for a colorful garnish is nice. From David Tanis, New York Times.
• 4 small zucchini or other summer squash (about 1 1/2 lb.)
• 1 tsp. lime zest plus 2 tbsp. lime juice (from 1 lime)
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 c. torn or whole mint leaves
• 1/4 c. torn or whole basil leaves
• Squash blossoms, torn in strips, optional
• Sumac, for sprinkling, optional
• 1/2 c. (2 oz.) mild feta, crumbled
Directions
Wash and trim zucchini. With a sharp knife or mandoline, cut crosswise into very thin rounds. Wrap slices with a damp towel until ready to use, up to several hours ahead in the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, stir together lime zest, juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place squash slices in a shallow salad bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add dressing and, using your fingers, coat all slices well. Add mint and basil, and the squash blossoms, if using. Toss everything together.
Sprinkle with a pinch of sumac, if using, and top with crumbled feta.
Spicy Lamb Burgers with Tahini
Serves 4 to 6.
This dish, inspired by the warm flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, is a breeze to put together. Hot pepper, spices, garlic and olive oil are blended into a pound of lamb before being formed into small, thin, quick-cooking patties. (You'll want to give the meat at least an hour in the refrigerator to let the flavors marry.) They're then cooked quickly in a hot cast-iron skillet and served with a garlicky tahini sauce. Tuck it into a toasted pita, or go with a bun. Either way, it'll be delicious. From David Tanis, New York Times.
For the burgers:
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for assembly
• 2 tbsp. sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground fennel
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil
For the tahini sauce:
• 2 tsp. lemon zest plus 3 tbsp. juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 3 tbsp. tahini
• 1 c. plain yogurt, full-fat or low-fat
• 1/4 c. thinly sliced green scallion tops
• 2 tbsp. roughly chopped dill
For assembly:
• Small pitas, toasted
• Tomato slices
• Avocado slices
• Roasted red peppers, jarred or fresh
Directions
Make the burgers: Place the ground lamb on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large bowl. Add cilantro, paprika, cumin, salt, coriander, fennel, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic and serrano.
Knead mixture until the spices are well incorporated. Wrap the meat and refrigerate for an hour or up to 48 hours.
With wet hands, form into 8 (2-ounce) balls, then flatten balls into thin patties. Refrigerate until ready to cook. (Patties can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month.)
Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce: Put lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl. Add salt, garlic and tahini, and stir to dissolve. Whisk in yogurt, and stir in scallions and dill.
Cook the burgers: Heat a wide cast-iron pan over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. When oil is wavy, cook 4 patties at a time, in batches, to keep from crowding the pan, for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned. The thin patties will be cooked medium but will remain juicy. (Alternatively, cook over a hot grill for 3 minutes on each side.)
To serve, tuck each patty into a pita with a spoonful of tahini sauce, tomato, avocado, cilantro and roasted red pepper.
Mango Crumble
Serves 4 to 6.
Fruity desserts are the way to go all year round, but especially in summer, when produce is in great abundance, and a crumble is both simple and delicious. Here, tangy mangoes bake until jammy under a crisp crust spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and ginger for an unforgettable contrast in textures. From David Tanis, New York Times.
For the topping:
• 3/4 c. (96 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. (110 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 c. (65 grams) salted butter, melted
For the filling:
• 4 c. mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1-in. pieces (about 4 to 6 mangoes)
• 1/2 c. (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the topping: Put flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium bowl. Stir in butter and mix together with a fork, leaving mixture crumbly.
Make the filling: Toss together mango, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon; transfer to a 9-inch pie pan or a similar baking dish.
Sprinkle topping over mango mixture. Bake until bubbling and nicely browned, 35 to 40 minutes.
