The ingredients listed above are all at their best, so make the most of August’s seasonal foods by turning them into delicious summer recipes. Pair some of summer’s ripe tomatoes with some delicious crab. Create a salad with ripe peaches and Parma Ham. Cook up some pasta and add chopped August veggies and chill. Perfect for a weeknight dinner. Below are some ideas to inspire you to create some recipes from August’s bounty.

New York Deli Style Pickled Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

For each quart jar:

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  
• 1 1/4 cups distilled water or purified tap water
  
• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
  
• 1 pound firm full-sized green tomatoes
• 1 stalk celery, cut in pieces
  
• 1/2 Serrano chili, stem removed or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
  
• 2 tablespoons dill seeds
  
• 1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

Notes on the ingredients:

The tomatoes must be all green and cut into quarters.

You can usually find distilled water in the grocery or drug store. Distilled water is best because it has impurities removed and impurities can impart off flavors. Purified tap water is perfectly fine to use also.

Use Kosher salt not table salt. Kosher salt has larger flake shaped grains and also has small amounts of anti-caking additives but no iodine.

The recipe needs a little heat. Half a serrano works perfectly. If fresh peppers are not available, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

You must use distilled vinegar. Any other vinegar imparts too many odd flavors.

Directions

Use really clean bottles and lids. Sterilize them by submerging them in a boiling water bath or on a setting for sanitizing in your dishwasher.

Add the garlic, dill seeds, celery, hot pepper or red pepper flakes and peppercorns to the jar.

Thoroughly wash the tomatoes, remove the stem and cut them into quarters. Cram them in the jar leaving about ½ inch of space at the top.

Make the brine by combining the vinegar, water and salt in a non-reactive sauce pan or pot. Bring to a boil and stir until all the salt is dissolved.

Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes to within 1/4″ of the top. Wipe the jar top, put the lids on and tighten. Turn the jars over and let sit for a couple of hours.

Return the jars to the upright position and leave on the kitchen counter overnight. Refrigerate the pickled tomatoes for two weeks before serving.

The pickled tomatoes will keep for months in the refrigerator.

Easy Chilled Summer Melon Soup

This soup makes a great summer appetizer or serve it for lunch.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 4 cups Crenshaw or cantaloupe melon, skin and seeds removed
• 4 cups yellow watermelon, skin and seeds removed
  
• One 15 ounce can coconut milk
  
• Grated zest of one large lime
  
• 1 large scallion (green onion) light green section finely diced and the top chopped and reserved for garnish
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and diced
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• Basil or mint leaves for garnish

Directions

Dice the melon and set aside 4 cups of each kind of melon. Puree the melon in a food processor. You will probably need to do this in batches. Pour the processed melon into a storage bowl.

To the last batch of puree add the lime zest, jalapeno, ginger,1 teaspoon of basil, the 1 teaspoon mint, diced light green scallion and the salt to the melon puree in the processor.

Pulse a few times and pour in the storage bowl with the first batch of pureed melon. Pour in the coconut milk and stir well.

Chill the soup overnight. Garnish with scallion tops, fresh mint leaves or basil when serving.

Breaded Eggplant Salad

For 2

For the eggplant

• 1 medium eggplant, peeled
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs
• Olive oil

For the salad

• Half a large yellow or red tomato, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup diced pickled peppers (spicy peppers are great here if you like them)
• 4 cups salad greens, chopped

Salad Dressing

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil.

Combine the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Cut the eggplant into 1 x 2 inch pieces.

Combine the beaten egg and milk in one shallow dish and the bread crumbs in another.

Dip the eggplant into the egg and then into the bread crumbs. Place the coated eggplant on the baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake the eggplant until crispy and brown, turning them over when one side is golden, about 20 minutes.

Place the chopped pickled peppers on a paper towel to remove some of the moisture.

While the eggplant bakes, arrange the salad ingredients on individual salad serving plates. Top with the cooked eggplant and drizzle with some of the dressing.

Mix well; serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.

Broiled Tomatoes

Need a quick side dish, full of flavor and certainly seasonal, try these quick broiled tomatoes.

For each 2 person serving

Ingredients

• 1 large beefsteak tomato
• 2 teaspoons prepared basil pesto
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil

Directions

Heat the broiler to high.

Cut the tomato in half and place in a baking dish, cut sides up.

Spread 1 teaspoon of pesto over each tomato.

Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs and then the grated cheese.

Drizzle each with a little olive oil.

Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the topping is nicely browned.

 

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in celery, Cheese, eggplant, greens, Healthy Italian Cooking, Limes, melon, onion, Pickles, Salad, Salad Dressing, Soup, tomatoes Tags: seasonal recipes for August