For anyone who’s sad about summer ending, there are ways to enjoy the season’s flavors year-round. On September 16, chef and culinary stylist Ashton Keefe presented Last Call: Summer Produce, an exclusive farm-to-table cooking class for Related residents. The event celebrated the final weeks of peak summer produce, but the season doesn’t have to end there. By freezing extra vegetables while they’re still fresh, you can preserve summer’s bounty now and enjoy those flavors throughout the colder months. Here are three recipes to keep the spirit of summer going through fall and beyond.
Recipe: Ashton’s Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho
Makes 2 quarts
Nothing screams summer and last call quite like a purée of all your favorite summer fruit and vegetables. You can also make this a yellow soup, if you prefer, using yellow tomatoes and yellow watermelon.
Ingredients:
2 lb. ripe tomatoes, diced 1 bunch basil 1/4 cup champagne vinegar 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon 2 cloves garlic 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt, to taste
Garnish: 1 zucchini, 1 cup minced watermelon, minced edible flowers or herbs (optional)
Directions:
Pulse all ingredients in a large food processor until combined. Run through a fine sieve and salt. Place in the refrigerator and chill. Serve with a bit of garnish.
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Recipe: Zucchini and Squash Carpaccio with Stuffed Squash Blossom
Serves 2 to 4
If I were to be compared to any dish, I’d want it to be this one… It might look fancy but at its core, is incredibly approachable and simple. This is one of those dishes that looks wildly impressive while being loaded with vitamins A and C, folate, and fiber. Better yet, yellow squash is rich in magnesium, aiding bone health and providing natural anti-anxiety benefits.
Use squash and/or zucchini along with their gorgeous blossoms before the season runs out (although you can continue to get these through November!), and then switch to raw beets as we approach winter. The trick is to allow the vegetables to sweat out after seasoning them with salt.
Salad:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted 1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced on a mandolin 1/2 squash, thinly sliced on a mandolin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 lemon
Directions:
Place pine nuts in the middle of a large plate and cover them with olive oil. Pick up the plate with both hands and swirl the olive oil and nuts until they coat the surface. Shingle the zucchini and squash in an overlapping, circular pattern, and salt. Allow it to sit for a few minutes until you see moisture release from the vegetables, then squeeze the lemon over the entire plate. Top with blossoms.
Blossoms:
12 ounces ricotta cheese, soaked in water for at least an hour 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1 lemon, zested 1 egg, whisked 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 4 squash blossoms, stamen removed
Directions:
Season the cheese with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and lemon zest. Reserve the lemon.
Add the egg to one shallow bowl and the flour to another. Season each with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
Fill each blossom with the desired amount of cheese. Dredge in the egg, shaking off any excess, followed by the flour.
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side until browned. Remove and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and a squeeze of the lemon. Place on top of zucchini and squash and enjoy.
Recipe: Summer Pasta
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 chopped ripe tomatoes A head of basil A head of garlic with all the cloves smashed Olive oil Salt 1/2–1 lb. Brie cheese 1 lb. al dente pasta Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Combine 2 chopped ripe tomatoes with a head of basil and a head of garlic with all the cloves smashed. Season with olive oil and salt (more is more!) and toss with 1/2–1 lb. Brie.
Cover and let it sit out. Toss with a pound of al dente pasta (it’ll melt the Brie and make a delicious sauce) and then season with more salt, olive oil, parm, and basil.
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