A Taste of Summer

Summer evenings are meant for relaxing and enjoying good food with loved ones, not slaving away in the kitchen. So I wanted to share a few of my favorite go-to recipes for busy summer nights - quick, delicious, and guaranteed to satisfy!

Strawberry Bruschetta with Burrata and Basil Appetizer

Serves 6-8

1 baguette

1 pint strawberries, thinly sliced

1 ball of burrata cheese

Olive oil

Balsamic Glaze

Fresh basil, chopped

Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice baguette into about ½” slices, drizzle with olive oil, and lightly toast.

2. Arrange toasted baguette slices, burrata ball, strawberries, and basil on a plate. Lightly drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze over all. Grind a bit of pepper and sprinkle sea salt over top. 

3. Allow guests to assemble their own: Spread toast with burrata, top with strawberries and basil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Note: I have also made these with goat cheese instead of burrata, which is delicious and a little tangier. But my friend Anna made it with burrata for our last porch gathering, and I could have eaten 14 of them had it not been for all the other tasty snacks we had that evening. 

Chicken and Vegetable Skewers

4 Servings

Marinade

⅓ cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2-4 chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes

1 sweet onion, cut into large chunks

1-2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into large chunks

1 zucchini, halved and sliced into ¼” slices

½ pint grape tomatoes

Large pineapple chunks (optional)

Your favorite rice

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Set aside.

2. Cut chicken and veggies and thread onto skewers in alternating order.

3. Drizzle about ⅔ of marinade over the prepared skewers and allow to marinate while the grill heats up. Reserve the rest for sauce.

4. These do best on a grill pan or griddle to prevent sticking. Grill for about 8 minutes, flipping once, until chicken is cooked through. 

5. Serve over rice and drizzle with remaining marinade.

*Note: These handmade steel skewers are my husband Mark's work. We LOVE them, and they're great for anything you want to grill, and also make great marshmallow roasters. 

You can check out his instagram and order some for yourself here.

Gnocchi with Summer Squash: 

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

4 Servings

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 zucchini or yellow squash, or one of each (about 2 lbs total), quartered and sliced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 package gnocchi, 16oz

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp butter

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high. Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. 

2. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package directions. 

4. Reserving ½ cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet with the veggies. Toss in gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create a sauce.

5. Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice.

Peach Dump Cake

Recipe from my delightful Mom, Linda Grimes

4-6 servings

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

¾ cup milk

2 cups peaches, peeled and chopped (Or whatever fruit you like!)

1. Melt butter in bottom of dish.

2. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, and half of the milk together until smooth. Then stir in the other half of the milk. Pour over butter.

3. Place sliced peaches on top. Do Not Stir!

4. Bake for one hour at 350.

5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.