Summer offers numerous opportunities for entertaining, from picnics at the beach to backyard barbecues, from cocktail parties with little bites to potluck neighborhood dinners. I love looking at newly released cookbooks to get fresh ideas for summer entertaining. I’ve selected a few new cookbooks with recipes offering exotic flavor combinations, suggestions for using the unusual vegetables in our CSA baskets and tasty tidbits to serve our families and friends.
Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists
by Julia Sherman
Blogger Julia Sherman’s new cookbook Salad for President takes you on a food and artistic journey, with beautiful artwork, interviews with artists and chefs, delicious recipes for salad and beyond. The recipes in this book will up your dining experiences this summer and then into fall and winter. For example, Soft Eggs, Avocado, Radish and Peanut-Pasilla Salsa would make a great main course for brunch this fall, but it would be equally delicious for dinner on a summer evening. I’m also anxious to try
- Melon Ribbons with Olive Oil, Crispy Sage and Sea Salt
- Tangy Farro Salad with Moroccan Cured Olives, Lemon Zest and Fennel
- Heirloom Tomato Salad with Crunchy Cornmeal Croutons
- Chicken Paillard with Sorrel and Arugula
- Grilled Peach Panzanella with Almond Essence and Purple Basil
Taste of Persia: A Cooks Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan
by Naomi Duguid
In Taste of Persia Naomi Duguid offers her customary visual nouishment, via gorgeous photos, while providing us with recipes for delicious Persian cuisine. This book came out last fall, but I consider it new enough to qualify for this post. While the book includes stews and other cold-weather offerings, there are plenty of recipes to enjoy this summer, including
- Cucumber Salad with Sumac and Mint
- Grilled Eggplant Pâté
- Walnut Sauce with coriander, fennel, funugreek, cayenne and other herbs (to accompany grilled vegetables or chicken)
- Persian Greens Frittata
- Turkey Kebabs served with Tart-Sweet Apricot and Raisin Relish
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
by Joshua McFadden with Marthahttp Holmberg
Joshua McFadden’s debut cookbook, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, seems to be very popular with CSA members and farmers’ market shoppers. Don’t assume from the title that this book is only about vegetables. There’s a flank steak topped with three of his flavored butters: watercress, pickled vegetable and mushroom. Pickle lovers will appreciate the Pickles: Six Seasons in a Jar section. There are lots of summer entertaining options covering the entire summer season, from peas in early summer to apples near summer’s end. For example
- Couscous with English Peas, Apricots and Lamb Meatballs
- Smashed Fava Beans, Pecorino, and Mint on Toast
- Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins
- Chilled Seafood Salad with Fennel, Radish, Basil, and Crème Fraiche
- Roasted Fennel with Apples, Taleggio Cheese, and Almonds
Lamingtons & Lemon Tart: Best-Ever Cakes, Desserts and Treats From a Modern Sweets Maestro
by Darren Purchese
Some of the recipes in Darren Purchese’s Lamingtons & Lemon Tarts might take time to produce, but they sound deliciously worth the effort. For example, I would like to try Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Ice Cream. If you are like me, summer is a time for easy cooking. I would save the more challenging recipes for the cooler months. However, there are some great ideas for summer, such as
- Lemon Tarts
- Rhubarb, Raspberry and Apple Crumble
- Passionfruit Pavlova Clouds
- Honey Madeleines
- Chocolate, Pear and Hazelnut Cake