Set The Table For Labor Day Weekend Dining

Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer, but grilling continues.

Start this Labor Day celebration with oysters and clams on the half shell and Prosecco. For dinner, chilled gazpacho, honey hoisin BBQ ribs and chicken, roasted new potatoes, red and yellow tomatoes with oil and vinegar and pinot noir. Finish with chocolate angel food cake, ice cream, and fresh berries.

Bon appétit!

Chilled Chunky 
Garden Gazpacho

(Serves 4-6)

5 large ripe red tomatoes

1 large yellow tomato, cut into bite-size chunks

2 medium cucumbers, cut into bite-size chunks

1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size chunks

1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

About 1 teaspoon sea salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped

Optional: Tabasco sauce or Worcestershire sauce

To prepare:

Cut four red tomatoes into chunks, place in a bowl of food processor and process until smooth, about two minutes. Transfer the purée into a large bowl.

Chop remaining red tomato and stir into the purée along with yellow tomato, cucumbers, peppers, lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes, pepper and basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings, add Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce.

Cover and chill at least four hours. For best flavor, chill overnight.

Before serving, taste again, and adjust the seasonings.

Garnish with basil leaves

Honey Hoisin Glazed BBQ Chicken Legs And Thighs And Ribs

(Serves 6)

For the ribs:2 racks baby back ribs or 1 rack pork ribs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 bay leafFor the chicken:6 legs and thighs, split and rinsed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 large lemon

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzlingFor honey hoisin sauce: (Recipe follows)3 green scallions, slice on a diagonal for garnish

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

To prepare:

For the ribs, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a large stockpot with lid over high heat, add the ribs, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf, and enough water to cover the ribs.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for one hour or until tender.

Discard the cooking liquid; bring ribs to room temperature and coat them with hoisin sauce.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For the chicken, pat dry with paper towels; rub salt, pepper, and garlic on all sides of the chicken.

Arrange the chicken in a shallow baking dish.

Drizzle lemon juice and few drops of olive oil over the chicken and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Cover the dish with foil and continue baking until the chicken is tender, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Bring to room temperature and coat with hoisin sauce.

To grill:

Preheat the grill to high.

Place ribs and chicken on the grid and cook, turning often, adding more sauce if necessary until brown on all sides.

When the meats are browned move them to a moderate area on the grill and cook until heated through and glazed. Transfer ribs and chicken to a platter and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Honey Hoisin Sauce

(About 2 cups)

6 tablespoons hoisin sauce

6 tablespoons oyster sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce or more to taste

1 cup honey

To prepare:

In a bowl, whisk the hoisin and oyster sauce, vinegar, Tamari, lemon juice, Sriracha sauce, and honey together until blended. Can be done ahead and refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

(Serves 10)

1 cup sifted flour, less 3 tablespoons of the flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 12)

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons pure almond extract

To prepare:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the rack on the lowest shelf of the oven and remove the other rack(s).

Wash and dry a 10-inch tube cake pan.

Sift the flour into the cup and level off. Remove 3 tablespoons of flour and replace it with 3 tablespoons of cocoa. Place the flour/cocoa and sugar in a strainer and sift together three times and set aside.

Working in a clean dry bowl of an electric mixer, add egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until whites are foamy, one minute. With the beaters running, gradually add the granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, to the egg whites beating well after each addition. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in vanilla and almond extract.

Gradually spoon the flour mixture over the egg whites and with wire whisk; gently fold until the flour disappears. Carefully turn the batter into prepared cake pan. Using a table knife, pull/cut through the batter to remove any large air pockets.

Set the cake in the center of the bottom rack in preheated oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger and the top is evenly brown, about 35 minutes. Do not under bake.

Immediately invert the pan and place on a funnel or small-necked bottle and hang the cake upside down until completely cool.

When cool, store in an airtight plastic bag. Can be done ahead, stored at room temperature for one day or frozen for up to two weeks. Defrost at room temperature.

To remove from the pan, run a knife around the outer and inner edge of the cake pan. Tip the pan upside down onto a large cake plate and run a knife under the bottom of the cake pan to release it.