Tag Archives: summer

Easy Barbecued Salmon on the Grill for the Holiday Weekend!

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Barbecued Salmon with a Mahogany Glaze 1Although the weather forecasters in our New England town are predicting rain during much of the long Memorial Day weekend, that’s not going to stop me from pulling out the grill. If I have to cook under an umbrella, I’m determined to kick off the unofficial beginning of summer with some delectable barbecued fare. In fact, I’ve already planned the menu. Barbecued Salmon Fillets with a Mahogany Glaze, a long-time favorite recipe, will be the centerpiece of our grilled meal, accompanied by sides of creamy cole slaw and fresh asparagus sprinkled with some fleur de sel.

A simple marinade made with only four ingredients–dark molasses, soy sauce, fresh chopped ginger, and lime juice– turns these salmon fillets into something extra special. While the fish is marinating for an hour or more, some of the marinade is transferred to a saucepan and quickly reduced to a rich, dark syrupy glaze. Continue reading →

Lime and Ginger Cream Cheese Bars

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Lime Ginger Cream Cheese Bars 1 3383x2728These rich creamy bars with their bracing citrus accent and crisp gingersnap crust are irresistible, yet quite easy to make. For the crust you’ll need only three ingredients–ground ginger snaps, sugar, and melted butter. This mixture, packed into a pan and baked for a few minutes, is topped with a cheesecake-type batter flavored with bits of crystallized ginger and lime. The mixture is baked 25 minutes, and then a final addition of sour cream, sugar, and lime zest is spread over the thin cream cheese layer. Five more minutes of baking and this dessert is done! Continue reading →

Lobster! 55 Fresh & Simple Recipes for Everyday Eating by Brooke Dojny

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From the moment I first heard about Brooke Dojny’s new book, Lobster! 55 Fresh & Simple Recipes for Everyday Eating, I couldn’t wait to get a copy and cook from it. A long time contributor to Bon Appétit and the author of more than a dozen cookbooks, Brooke, who lives on the coast of Maine, gives readers 55 mouthwatering ways to prepare America’s favorite shellfish. Lobster pasta bathed in a rich tomato cream sauce, pizza topped with lobster and arugula, lobster and corn risotto, and much more will tempt you to pull out your lobster pot! Continue reading →

Almond Pound Cake with Peaches and Mascarpone Cream

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Peaches and cream are a celestial pairing, and make sublime garnishes to the almond pound cake featured here. The cream in this particular duo is extra special, enhanced by the addition of some mascarpone cheese, while juicy summer peaches are simply peeled and sliced.

Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour plus a touch of almond (from chopped nuts and extract) are all that are needed to assemble this delectable pound cake. It can be baked two days ahead and easily serves 12, making it an easy finale for a summer cookout for a crowd! Continue reading →

Summer Vegetable Galettes

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Mid to  late summer is the season for exquisite produce at my local farmers’ market. There are bins at each stand brimming with vegetables in vibrant hues. This irresistible produce was the inspiration for the following recipe for savory vegetable tarts. The tart shells are made with purchased puff pastry sheets that are cut into squares. A creamy spread of goat cheese and Parmesan is smoothed over  Continue reading →

Salmon Burgers with Easy Remoulade Sauce and Watercress

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When July arrives, cooks everywhere know that it’s prime time for burger cooking. My husband, a devoted fan of any type of ground meat or fish patty cooked over an open fire, refers to this season as “burger heaven!”

Although I prepare my share of classic ground beef rounds and top them with grilled onions and good melting cheeses, I also love to try new creations like the delicious salmon burgers featured here.

Created by my friend and talented chef, Matt Sunderland, these burgers are especially light in taste since they are prepared with fresh salmon fillets that are roasted quickly, then Continue reading →

Potato Salad with Chorizo and Chives

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This potato salad is a new and delicious twist on tradition. Small red skin potatoes, boiled in their skins, then quartered, and chopped hard-boiled eggs form the base, and are accented by bits of chorizo, a smoked Spanish sausage available in many supermarkets. It is the chorizo with its subtle smokiness that makes this potato salad so distinctive. These three ingredients are tossed together in a mustard and shallot vinaigrette, then sprinkled with snipped chives. Continue reading →

Corn, Leek, and Chorizo Gratin

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Here’s a great side dish to use some of that ubiquitous corn which as the lyrics go is “as high as an elephant’s eye” at this time of year. Diced chorizo, the slightly spicy Spanish sausage, fresh corn kernels, and chopped leeks are sautéed, then combined with eggs, half and half, and sour cream. Grated Gruyère and fresh chopped parsley provide more flavor. When baked, the gratin boasts a golden crust that covers a creamy custard mosaically studded with bits of sausage, corn, and leeks. This dish would make a fine garnish to barbecued chicken, grilled steaks, or sautéed pork chops.

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BLT Summer Salad

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For this simple salad, heirloom tomatoes (choose red, green, yellow, deep purple, whatever your markets and farm stands have on hand) are marinated in a vinaigrette dressing and arranged on a platter or on individual plates. Mixed greens tossed in more of the dressing are added next. Crumbled blue cheese and bits of bacon are sprinkled over the salad as final flourishes. Offer this salad as a first course for a summer supper or use it as a side dish for a backyard barbecue. Or, pair it with some crusty bread and a chilled soup for a light luncheon entree. This BLT variation is as good as the sandwiches and just as addictive.

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Orange-Scented Strawberry Shortcakes

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For my latest version of this all-American classic, I baked these shortcakes with a hearty amount of cream instead of butter or shortening for a rich taste, and used cake rather than all-purpose flour to make the texture extra tender. Orange zest lends a fresh citrus accent to these little cakes, and orange juice is used to season the berries. The whipped cream topping is also scented with a hint of grated orange peel. The shortcakes, the berries, and the cream can all be prepared several hours ahead, so that all you need to do at serving time is to assemble these scrumptious summer confections.

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