A few thoughts about summer cooking: It should be bold, flavorful, refreshing. It should take full advantage of the season’s fresh produce. And, if possible, it should be consumed outdoors.
It should also be casual, easy to pull off without much exertion. Much depends on your constitution and strength, of course, so perhaps summer cooking isn’t for everyone.
Yet, while I sympathize with those merely trying to survive the heat, who find cooking a chore they’d prefer to ignore, let’s remember: Cooking in hot climates is something people do daily the world around — a fact of life and certainly much easier in the 21st century than in times past.
One rule of thumb for anxiety-free entertaining is to cook as much the day before as possible. I often find doing a little prep work in the cool early morning means I’m more relaxed when guests arrive in the evening. Keeping the menu simple is key, too: You don’t want to be a harried host.
I’d say these dishes — a hearty, kicky potato salad and something quickly pan-seared (or grilled), followed by something sweet and fruity — do the trick.
I adore potatoes in any fashion, and that goes double for potato salad. Most recipes for American-style potato salad call for some variation on a mayonnaise-based dressing, with pickle relish and celery. That’s fine, and comforting, but lately my preference has been for a French-style potato salad dressed in vinaigrette. This version is infused with Indian flavors and finished with a tadka of cumin and mustard seeds popped in oil. Run through with chiles and topped with cherry tomatoes, scallions and cilantro, it has a colorful, perky personality. I served it with crisp romaine leaves on the side, but it could also be spooned into lettuce leaf “cups.”
To accompany, I wanted something simple, rubbed with a heady, piquant spice mix, and sent to the table with lime wedges. The boneless center-cut pork chops at the butcher looked good, but too thick for my liking, so I asked for a more reasonable (and easier to cook) ¾-inch-thick cut instead. Then, I mixed up a dry marinade with salt, sugar, ground coriander and various red pepper powders, including the smoky Spanish pimentón de la Vera and a healthy pinch of cayenne. (I often make a little jarful of this mix: It keeps for weeks and can be used on fish, fowl, meat or even eggplant slices.) The chops are then seasoned with it on both sides and left to cure for at least an hour or up to a day in advance. Since loin chops are quite lean, you’ll want to cook them about two minutes per side over medium-hot coals or in a medium-hot cast-iron pan. Dusting the chops with more pimentón, just before serving, gives them a bright-red kick.
Berry season is the time for shortcakes, the classic dessert bedecked with berries, whipped cream and a freshly baked sconelike biscuit. I also add a dab of sweet-tart lemon curd, perfect with blackberries. To have all the components on hand, you’ll need to be organized. Make the curd up to a week in advance, and, for extra points, cut the biscuit rounds ahead and have them in the freezer ready to bake (though it’s certainly possible to do it all the day of). Sandwich the curd, whipped cream, berries and biscuits on individual dessert plates, and serve, or, if you prefer, have all of the elements set out for guests to build their own.
If it seems like too much effort, simplify further. A bowl of sweet summer berries is also a perfectly fine way to end a meal.
