Summer Cooking – enjoy the sunshine
Food for hot weather and the cooler months too
Kerry Scambler
Summer Cooking
Summer – warm evenings, oudoor eating and of course, food and wine shared with family and friends....
Summer Cooking brings you over 250 recipes, great for hot weather, but many of which can still be enjoyed and perfected through the cooler months, too.
I love the long days of summer, that give you extra time to forage in the garden in the evenings, and to perfect a dish ready for the next round of barbecues or gatherings. Just like the first recipe I tried…
With an abundance of fruit, thankfully saved from the possum who fooled us twice but not thrice by invading our fruit tree cage, the recipe for nectarines caught my eye. It had been earmarked from the moment the book appeared on my desk.
It’s not barbecue rocket science but we’d never have thought of this way of sharing our fruit with friends without Summer Cooking. It’s so simple – lovingly wrap your freshly picked and quartered nectarines in prosciutto or pancetta, season gently with a little black pepper and place on a lightly oiled bbq plate. Everyone loved the big sweet and salty flavour but then discussion turned to what else to add.
Having some King Island Double Brie surprisingly left on the nibbles table, one guest tried a sliver of this creamy delight with their nectarine and declared a whole new taste sensation.
From there discussion went to which fruits to try at what time of year, and perhaps what else to add for that special flavour enhancer. Pears, peaches and different cheeses were all suggested as alternatives for the next gathering, whatever the season. (Note: there were no real gourmet foodies amongst us, just a group of friends who always enjoy trying something new.)
There are other recipes that were tried and will be followed but many others can be adapted to what’s in the garden, who’s coming for dinner and the preferences of the time. Next on the list is one for citrus and chilli duck breasts which will be adapted to chicken, simply because duck isn’t an overall household favourite.
Summer Cooking now has its fair share of sticky tabs for experiments in the months ahead. There's a good range of salads that can be whipped up quickly and provide something different to the usual standard tossed salad: for example Circassian chicken salad with walnut-cream sauce, rocket salad with avocado, blue cheese and pecans and many others. Of course, salad wouldn't be complete without dressing and all the basics are here in one spot.
Summer isn't summer in Australia without a barbecue, so try out some simple recipes for maple-glazed pork, chickpea burgers, Middle Eastern mustard lamb backstraps and more.
Noodle dishes and light meals also feature with dishes like Shanghai prawns, little prawn and noodle parcels, mushroom and taleggio toasties and tandoori wrap – all simple and easy to create.
Summer Cooking isn't at the culinary cutting edge, but it’s sure to provide some inspiration for when you just can't decide what to have for lunch, for entertaining and perhaps to inspire even further lively discussion at friendly gatherings.
So… this simple tale of the nectarine to me represents what all cookbooks should do – give people at levels of food-interest inspiration to find something that appeals, experiment and enhance or discover whole new taste sensations.
Summer Cooking is published by Penguin Group (November 2010, RRP A$29.95). Subscribers of VisitVineyards.com and Winepros Archive can purchase this book at 12.5% discount from our book partners Seekbooks (postage extra).
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