Keep it simple (and local) for summer dishes
As summer unfurls before our eyes, Milwaukee comes alive with festivals and farmers markets.
This exuberant season calls us to leave behind anything that’s distracting us from the enjoyment ahead. Putting a household project on hold, dropping an unfulfilling obligation or simply cutting back on screen time leaves more room to soak up all that is summer in Wisconsin.
In food as in life, it’s time to pare things down, to make meals that are in the words of “Mad Men”’s Don Draper, “simple, but significant.” Preparing dishes featuring local bounty enhanced with three to five high-quality ingredients has become my summer cooking mission statement, which I put into effect with the menu for a recent outdoor family get-together.
Instead of locally raised meats to throw on the grill, I decided instead to look to Wisconsin fish farmers. Many aquaponic farms in Wisconsin rely on tilapia to provide natural fertilizer to the plants growing above their tanks. Though tilapia has its share of skeptics, this fish’s mild flavor and hearty texture pair well with almost any seasoning. In my recipe, basil pesto, lemon and a sprinkling of capers complemented this sustainable protein perfectly.
June and strawberries are intimately intertwined, and the first appearance of these ruby jewels at farm stands makes my heart leap. As a side dish to any grilled main dish, an all-red fruit salad with strawberries as the star is stunning. My version also showcased raspberries and red grapes, which could be replaced by Bing cherries when they come into season.
A vanilla bean, raw sugar and fresh lemon juice dressing enhances these fruits’ natural sweetness, while topping with coconut flakes and whipped cream takes the whole thing into dessert territory.
The crisp, grassy snap of garden fresh green beans pops in a simple pasta salad punctuated with Parmesan cheese and high-quality olive oil. This combination works for almost any seasonal veggie. The dish can easily be made more beautiful by using a colorful, interestingly shaped pasta. Rapidly blanching string beans and shocking them in an ice bath preserves their bright green color and pleasant crunch.
To enjoy alongside this simple, seasonal meal, two summer favorites — Iced tea and peaches — mingle with bourbon for a backyard sipper. Peach preserves flavor smooth-drinking black tea that’s brightened with a squeeze of lemon and stiffened with a shot of Bulleit. Leave out the booze for an equally refreshing, kid-friendly option.
Follow along with my straightforward menu or go your own way. Grab the most enticing choices at the market and accentuate their flavors with a few wellchosen ingredients: a fresh herb, a little citrus and some rich, grassy olive oil will take you far. Mealtime in the summer should be anything but complicated. Ashleigh Spitza is a registered dietitian and freelance writer in Wauwatosa who blogs at funkybeetsblog.com. This recipe, which would work well for any mild, white fish, can also be prepared in the oven.