feast & toast

Summer recipes by a fifth-generation chicken keeper

words & recipes by lisa steele
photos by tina rupp & betsy rand

Moving to Maine ten years ago from Virginia necessitated my re-learning how to garden in a cold climate where there could be snow on the ground six months of the year.

I had to remember that the last frost date wasn’t usually until the end of May. But it was all worth it to live somewhere that experiences all four seasons.

Stopping at a roadside stand for a box of wild Maine blueberries in late summer for a pie, or roasting sweet potatoes and beets with fresh thyme and garlic from the garden as leaves fell from the trees in the fall were things I had missed living in the South. I quickly realized that I could grow almost anything here in Maine that I did in Virginia.

The abundance of fresh produce available here in Maine has made cooking and eating seasonally such a pleasure and I hope cooks find new go-to favorites among these easy and appealing summer recipes.

My riff on watermelon and feta salad is so refreshing on a hot summer day. The sweetness of the watermelon plays so nicely with the salty feta and earthy mint leaves. Once I realized I could grow watermelon in Maine, this soup has been on repeat.
This soup comes together in mere minutes and can be made up to a day before you plan on serving it.
—makes 4 appetizer servings—
ingredients
1 watermelon (1-inch cubes, about 6 cups)
2 ounces feta, crumbled, divided
12 fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon lime zest (about ½ lime)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, and minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
method
1. Set aside 4 or 5 cubes of the watermelon per bowl for serving. Add the remaining watermelon to a blender or food processor with 1 ounce of the feta, then the mint leaves, lime zest, lime juice, honey, vanilla bean paste, ginger, and salt. Blend until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight. When ready to serve, pile the reserved watermelon cubes in bowls, then pour in the soup.
3. Top with the remaining 1 ounce feta, and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.
Fresh Tip:
Knock your knuckles on a watermelon to determine if it’s ripe. A ripe watermelon should sound hollow and should feel heavy for its size. The underside of a ripe watermelon will be yellow, not white or light green.
These traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches are great for a crowd. Smoked salmon and shrimp provide protein along with the hard-boiled eggs, while sliced cucumber and red onion add crunch and capers add some saltiness—all on top of chewy dark rye bread. Assemble the sandwiches in advance, or set up a buffet and let your guests choose their own toppings. —makes 4 sandwiches—
ingredients
¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
½ lemon, zested and juiced, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 thin slices rye or pumpernickel bread, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ small cucumber, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ pound (about 8) large shrimp, cooked and cut in half lengthwise
4 pieces (about 4 ounces) smoked salmon
1 tablespoon capers
2 eggs, hard-cooked, peeled, and cut into quarters
Fresh dill, for garnish
method
1.In a small bowl mix the sour cream or yogurt and half of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Spread over one side of each slice of toast.
2. In a medium bowl whisk the oil, the remaining lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the cucumber, onion, shrimp, salmon, and capers. Mix well, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes (as the flavors combine, the red onion will lose some of its sharpness). Season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide among the slices of toast. Add the quartered eggs to each slice of toast, then drizzle with any remaining in the bowl. Garnish with the fresh dill and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with a knife and fork.
I was first introduced to tomato pie by a neighbor in Virginia. My version features individual tomato tarts topped with melty cheese and fresh basil tucked inside a buttery, crisp tart shell. Perfect for when you have an abundance of vine-ripened tomatoes.
—makes 8 mini tarts—
ingredients
Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, chilled, cut into cubes
¼ cup ice water
Filling
4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded provolone
4 ounces shredded fresh mozzarella (about 1 cup)
¼ cup Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil, plus a few whole leaves for garnish
method
For the Crust
1. Set out eight 4-inch tart pans. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended and the butter is mostly incorporated.
2. Add the ice water in a steady stream, pulsing as you pour, until the dough just holds together and forms a ball. Alternatively, make the dough using a pastry blender, then knead.
3. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the chilled dough and cut into 5-inch circles, using your tart pans as a guide. Your circles should fit into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pans. Once the pans are lined with dough, prick the bottoms with a fork and chill for 30 more minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tart pans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake the crusts for 10 minutes, until light golden. Then remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
For the Filling
1. While the dough is chilling in the refrigerator for the second time, sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and let them drain in a colander.
2. In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, provolone, mozzarella, and Parmesan until combined. Season with pepper.
3. Once the crusts have been removed from the oven, pat the tomato slices dry with paper towels on a clean kitchen towel.
4. Sprinkle flour over the bottoms of the crusts, then arrange the tomato slices overlapping them if necessary.
5. Divide the basil between the tart pans. Spoon the cheese mixture over the top and spread to the edges of each tart pan.
6. Bake the tarts until the tops are bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then garnish with basil leaves.