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How do I decide on what to cook for supper today? The answer for us is straightforward. Just step out the door and see what’s ripened in the front and backyard. As summer rolls in a full swing, this is how we eat. But hey, as much as I love cooking and eating good fresh food, there are times I don’t want to bother (yes, I said it) in the heat. Today’s post is a solution for my dilemma. Keep it simple, fresh, nutritious and yet exciting! You can still entertain your guests with the following easy recipes. This is also the perfect time for us to appreciate the artistry of the local artisans after a weekend farmer’s market visit.

Zucchini Salmon Pasta

Serves 3-4

A piece of wild salmon fillet (about 1lb)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons grain mustard

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped finely

2 tablespoons garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups fusilli or rotini pasta

2 green onions, finely chopped

4 baby zucchinis, thinly sliced

2 lb fresh broad beans in the pod, shelled

Good handful of shelling peas, shelled

5 turnips, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, oil, wine, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir well, set aside.

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil. Place the salmon on the sheet, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, then broil for 2 minutes.

Spoon the mustard mixture over the fillet and continue to broil for about 5 minutes until the fillet becomes flaky when tested and the top golden brown. Let cool and set aside.

Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water till al dente. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. Boil water in a small pan and cook shelled broad beans and peas for 2 minutes. Plunge in cold water and remove thin films from the broad beans. Drain well. Chop the green onions, and slice the zucchinis and turnips.

Rinse the pasta in cold water and drain well. In a large bowl combine the salmon, vegetables and pasta. Transfer to a large platter. Serve immediately.

Brie and Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam with Baguette Slices

I could not help but serve the Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam that I picked up last weekend from my farmer’s market friend Kathy of de la Bouche Specialty Foods. So here is what I did with it.

Serves 4

Half of regular baguette, thinly sliced and lightly toasted

A wheel of Brie cheese, wedged

Kathy’s Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam

Assemble all together, using generous portions. Indulge yourself with a glass of well chilled Chardonnay!

Raspberry Parfait

I like taking a stroll in the garden in order to forage for a dessert after eating a main dish. Summer enables me to pick food right off plants and turn it into beautiful dishes in a matter of minutes. Bake the dough ahead of time so you can assemble the parfaits together with your guests (forage if you have a raspberry patch)!

Serves 4

Spelt rhubarb squares dough, broken into fine pieces (recipe here)

A container of Liberté Méditerrantée Lemon Yogurt, well stirred

A big bowl of freshly picked raspberries, rinsed and drained well

Chill tall parfait glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes or so. Layer the spelt rhubarb squares dough, yogurt and raspberries in a tall chilled glass. Serve immediately.

Broiled salmon, adapted from giada’s family dinners.

Okay, I promise that this is going to be the last post for rhubarb desserts since I already posted many lately, and I should probably leave my rhubarb plants alone to recuperate for next year so I can bake all these rhubarb goodies all summer long! But who can resist those intense ruby red stalks?

These bars are perfect to take on trips, thanks to their solid texture. We ate them on a ferry and brought them to a picnic too. As Deborah Madison suggests, you can use any kind of jam to add variety.

Rhubarb Bars

9 x 9 square pan

110g salted butter

½ cup cane sugar

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

11/2 cups unbleached white flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup mixed chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts and rolled oats

¾ to 1 cup rhubarb jam or more (recipe below)

Extra butter and flour for greasing and dusting the pan

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9 x 9 pan and dust with some flour. Remove excess flour. Alternately, line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper.

Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually, and beat until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and continue stirring until the egg incorporates. Add the dry ingredients except the nuts mixture.

Leaving ¾ of the dough, press the rest evenly in the prepared pan.

Spread the rhubarb jam in a thick layer over the dough.

Mix the nuts into the reserved dough, and spread over the jam layer.

Bake about 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool and cut into squares.

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Rhubarb Jam

I make this jam thinking of crisp cold winter mornings when I spread it generously over toast smeared with cream cheese, all served with a warm pot of tea or coffee.

Makes 7 x 250 ml jars

2 kg rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces

850g cane sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)

Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot and cook until the rhubarb loses its shapes and becomes thick, about 1 hour or so.

Bring plenty of water to boil in a large pot that is taller than the jars. Sterilize the jars, lids and screw bands for a few minutes. Let them dry.

Pour the jam into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch from the brim. Wipe any spilled jam from the brim. Screw on bands snugly but do not over tighten them. Make sure that lids are not damaged or bent so that they seal properly during the canning process.

Place a heavy tea towel in the pot to keep the jars from having direct contact with the bottom. Submerge the jars. Make sure that there is enough water to cover them by at least 1 inch.

Boil for about 25 minutes.

Remove the jars without tilting, place them on a tea towel and cool undisturbed for 24 hours. In the mean time, remove the screw bands, wipe and dry them and replace on jars.

You can test the jars to find out if they are sealed properly. You can lift the whole jar by grabbing only the lids if they are properly sealed.

The preserves last about one year or longer. Refrigerate once opened.

Tag: jam

Zucchini Salmon Pasta and Raspberry Parfait

Rhubarb Bars