Good Food, Strong Drink

...a new series....

Hi everyone,

This is the first of a new series that I will send to you every once in a while, in between my other FoodDestination newsletters. They will offer three recipes for a lunch or dinner, including a strong drink, a celebration menu of what is fresh and in season. What-I-came-back-from-the-farmer’s-market-with recipes.

And right now, we are still at the height of tomato season. So I start off with a tomato-forward strong drink recipe for you to try:

Gazpacho Martini

Makes 2

Ingredients:

For the gazpacho:

2 cups cherry tomatoes, red or yellow

1 garlic clove

1 thin slice white onion

4 drops Chohula Lime Hot Sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces vodka or tomato vodka

1 ounce dry vermouth

4 olives

Tabasco

Directions:

Put the cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, hot sauce and salt in a blender and process until smooth. Strain through a mesh sieve over a mixing bowl and mash down the solids with the back of a spoon.

Measure out 4 ounces into a cocktail shaker, add 2 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce dry vermouth, and ice, and shake until well chilled. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with 2 olives. Repeat for the second martini glass.

For the main course, try this grilled recipe from my cookbook, The Hamptons Kitchen. I learned that in Sicily they often bread swordfish before grilling, so I played with a recipe, tweaked it, and it produced a swordfish crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside.

Grilled Breaded Swordfish Steaks with Piccata Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

zest of 1/2 organic lemon

juice from 1 organic lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons small capers in brine, drained

For the swordfish:

4 swordfish steaks, 1 inch thick, room temperature

2 organic lemons; 1 halved, 1 quartered for garnish

4 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

In the meantime, add the sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and heat until the butter is melted, whisk, keep warm.

Rub the swordfish steaks with the lemon halves. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides of the fish. Smear each swordfish steak all over with the mayonnaise.

Whisk the two kinds of breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and parsley together in a shallow bowl. Lay each swordfish steak in the bowl one at a time, turning over to coat them in the bread crumbs, and gently press down so the bread crumbs adhere.

Grill until just done about 4 to 7 minutes on each side, using two forks to turn them over rather than a spatula, which could pull off the breadcrumbs. Cook until the breadcrumbs are golden and the fish is just cooked. Try not to overcook them.

To serve, place one swordfish steak on each plate and divide the sauce equally spooning it around the steaks.

For dessert, a refreshing peach and strawberry sorbet recipe:

Sunset Sangria Sorbet

You can make this and within 6 hours serve it as a slushy in a pretty wine glass. Or you can freeze overnight and serve as a delicious sorbet for dessert. Other fruits that work well: apricots, raspberries, cherries, or mango.

Makes

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh peaches, diced

2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

1/2 orange, peeled, flesh chopped

2 cups white or red wine

1 ounce vodka

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup honey

mint leaves to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Freeze the peaches, strawberries, and orange overnight.

Add the frozen fruit, wine, lemon juice and honey to a blender and process until smooth.

Transfer to a loaf pan, cover and freeze 8 hours or overnight. Scoop and serve.

See you next week!! Hope you are enjoying the bounty of the summer!!

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