The glorious produce of summer doesn’t happen all at once, but gradually throughout the season. At every moment, we anticipate the arrival of the longed-for cherry, peach, melon, corn, tomato, pepper.
But by mid-July, we’re on the road to plenitude at the farmers’ market, with nearly everything on offer at the stands. It all lends a dose of excitement: Cooks can have fun with vegetables. Summer supper can be simple, easy living.
For this month’s menu, it’s not a three-course meal but rather a spread that hits the table all at once — preferably outdoors, if conditions are right. A recent trip to Turkey has me in kebab mode since I’ve returned, and skewered meat is just the thing for the small gathering I plan to host. A juicy and colorful tomato salad is definitely in order, as is a savory pilaf, a bowl of irresistible yogurt-tahini sauce and a peach of a peach dessert.
My ideal tomato salad uses as many shapes, sizes and colors of fresh-picked beauties as possible from a garden or farmers’ market. Summer is prime time for tomatoes, and it’s a wise cook who goes for the tastiest, ripest ones. But a salad of all red ones is lovely, too.
This salad features not lemon juice nor vinegar, but rather ground sumac for tartness.Credit…Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Likewise, make use of new-crop red onions, the smaller the better, for the tart onions that are scattered over the salad. This salad has no vinegar or lemon juice — it relies only on the ground sumac to supply its unique sour notes. Sumac, a spice favored throughout the Middle East, is great for adding lemony appeal when citrus isn’t available. Sliced onions with salt and sumac, tossed in a bowl, is all you need. (Though many cooks also add a little lemon juice.)
So, imagine a large platter with a thick layer of sliced and wedged tomatoes and split cherry tomatoes, all carefully seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with fruity extra-virgin olive oil. For brightness, there is mint, dill, cilantro and basil, chopped at the last minute. Now imagine it topped with crisp, puckery onions.
Shoulder meat is best for these skewers, as it’s easier to keep tender on the grill.Credit…Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
For the most tender lamb kebabs, shoulder meat is the best choice. Its marbling makes the meat juicy. Lean leg meat is a little tricker to grill as it tends to taste dry if overcooked. The precut lamb stew meat at the supermarket butcher is often a mixture of the two. To get it done right, ask a nice butcher to cut the lamb for you. Halal butchers will often have just what you need. I find it easiest to grill short skewers threaded with smaller portions of meat, around five ounces each.
After they marinate in olive oil and aromatics like allspice, cumin and garlic, grill the kebabs over coals or under the broiler. The kebabs look beautiful served on a pile of arugula with lemon wedges and a bright, creamy yogurt sauce alongside.
A savory pilaf is easy to make and fills out the table nicely. It’s a rice pilaf with toasted orzo and onions, similar to other pilafs made with vermicelli. Use good chicken broth as the cooking liquid for the most stellar pilaf. You can, of course, serve flat breads like lavash or pita if you prefer.
Don’t fuss too much with dessert. When the stone fruit is this good, don’t do much more than broil it and serve it with nuts and salty cheese.Credit…Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Fruit desserts are the way to go in the summer, especially when good peaches are in. You can keep things mighty simple. Here’s how it goes: Take some peaches and split them in two, removing the pit. Slightly underripe peaches work well, or use firm ripe ones. Lay them, cut side up, in a baking dish or skillet and sweeten them with a little brown sugar and honey. Now broil them until they’re nearly burned. When serving, the addition of a little salty feta and toasted pistachios gives these peaches a certain elegance. It tastes good warm or cooled. Just be sure to spoon some of the pan juices over, too.
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