I love summer menus for their lightness, vibrant colors and ease. With this in mind, I asked my beautiful, witty and super talented chef/friend for some fabulous recipes to wow my summer guests.
Kim has written 2 delightful cookbooks that reflect her Mediterranean heritage. She is known for her healthy, seasonal and hearty salads.
Here are a few easy yet impressive summer recipes that Kim has graciously offered to share from her soon to be released cookbook, The New Kosher, along with some insider entertaining tips!
Bon Appetit!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHIPS WITH HERBES DE PROVENCE
This is one of those recipes you’re going to want to memorize and make time and time again. Whenever I bring out a bowl of these golden, crispy chips, my guests go crazy for them. Herbes de Provence is a mild blend that commonly includes rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, savory, and sometimes lavender. You can find it in the spices aisle at pretty much any supermarket.
1 butternut squash, about 2 lb (1 kg), peeled, halved, and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1–2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a sharp knife or a mandoline to cut the butternut squash into thin slices. Transfer the slices to a large bowl and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with the herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 ⁄2 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Transfer the squash to the prepared baking sheets. Try to spread the slices in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and roast until they begin to curl, about 30 minutes longer. Let cool, then break into smaller pieces and serve. The chips will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Serves 6–8
5-MINUTE SUN-DRIED TOMATO HUMMUS
This is a play on the five-minute hummus recipe that appeared in my first cookbook, The Modern Menu. It received so much praise that I started playing around with the idea of infusing new flavors into the buzz-worthy recipe. Here, I add not only sun-dried tomatoes to the hummus but also the oil in which the tomatoes are packed, plus some white wine for zest. Not long ago, I declared to a group of friends that I eat hummus every day. And it’s absolutely true. With a recipe as foolproof as this one, why wouldn’t I?
2 cans (15 oz/470 g each) chickpeas (I use organic),
Drained and rinsed 2 cloves garlic
6 drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (reserve the oil)
1⁄4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) sun-dried tomato oil
1 heaping tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil for drizzling (optional)
In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato oil, and tahini and pulse until thoroughly combined. While continuing to pulse, gradually add the wine, 1 teaspoon at a time, through the feed tube, then continue to pulse until the desired consistency is reached. Season generously with
salt and pepper. Transfer the hummus to a serving dish. Or, if not serving right away, transfer to an airtight container and drizzle olive oil over the hummus to help it stay moist. The hummus will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Makes about 2 cups (1 lb/500 g)
HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS WITH ZA ‘ATAR
My friends are always popping in to say hello and have a drink. This is a great recipe for a five-minute appetizer. I serve these toasty, salty pita chips alongside hummus and guacamole, and they’re also a wonderful accompaniment to wine and cheese. I simply top the pitas with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of za’atar before toasting them in a hot oven. Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that typically includes oregano, thyme, savory, and sumac, along with toasted sesame seeds and salt. I use it a lot in my cooking because of its sharp, nutty taste. This recipe is a perfect example of when homemade just completely crushes the store-bought equivalent. I keep bags of pita in my freezer in case I need to whip these chips up quickly. They’re light, crisp, and delicious, and everyone seems to love them, especially the kids!
4 pita breads
1⁄4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1–2 tablespoons za’atar
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Split each pita bread horizontally along the outside edge and separate into 2 rounds. Place the rounds, cut side down, on a baking sheet.
Drizzle the oil over the pita rounds and sprinkle with the za’atar. Bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes, watching the rounds closely as they can burn quickly.
Let cool, then break into smaller pieces and serve. The pita chips will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Makes about 32 chips
FRESH CORN, SUGAR SNAP PEA & TOMATO SALAD
For this recipe, I boil ears of corn and then I cut the kernels off the cobs. It’s also a great summer salad to make with leftover ears of corn. I used to keep the corncobs in the fridge for my babies to teethe on—they loved it! The ingredients for the dressing go directly into the salad, making for a fast cleanup. Serve this salad as a side dish with grilled fish or meats. People always go crazy for it because the mix of ingredients is unusual.
6 ears corn, husks and silk removed, boiled just until tender
2 cups (4 oz/125 g) sugar snap peas, trimmed and julienned
3 cups (18 oz/560 g) mixed cherry and grape tomatoes, halved
1 handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 handful of roughly chopped fresh mint
1⁄4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. In a large bowl, combine the corn, snap peas, tomatoes, cilantro, mint, vinegar, oil, sugar, and basil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to mix well. This salad can be made up to 5 hours in advance. Cover and store in the fridge. Serves 6–8
SEARED TUNA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO & JALAPEÑO PRESERVES
This seared tuna makes a striking, sophisticated main course. The spicy preserves are bursting with layers of flavors from the bold sun-dried tomatoes, the zesty basil, and the sharp garlic. I often prepare the preserves a day or two in advance and store them in the fridge. I also like to serve this dish as an appetizer by reducing the quantity of tuna. (I still make the same amount of preserves, however, as they always get devoured!) For less spicy preserves, remove and discard the seeds from the jalapeño. If you have more preserves than you need for this dish, they will keep in a tightly capped jar in the fridge for up to one week. Just be sure to serve them at room temperature, not straight out of the fridge.
2 cup (21⁄2 oz/75 g) drained oil-packed or (11⁄2 oz/45 g) dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups (2 oz/60 g) fresh basil leaves
1 handful fresh mint leaves
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and halved lengthwise
1 large clove garlic
3–4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 tuna steaks, about 6 oz (185 g) each, cut into 2-by-4-inch (5-by-10-cm) pieces
1 tablespoon neutral oil such as avocado, sunflower, or canola
In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, mint, jalapeño, and garlic and pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar, and 1 ⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and process for a few seconds to combine, adding more oil if needed to achieve a good consistency. Transfer the preserves to a bowl or glass jar and set aside.
Season the tuna with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat the neutral oil over high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the tuna and sear, turning once, for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 3 minutes. Cut the tuna against the grain into thin slices.
Arrange the tuna slices on a serving plater and drizzle with the preserves. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 6
Kim’s Entertaining Tips:
-Chip and dip always.
-If it’s summer, you’ll need chips and dips and why not make your own homemade ones?
It’s the little things that always make the huge differences. This is especially true when it comes to entertaining. I love putting out a big tray of homemade za’atar pita chips. These chips can be made a week in advance and take only minutes to prepare . They go perfectly well with a homemade hummus that literally takes five minutes to make. People love eating homemade food and that’s especially true with crowd favorites like hummus.
Keep it simple but colorful.
-Fill your table with big bowls of gorgeous bright salads like fresh corn and tomato salad or an Asian slaw. Your guests will want to fill their plates with salads and greens, grilled meats and fish on the side.
-Prep salads and dressing separately ahead of time. Keep chilled until ready to dress and toss.
-Make salads that use quinoa, kale or fresh corn off the cob as the main ingredients as these 3 can be fully prepared up to 48 hours in advance.
– Cook the corn, let it cool and then cut the kernels off the cob. Store in a ziploc quart bag until ready to use.
-Cook quinoa to desired likeness and let cool. Store in a tupperware in the fridge until ready to use.
-Wash and dry the kale thoroughly. Shred or chop and keep wrapped in paper towels in a ziploc bag in the fridge until ready to use.
-Everybody loves a frozen dessert on a hot day. Frozen granita is a great fun way to go. I prepare these ahead of time and even portion into individual serving cups and store in the freezer until ready to serve- super easy! Also it never hurts to add a little bit of your favorite alcohol into your favorite flavored granita!!
Marcy says
Amazing recipes- hungry already! Can’t wait for the new cookbook too.
Esther Harary says
Love your receipe
Joy says
These are all great light idea’s for summer. I have her book and made so many recipes ..they were easy to follow and all came out great.