Summer has officially arrived. It’s the perfect time to enjoy a leisurely dinner party on the deck, porch, or patio while watching the sunset. Don’t forget an aperitif, crispy cheese straws, baby carrots and radishes, with sea salt and hummus for dipping.
Begin the meal with a refreshing salad—watercress, herbs and celery leaves, crunchy jicama sticks, strawberries, avocado, feta, and toasted pepitas—and serve with hot, crusty bread.
Local fluke is the star of the main course. It’s pan seared, topped with lemon-caper sauce and micro greens, served on a bed of brown basmati rice with summer vegetables. For dessert, serve an assortment of sorbets—lemon, mango, raspberry, coconut, or chocolate—with fresh raspberries and your favorite cookies.
Pour a chilled, crisp sauvignon blanc, Sancerre, or iced green tea to drink with dinner. Bon happy-it’s-summer appétit!
Pan-Seared Fluke With Lemon, Capers And Micro Greens(Serves 4)1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
2 shallots, chopped
1½ cups brown basmati rice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, mint, or lemon basil, or mixture of all
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, boiling
1 red bell pepper, seeds and core removed, julienned
15 sugar snap peas, washed, strings removed, cut into thin slivers
1 small yellow summer squash, scrubbed and diced
Optional: 1/2 cup extra fancy petit pois, blanched
For the fish and sauce:
4 5-ounce fillets of fluke, rinsed and patted dry
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Wondra flour, for dusting the fish
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/3 cup dry vermouth
1/4 cup vegetable stock, or chicken stock
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon butter, softened
Sprigs of tiny watercress leaves, or micro greens, for garnishTo prepare the rice and vegetables:Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Add oil to a 1-quart, ovenproof casserole dish.
Sauté shallots, until they are soft and translucent.
Add rice, herbs, salt and pepper.
Stir, until the rice glistens.
Add hot stock all at once.
Stir well.
Cover.
Bring to a boil.
Bake, undisturbed, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice holds it shape when the pan is tipped on its side, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Prepare bell pepper and snap peas.
Blanch briefly, until crunch tender, about 30 seconds.
Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process.
Drain well.
Fluff up the rice with a table fork.
Add bell pepper, snap peas and summer squash.
Stir to blend.Let stand a few minutes to soften the vegetables.
To prepare the fish and sauce:Rinse the fillets.
Pat dry with paper towels.
Mix salt, pepper and lemon zest into the flour.
Lightly dust each piece of fish just before sautéing.
Coat the bottom of a skillet over moderately high heat with oil.
Add fish when hot, pressing firmly to set the crust.
Sauté, until light brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn over.
Sauté other side, until the flesh turns from translucent to opaque, about 2 minutes.
Transfer fish to a plate.
Tent with foil to keep warm.
Sauté remaining fillets.
Immediately add shallots to the skillet.
Add a few drops of oil, or butter, if needed.
Sauté briefly.
Add vermouth.
Ignite.
Add capers, stock and lemon juice when flames subside.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the sauce to a glaze.
Swirl in soft butter.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Spoon a portion of rice and vegetables in the center of each warm dinner plate.
Arrange fluke in center of the rice.
Spoon sauce on the fish.
Top with a few greens.
Serve at once with cold, crisp wine.Watercress And Herb Salad With Strawberries, Avocado, Pepitas And Feta(Serves 4)1 bunch of watercress, preferably red, washed and tough stems removed
1 cup spearmint leaves, washed
1 cup lemon basil leaves, washed
1/2 cup celery leaves, stems removed, washed
1/3 cup snipped chives, to taste
1 small jicama, peeled, julienned into sticks, drizzled with lime juice
1 avocado, cubed and rolled in lime juice
1 cup strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
1 cup oil-packed feta cheese, cubed, drained
1/2 cup pepitas, toasted
For the dressing:
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon raspberry-infused white balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to tasteTo prepare:Toss watercress, spearmint, lemon basil, celery leaves and chives in a salad bowl, until well mixed.
Toss jicama sticks with lime juice in a separate bowl.
Cover and set aside.
Drizzle lime juice over diced avocado in a separate bowl.
Set aside.
Halve strawberries.
Place in a bowl and cover.
Set aside.
Whisk mustard, lime juice and vinegar in a small mixing bowl, until blended.
Slowly add oil.
Whisk, until thoroughly blended.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Drizzle just enough dressing over the greens so they glisten.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of dressing over jicama, avocado and strawberries.
Add them to the greens.
Toss together with feta and pepitas.
Pass extra dressing at the table.
Serve with hot crusty bread.
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