The Old Farmer’s Almanac dates the dog days of summer from July 3rd to August 24th. Your household canine may be extra lazy these days, but the term "dog days" historically didn’t just reflect the difficulty of getting things done during these extra hot days of summer. The rise of the star, Sirius, in Canis Major with the sun. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and the ancient Romans felt that because Sirius is so bright, its rise with the sun must contribute to the extra heat during the summer.
Certainly during the summer, it feels more difficult to turn on the oven and make a meal. So looking toward cold dishes, or slow cooking is helpful when getting food on the table. The farmers markets are now in full swing and you can find inspiration at every table for your next culinary adventure.
Locally cucumbers are ready to harvest in June and July and are crisp and refreshing. Cold cucumber soup can be made ahead and left to chill for lunch or to serve something in place of a salad for dinner. These are suggested herbs, but you can see what is fresh and available in your garden or with your local farmer. Taragon and sage are great options also.
Cold Cucumber Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 large cucumbers, optionally peeled and diced
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 green onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbs fresh dill, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbs fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- water
- salt to taste
Directions: Puree everything in a blender along with enough water to get the desired consistency before letting chill in the fridge for at least an hour to over night. The amount of water depends on how "juicy" your cucumbers are. Strain the soup through a sieve for a smoother texture and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Slow cookers are a great way to plan your dinner in the morning and not feel rushed to get something on the table at the end of the day. They also don’t heat up your home up when it’s already hot in the summer. Making this beef ragu in the morning is simple and then all you have to cook later in the day is some pasta to put it on and top with creamy ricotta and a beautiful plate is there to make the whole table happy.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed slightly
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut against the grain into 4 pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium beef broth
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 16 ounces pappardelle pasta
- Parmesan, ricotta, and parsley for topping
Directions: In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Season the beef with one tsp salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes and broth over the beef and add the garlic, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover and cook on high for six hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Discard the herbs and shred the beef in the pot using two forks. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, return to the pot, and add the sauce from the slow cooker. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the pasta and sauce are combined, about 1 minute. Place in bowls and serve with parmesan, ricotta, and parsley.
After you go strawberry picking and end up with buckets of strawberries that you need to use, make these oatmeal strawberry bars. This recipe can easily be doubled to fit a 9x13 pan and if you cut the 8x8 pan into 9 squares (3x3) they are about 100 calories each. So a light and easy snack for the summer to have with your morning coffee or to hand off to kids while they are running outdoors. These also keep, wrapped, in the refrigerator for 5 days but they probably wont last that long
Strawberry Oat Bars
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Bars:
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup AP flour
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 6 tbs unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups small-diced strawberries about 10 ounces, divided
- 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbs granulated sugar divided
- For the Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbs milk
Directions : Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like handles. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter half of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle on the lemon juice and 1/2 tbs of the granulated sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining 1/2 tbs sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through.
Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. While the bars cool, prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Using the parchment-paper handles, lift the bars from the pan. Drizzle with glaze, slice, and serve.
