Before we start talking “best of summer” recipes, I need to take a moment to acknowledge the 25th anniversary of September 11. That date, along with 9/11 and Ground Zero, are as much a part of the American lexicon today as Stars and Stripes. I have been reading “The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World, the Twin Towers, Windows on the World, and the Rebirth of New York” by Tom Roston.
Described by Kirkus as “the remarkable story of a restaurant on top of the world—built by a legend, destroyed in tragedy—and an era in New York City it helped to frame…A detailed, inspiring, and horrifying account of the restaurant that sat atop the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A rich, complex account of Windows on the World.”
It contains stories of the people behind it, such as Joe Baum, the celebrated restaurateur, who was said to be the man who recreated America’s restaurant landscape; the well-tipped waiters; and the cavalcade of famous guests, as well as everyday people celebrating the key moments in their lives. Built on nearly 150 original interviews, the book is the story of New York City’s restaurant culture and the quintessential American drive to succeed.
Ruth Reichl, chef and editor-in-chief of Gourmet, called on staff to join her at the magazine’s test kitchens in Times Square in the days after the 9/11 attacks. She arrived to find the kitchens full of colleagues with their friends and families, bearing groceries and ready to help. They delivered the food they cooked straight to the World Trade Center site. “We were attempting to snatch hope from the rubble of our broken city,” Reichl would write years later, “and food was the perfect way to do it.”
Moving back to some summer recipes that local cooks have enjoyed over the past few months, I asked a few home cooks about their favorite summer dish. Judy Kleindinst, who lives in North Falmouth, confessed that “the fabulous NYT plum torte” remains a favorite, along with the overnight focaccia she first made when helping out with a class at Highfield. “I make your summer succotash all the time with corn and zucchini but just use basil (no cilantro) and no tomatoes—simple and delicious.”
Summer Succotash
1 cup diced fresh zucchini
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp each: fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Melt butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion until soft, about 2 minutes; add zucchini and sauté 3 minutes more. Stir in remaining ingredients, season to taste, and serve hot or warm.
Midge Freiswyk, who has moved to South Cape, sent me a summer salad that she has come to love, even though she first thought it was rather “dubious, given the different ingredients. However, it has been on repeat and I’m always pleasantly surprised by how much I continue to like it each time!”
Summer Cucumber And Dill Salad
1⁄4 cup full-fat sour cream
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced or chopped
In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, vinegar, and dill; add the cucumbers and onions. Mix well until the cucumbers are coated in the creamy dressing. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Before serving, sprinkle the salad with salt and pepper and mix again.
Linda Marie Steele, who is a food writer and poet, said she had “had several food wins this summer; I was in love with burrata and olive oil, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and fresh basil (I had a lot this year!). Something so special about a summer meal is that there is never much cooking needed, and all good fresh flavors. In a bowl, I let the burrata come to room temperature, then drizzle it with olive oil, lemon juice and basil.”
“I warmed bakery-style pita bread and served with the burrata,” she added. “Another favorite was chopped watermelon, blueberries, feta, and pistachios drizzled with honey. And I also made a batch of limoncello—a summer favorite—took about six weeks but worth it!”
Martha Tarafa, another of our Highfield volunteers, offered a recipe that she got from Katie Ricard, the culinary director there. She said, “Katie added lobsters, shelled and in chunks that had been simmering in butter. Yum—I have made it twice since I helped her out in the class,” she said. Other than that, I have not really made anything special this summer; I think we’ve lived on your shrimp salad, grilled pizza and Aperol spritzes.”
Katie’s Tortellini With Peas And Crispy Prosciutto
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 cup each: chicken stock and heavy cream
Salt and pepper, as desired
Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan; add prosciutto and cook until crispy, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate; add the shallot and cook for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the tortellini, broth and cream and season to taste; and peas and simmer for 2 minutes more. Continue to simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness; transfer to a serving plate and crumble the prosciutto over the top. Garnish with chives; if using cooked lobster meat, cut it into chunks and sauté it in a little butter before adding the peas.
Mary Jane Fernino of North Falmouth is a regular contributor to this column. “My staple summer appetizer is chips and salsa. Opening a jar of prepared salsa works, of course, but with a bit more effort, you can upgrade the contents of that jar to something special,” she stated.
“I like to start with a jar of Tostitos Medium Chunky Salsa. Adding corn kernels (fresh if it’s really summer, or defrosted frozen, if it’s May), diced sweet onion, diced red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, and some chopped tomatoes turns that basic jar into something much more interesting—and it’s best served with sturdy scoop chips,” she suggested.
Laura Higgins, who also lives in North Falmouth, replied that she “fell in love with a Mexican street corn salad. I have adapted it because I don’t use our grill very much, so I use the broiler instead. It’s from www.loveandlemons.com.”
Laura’s Mexican Street Corn Salad
4 ears fresh corn, husked
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
1½ tbsp mayo (or vegan mayo)
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
1⁄3 cup chopped scallions
1⁄4 cup crumbled Cotija, or feta cheese
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (or basil)
1⁄4 tsp smoked paprika, or chili powder
1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and diced
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (use the broiler with the pan on the highest rung). Brush the corn with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes per side or until char marks form. (If broiling, broil the first side for 15 minutes, then 5 or 10 minutes on the second side—to taste). Remove from the grill/broiler and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the mayo, garlic, lime zest and juice. Slice the kernels off the cobs and add to the bowl along with the scallions. Stir to coat, then add the cheese, cilantro or basil, smoked paprika, jalapeño and salt. Season to taste and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Laura added, “You can roast the jalapeño with the corn if you like. I would put them in when you turn the cobs over for the second side char. Also, you can make this recipe vegan by omitting the cheese and using the vegan mayonnaise. And actually, this salad is quite good without the cheese!”
Colleen Wood also used to volunteer in the Highfield kitchen. She sent a recipe “for a summer salad that I love, and originally was a little dubious about, given the different ingredients. However, it has been on repeat and I’m always pleasantly surprised by how much I continue to like it each time!” she told me. This is from “Cravings” by Chrisy Teigen.
Roasted Cauliflower, Feta And Orzo Salad
3 tbsp each: extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice
1 tsp each: honey and mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 thinly sliced red onion
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F; in a bowl, toss the cauliflower with 3 tbsp olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until softened and slightly charred; let cool and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water, then toss with remaining oil. In a big bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard and salt and pepper. Add the cooked orzo and toss well; add the cauliflower, feta, and cherries and toss until coated with the dressing; throw the spinach on top and toss again. Check for salt and serve immediately.
And now, if you have gotten this far, please pause and remember today’s date. Ruth Reichl wrote in her memoir that the experience completely changed her perspective on her career, making her understand “the true meaning of food” as an act of thanks and solace. There are more food-related stories about the aftermath of the attack at 911memorial.org.
