What to Bring for Labor Day

...easy summery recipes to whip up for a crowd....

Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone!!!

End of summer parties are happening this weekend and if you are invited or hosting, I thought it would be a good time to share some easy peasy summery recipe ideas that you can either bring or lay out for your guests.

The first is a summer dip. It’s made like a salsa to be scooped into, using fresh sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado…you get the idea. As it sits, it marinates, so when you arrive to your destination you have a luscious full-of-flavor summer on a corn chip dip.

Healthy Summer Corn and Tomato Dip

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 ears fresh corn on the cob, husked

2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 ripe avocados, diced

3 scallions, sliced

1/2 small red onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, finely diced

2 tablespoons pesto

1 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Eating corn raw is healthy and risk-free and totally delicious. In this recipe, slice the corn nibs off the cobs into a mixing bowl.

Add the cherry tomatoes, avocados, scallions, red onion, and red pepper. Mince the basil leaves and mix into the bowl.

Whisk the pesto, lime juice and olive oil until well blended. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Pour into the bowl and mix very well before serving.

The next is a beautiful wagon-wheel of individual romaine lettuce leaves drizzled with a caesar salad dressing and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Everyone’s Favorite Caesar Salad Boats

Serves 6

Arrange the lettuce boats in a circle on a serving plate and drizzle with the dressing. To garnish the plate you can add whole cherry tomatoes or homemade croutons in the center of the wagon wheel.

Ingredients:

12 cold, crisp big leaves of Romaine lettuce (two per serving)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

6 flat fillet anchovies, plus oil from can

6 fat garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pound wedge Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler for garnish

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until well combined. Add a bit of water if too thick.

Arrange the lettuce leaves in a wagon-wheel pattern around a serving plate, drizzle on the dressing and garnish with the shaved Parmesan over the top.

How about some caramelized bacon for the center of the lettuce boat dish??? These are absolutely irresistible and will be a delightful addition to your salad presentation!

Candied Bacon Strips

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 pound center-cut thick bacon

coarse sea salt flakes to garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and, if you have one, a wire baking rack on top.

Put the brown sugar, pepper flakes, cinnamon, pepper and maple syrup into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine or put all in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Lay out the bacon strips on the baking sheet and cover them with the sugar mixture, patting down firmly with your hands.

Depending on how thick your bacon is, start baking it for 15 minutes then begin checking. It could take 20 minutes in total or longer. Watch carefully and take out when very brown but not burnt. Allow to cool to room temperature then, if you are transporting them, layer parchment paper between layers of the bacon on a plate. If you need to crisp them up when you reach your destination, warm them up in a 200 degree F. oven

And for dessert? A recipe from my cookbook, Cuisine Nicoise….an easy way to use the last of the season sweet peaches.

Madame’s Peaches and Cream Tart

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups sugar, divided, plus 2 tablespoons

7 ripe peaches, unpeeled, sliced thickly or quartered

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan with a removable bottom.

In a bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the flour and 1/4 cup sugar. and work with your hands until it comes together into a dough. Press dough into the pie plate or tart pan.

Lay the peaches, cut side up, in a decorative pattern in the pie plate. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes.

Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk in the heavy cream, and pour all on top of the peaches. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool and set before serving.

Have a wonderful, relaxing, peaceful holiday. See you next week!