Read an Excerpt
Summer Gatherings
Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends
Zucchini and Radish Sauté
Serves 4 to 6
Sautéed zucchini is a familiar side dish; sautéed radishes, not so. When cooked, radishes have a pleasant spiciness that perks up the zucchini. Fresh dill provides the final accent. If you have bright yellow zucchini, use it in tandem with the green variety for a very attractive dish.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
8 radishes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, preferably 1 green and 1 golden, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the radishes and cook, stirring often, just until they are beginning to heat through, about 1 minute.
Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until they are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dill and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Cantaloupe Ice Pops
Makes 8 pops
How many of us have memories of cooling off by eating ice pops on a hot summer afternoon? Of course, homemade pops made with fresh fruit are healthier than anything that I ever ate while sitting on our front porch. For the most flavorful pops, make these treats with the sweetest, ripest melon that is perhaps just a day away from having to be discarded.
Ingredients:
½ ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeds removed, cut intochunks
½ cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lime
1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions:
Puree the cantaloupe in a blender and measure: you should have 2 cups. Return the puree to the blender and process with ¾ cup water, the sugar, and the lime zest and juice. Pour equal amounts into 8 ice-pop molds. Cover each mold with its lid and insert a wooden stick.
Freeze until the pops are solid, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the pops from the molds and serve.
Summer Gatherings
Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends. Copyright © by Rick Rodgers. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.
