Memorial Day often calls for backyard cookouts, and while we shouldn’t invite the whole neighborhood over, we can still make a nice meal at home. So, I’m pulling out a few recipes from the D Cookbook that’ll be perfect for today’s holiday. (If you’d rather leave it to the barbecue pros or if you need to source some local meat for the grill, we’ve got suggestions for that too.)
Recipe
Panzanella Salad
Ingredients:
3/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 head garlic, roasted until tender and peeled (optional, though recommended for maximum flavor punch)
1/2 baguette (or other crusty bread), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 pounds any and all kinds and colors vine-ripened tomatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
Sea salt and pepper
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil and the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the bread cubes and mix well. Place skillet in oven and bake until bread cubes are golden and crisp, about 10 t0 15 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and set aside to cool. (Or, heck, if you’ve already got the grill fired up grill the bread as slices, then cut into cubes.)
If using cherry tomatoes, remove stems and slice in half. For larger tomatoes, core and slide into medium cubes. Put tomatoes and roasted garlic, if using, into a large bowl; add vinegar and remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, then season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Mix well. Shortly before serving, toss bread and basil with tomatoes.
Note: If you have some artisanal bread on its last legs, maybe bordering on soon-to-be stale, it’s perfect for this salad plus it won’t go to waste.
Recipe
Corn Succotash
Ingredients:
6 ears corn, cleaned
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fava beans, blanched and peeled
1/4 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
10 okra, cut into circles
4 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper
Instructions: Take two ears of corn and grate on a cheese grater. Take the other four and cut the kernels off the cob. In a Dutch oven pot over medium-hot heat, cook the shallot and garlic in butter until translucent, just a couple of minutes or so. Add the corn and okra, and continue to cook for a few minutes. Next, add the cream and reduce until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. To finish, add fava beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and parmesan. Season with lime juice, salt, and fresh-cracked pepper.
Recipe
Peach Blackberry Cobbler
Ingredients:
For the filling
6 cups peaches
3 1/2 pints blackberries
4 tablespoons tapioca starch
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 unsalted butter
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Juice of one lemon
For the biscuit
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
Instructions for the filling: Cut peached into large pieces and combine with blackberries. Add lemon juice. Combine sugar with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and tapioca, and add to fruit mix. Mix carefully to combine. Add melted butter and let sit for 10 minutes.
Instructions for the biscuit: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and butter. Mix well. In a steady stream, fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Fold until just combined. Spoon the fruit mixture into a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Layer biscuit dough on top of the cobbler.
Bake at 350ºF until biscuit topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling, approximately 45 minutes.
