Foods to Summer In

Watching someone tackle a giant steamed lobster for the first time is pure theatre. Waiters rush over and adorn them with plastic bibs, wet wipes and a selection of bizarre cutlery. Witnesses stand by to see them approach the lobster like a circus bear that has just been handed surgical tools.  And inevitably, when one operates on an ocean water packed beast, even the most skilled of surgeons will get extremely messy. The process in deconstructing a whole lobster just seems truly insane BUT – this theatre is summer to me.

When I was growing up in New England, lobster was and is in abundance.  Any childhood memory of camping up in Maine included a ceremonious lobster clam bake and drives to a special spot for a succulent lobster roll. And then there are my favourite memories of making a mess with lobster at our family home with my grandparents. My seafood loving Norwegian Grandfather would get free bags of unwanted lobster bodies from the local shop and he would stand for hours at the kitchen sink plucking and slurping sweet meat out of the miniscule pockets. On family lobster nights not only would we tackle the meaty bits, but we would take pride in making the affair a full-blown excavation process with no stone unturned, no meat un-sucked.

When most reminisce on utopian summer days, food almost always is at the forefront of the fantasy. The enticing smells from a barbecue, fried fish and cockles by the sea, sweet strawberries plucked straight from the bush, a cold beer, the list can truly go on and on.

This fact has made me pause and ask, “What are summer or warm weather foods like in different parts of the world?”  

Summertime means plentiful amounts of produce, the ability to fish and cook outside, warmer weather and the desire to cool down. The resounding themes for summer food all over the globe have the factors of “raw seasonal, sea, fire and ice”.

In China minimal time by heat is key so cold noodles, cold soups and easy stir fries are eaten.  Salads, grilled fish and summer rolls with fiery chilli is beloved in Southeast Asia. In India, it is all about lighter curries, easy street food snacks, fresh fruit and yogurt drinks. And it is no surprise that where fresh seafood is in abundance, from salted herring in Russia to rainbow lobster in Madagascar - it is eaten wholeheartedly in warm weather. And then there is the tastiest cooling down agent for your “buds”….ice cream. From Gelatos in Italy to Kulfi in India – its’ popularity is omnipresent.

But the biggest attraction and theme in summering seems to come with a full circle feeling of our most rooted of ancient indigenous origins - and that is taking in the pleasures of outdoor communal eating and cooking with fire.  South America, Central America, North America, most of Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, Africa all have their outdoor cooking methods from the “asado”, the BBQ, earth ovens, spits, the grill…. to open fire food.  It is one of the best feelings to partake in a feast of gloriously large amounts of fish and meats that have been cooked with fire and are accompanied by fresh seasonal salads, cold drinks and sauces.  

When I think of summer I can feel the warm evening after a day of sun, smell the sweet briny shells, taste the cool white wine and feel the communal family love in delighting at our insane dissecting and noshing skills. But, it isn’t the actual food “item” -  because its’ bearings run deeper than us and our physical place on the map. Summer is the sensory experience of sharing and connecting with loved ones on a beautiful day outside through food.

Here I have made a summering meal of grilled flank steak with a Peruvian inspired green sauce and a seasonal orzo salad. **Warning- you might want to use this sauce on everything that is humanly possible, it is quite simply amazing.

Grilled flank steak with a Peruvian inspired green sauce and a seasonal orzo salad

Serves 4

For the Green Sauce:

50 grams coriander, tender stems and leaves

1 garlic clove

1 deseeded jalapeno pepper or other green chilli (or omit if you are anti-spice)

125 grams mayonnaise

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. apple cider vinegar

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend very well until it creates a light green homogenised sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning and refrigerate.

For the Orzo Salad:

225 grams orzo (or any other small pasta)

220 grams cherry tomatoes

100 grams fresh corn on the cob cut off the cob (about 1 ear)

1 garlic clove thinly sliced

2 tbsp. plus ½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil divided

100 grams Greek feta

1 thinly sliced spring onion

Any green fresh herb such as mint, coriander, thyme to garnish

Lime juice and salt to taste

Boil a pot of salted water and cook the orzo until done. Drain in a colander then rinse with cold water. Toss it in ½ tspn olive oil and set aside.

In a sauté pan heat ½ tbsp. olive oil and add the corn tossing and cooking until it starts to pop and turn a light brown colour then plate to the side.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and the garlic. Cook tossing until the garlic turns a light brown then sieve the garlic out.

Add the tomatoes and toss in the oil cooking them down into blistery pieces. You may need to squish and tear them a bit with a fork. Take off heat and season with some salt.

Toss the orzo, corn and (if you love garlic) garlic back into the pan and add it to a serving dish. Squeeze a bit of lime juice, mix and salt to taste.

Garnish the orzo with large crumbles of feta, spring onion and a few sprigs of fresh herbs.

This dish is great served immediately at room temp or it can be refrigerated and served chilled.

For the Steak:

4 steaks of your choice (personally I love flank or a bavette) taken out of the refrigerator one hour before grilling.

Rub the steaks with a bit of olive oil and generously season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

I’m not going to tell you how to grill a steak- but I will give some tips:

You want your grill or pan smoking hot, and you do not want to touch or move the steak when it first hits the heat until it is time to flip- this will give you the best char.

I have invested in a £11 digital meat thermometer, and it is my best friend.

For medium rare I take the meat off to rest when the internal temperature reads rare ( 49 C ) because the steak will continue to cook when it rests and it will give you a perfect medium rare result.

Please let it rest! Let it rest for at least the duration that you cooked it. 

Slice it and serve it with green sauce and the orzo.

Jenny is “The Salty Chilli” an obsessive cook and food writer who lives in Moseley.

To read more check out her Instagram @thesaltychilli, her blog www.thesaltychilli.com .