Fried Crab-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Makes about 16

½ pound fresh crabmeat, picked over

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers, divided

3 tablespoons (⅜ stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons canned evaporated milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

about 2 dozen zucchini blossoms (stamens removed)

10 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup whole milk

1 medium egg

6 ounces chilled Pilsner, lager-style beer, or club soda

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Sea salt

1. Mix crabmeat and ½ cup cracker crumbs in a large bowl.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add green pepper and onion; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add to bowl with crab mixture.  Stir in evaporated milk, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper.  Cover; chill for 1-6 hours.
2. Fill each blossom with scant 2 tablespoons crab mixture.  Combine flour, whole milk, remaining salt, and egg in a medium bowl, then whisk in beer until almost smooth (some small lumps are welcome -- don’t overwhisk or you’ll deflate the batter).  Place remaining cracker crumbs in another bowl.  One by one, dredge the filled blossoms in batter, shaking off excess, then coat well with crumbs.
3. In a large pot, heat about 2 inches oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°.  Gently lay blossoms in the oil, without crowding the pan.  Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 3-4½ minutes total.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Sprinkle with sea salt and devour while hot.

Alcoholic Herb and Pink Lemonade Jellybutter

⅓ cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

⅓ cup water

½ tablespoon each minced fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ pound softened unsalted butter

1 envelope (¼ ounce) gelatin

⅓ cup vodka

Lemon zest, for garnish

1. In a large measuring cup, combine the lemonade concentrate with water; strain into a medium saucepan.  Mix herbs, salt, and butter into lemonade mixture.  Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture and let soften for 2 minutes.  Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes; stir in the vodka.
2. Pour mixture into a 4-by-8-inch loaf pan and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.  Serve as a loaf; garnish with lemon zest.

Cucumber-Apricot-Yogurt Preserves

½ english cucumber, peeled and seeded

½ cup yogurt

½ tablespoon chopped dill

½ tablespoon chopped mint

¾ pound fresh apricots, chopped

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon lime juice

salt and pepper

¾ cup sugar

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. In blender, puree cucumber with yogurt, herbs, apricot, garlic, and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
2. In medium saucepan, bring puree mixture and all remaining ingredients to boil, lower heat, and simmer until very thick, about 25 minutes.  Let cool, transfer to airtight container and refrigerate.

Sweet Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Halo-Halo Sauce

2 tablespoons small pearl tapioca

½ quart boiling water

½ pound ground chicken

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs

½ cup berries

2 tablespoons grated onion

2 cloves garlic, grated

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons condensed milk

1½ tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons sesame oil

¼ cup coconut milk

1. Simmer tapioca in water until almost translucent, 10 minutes.  Let stand off heat 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse.
2. Mix chicken, cilantro, breadcrumbs, berries, onion, garlic, tapioca, salt, and pepper; roll into 1-tablespoon balls.  In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add meatballs and cook through, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients (except peanuts) and warm in microwave.  Toss meatballs with half of sauce and sprinkle with peanuts.  Add generous amount of crushed ice to remaining sauce; serve meatballs on toothpicks with remaining sauce for dipping.

Smoky Japanese Portobello and Veggie Sliders

Serves 4

8 baby portobello mushrooms, stems removed

1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 Grilled BBQ Tomato Bruschetta

1 large egg white

1 medium egg

1 medium yellow or white onion, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon herbes de Provence

1¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

½ pound fresh snow peas (1½ cups), trimmed and halved

6 shiitake mushroom caps, sliced (¾ cup)

¾ cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

½ tablespoon sake

½ tablespoon mirin

Salt and pepper to taste, if desired

¼ cup prepared barbecue sauce

1 ounce shredded smoked Gouda (6 tablespoons)

1. Toss portobello mushrooms with ½ tablespoon olive oil and bruschetta. Set aside.
2. Whisk together egg white and whole egg in small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat remaining olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and herbes de Provence, and cook 23 minutes, or until golden, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high and add sesame oil. Add snow peas, shiitake mushrooms, edamame, and green onions; stir-fry 3 minutes, or until vegetables begin to brown. Add ginger and water; stir-fry 3 minutes more.
4. Add egg mixture to wok, along with soy sauce, sake, and mirin. Stir-fry 30 seconds, or until egg is just cooked through. Break up any large egg pieces with spoon. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
5. Heat grill or grill-topper over medium-high heat. Rub grate or grill-topper with vegetable oil. Place portobello mushrooms stem-side down and tomato from bruschetta on grill. Brush mushroom tops with barbecue sauce, and grill 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft and charred around the edges. Flip, and grill 3 minutes more. Divide Gouda and mozzarella from bruschetta among mushrooms, placing in center of each stem side. Grill 1 minute more, or until cheese is melted.
6. Meanwhile, warm buns on grill. Cut tomato into eight slices and crumble toast from bruschetta. Spread barbecue sauce on bottom buns, then top each with 1 shiso leaf, 1 portobello mushroom, vegetable mixture, tomato slice, toast crumbles, and top bun.

Tangy Marinated Rice Salad with Vegetables

Serves 8

½ cup basmati rice

1 cup water

½ 8-ounce package baked flavored tofu, diced

1 cup cherry tomato, sliced

1 cup broccoli florets

2 green onions, chopped (¼ cup)

¼ orange bell pepper, chopped (¼ cup)

½ cup carrot sticks or baby carrots

½ small cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced (¼ cup)

½ small yellow squash, diced (¼ cup)

½ cup small button mushrooms, halved

¼ cup vegetable oil

14 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and black pepper to taste, if desired

1. Bring rice and water to a boil in covered saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and has absorbed all water. Cool. Transfer to small bowl.
2. Stir tofu, tomatoes, broccoli, green onions, bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, squash, and mushrooms into rice.
3. Whisk together remaining ingredients in large bowl until mixture forms smooth marinade. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired.
4. Pour marinade into 1-quart canning jar with lid or large resealable plastic bag. Add vegetable mixture and shake to coat.
5. Refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight, shaking mixture occasionally, and serve.

Shaved Fennel in Thin Avocado-”Sprite”-Chipotle Bisque

Serves 4

SOUP:

1 medium avocado, diced (1 cup)

4½ tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon white miso paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¾ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or ⅓ teaspoon dried rosemary

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

½ clove garlic, minced (½ teaspoon)

3¼ cups water

Sea salt and pepper to taste, if desired

TOPPING:

½ small fennel bulb, shaved (¼ pound)

¼ cup diced cherry tomatoes

½ green onion, finely chopped, for garnish (1 tablespoon)

¼ cup diced orange or yellow bell pepper

1. To make Soup: blend all ingredients except salt and pepper in blender until smooth and no large droplets of olive oil remain. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
2. Divide soup among 4 serving bowls, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons shaved fennel, 1 tablespoon diced tomatoes, ¾ teaspoon green onion, and 1 tablespoon diced bell pepper.

July menu

Course #1:

1. Alcoholic Herb and Pink Lemonade Jellybutter

Course #3:

1. Fried Crab-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Course #4:

1. Tortellini Pineapple-Veggie-Aloe Fest
2. Shaved Fennel in Thin Avocado-”Sprite”-Chipotle Bisque
3. Tangy Marinated Rice Salad with Vegetables
4. Killer Honey Mustard-Watermelon Chicken
5. Cucumber-Apricot-Yogurt Preserves

Course #4.5:

1. Grilled BBQ Tomato Bruschetta
2. Fig-Papaya-Almond Margarita Tart

Course #5:

1. Tonkatsu-Fried Pork and Zucchini Blossoms with Watermelon-Tomato Salad

Course #5.5:

1. Sweet Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Halo-Halo Sauce

Course #7:

1. Smoky Japanese Portobello and Veggie Sliders

Course #8:

1. Alcoholic Herb and Pink Lemonade Jellybutter

Tortellini Pineapple-Veggie-Aloe Fest

Serves 3

½ 8-ounce package refrigerated prepared cheese tortellini

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 green onions, white and light green parts chopped (¼ cup)

2 large cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)

1 carrot, chopped (½ cup)

3 button mushrooms sliced (about 9 tablespoons)

¼ cup pineapple juice

½ 7-ounce bag baby spinach

2 to 4 tablespoons aloe vera juice

1 tablespoon unsweetened cranberry juice

2 tablespoons white wine

½ tablespoon agave nectar or honey, optional

½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Lime wedges, for garnish

2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese, optional

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add green onions and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add carrot and mushrooms, and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in pineapple juice, spinach, aloe vera juice, cranberry juice, wine, and agave nectar or honey (if using), and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until spinach wilts.
3. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and Italian seasoning, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Fold in tortellini. Divide among serving plates, and top with lime wedges and grated Pecorino Romano cheese (if using).

Grilled BBQ Tomato Bruschetta

            2 small tomatoes (½ lb.)

            4 cloves garlic, divided

            2 tablespoons light brown sugar

            2 tablespoons sweet paprika

            1½ tablespoons ground black pepper

            1½ tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt

            ½ teaspoon dried thyme

            2 teaspoons garlic powder

            ½ teaspoon onion powder

            ½ teaspoon celery seed

            ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

            1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

            ½ loaf French bread, cut into 6 slices

            ½ 6-oz. ball fresh mozzarella, drained and cut into 6 slices

            5 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

1. 1.      Preheat grill or grill topper over medium heat.  Slice each tomato into 3 ½-inch-thick slices.  Mine 2 cloves garlic.  Combine minced garlic, sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, and cayenne pepper well ; set aside.  Lightly brush both sides of tomato slices with ½ tablespoon olive oil.
2. 2.      Rub grate or grill topper with vegetable oil.  Place tomatoes on grill, and cook 3 to 5 minutes.  Turn tomatoes over and dredge through garlic mixture.  Grill 3 to 5 minutes more.
3. 3.      Meanwhile, brush both sides of each bread slice with remaining olive oil.  Grill 1 to 2 minutes per side.  Rub remaining whole garlic cloves over one side of each piece of grilled bread.
4. 4.      Place a grilled tomato slice on each garlic side of bread, and top with cheese and basil.  Drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Killer Honey Mustard-Watermelon Chicken

One (3-lb.) watermelon

¾ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, pounded thin

¼ cup yogurt

6 oz. vodka

2 Tbsp. honey mustard

6 oz. lemon-lime soda

½ tsp. coarse salt

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

¼ tsp. cayenne

Thin green apple slices

1. Slice off top quarter of watermelon. Scoop out flesh, puree and strain into bowl. Reserve watermelon rind whole.
2. Combine watermelon flesh, chicken, yogurt, vodka, mustard, soda, salt, juice, and cayenne in a plastic bag; shake to coat. Grill over medium heat, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Serve inside watermelon rind and garnish with apple slices.

Tonkatsu-Fried Pork and Zucchini Blossoms with Watermelon-Tomato Salad

4 servings

1 cup ¹/₂" cubes watermelon

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup (lightly packed) baby arugula

2 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, divided

¹/₂ Tbsp. fresh lemon juice plus 4 lemon wedges

³/₄ tsp. kosher salt, divided, and ¹/₈ tsp. freshly ground black pepper plus more

Vegetable oil (for frying)

10 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

6 oz. chilled Pilsner, lager-style beer, or club soda

1 large egg

2 stiffly beaten egg whites

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

4 2-oz. boneless center-cut pork chops, pounded to ¹/₈" thickness

Zucchini blossoms (stamens removed; about 1 dozen)

Sea salt

INGREDIENT INFO: Zucchini blossoms are sold at farmers' markets, better supermarkets, and melissas.com. Panko can be found in better supermarkets and at Asian markets.

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk olive oil, ¹/₂ Tbsp. mustard, and juice in a small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Set salad and dressing aside.
2. In a large pot, heat about 2" oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350 degrees. Combine flour and ¹/₂ tsp. salt in a medium bowl, then whisk in beer, eggs, egg whites, and remaining ¹/₂ Tbsp. mustard until almost smooth (some small lumps are welcome -- don't overwhisk or you'll deflate the batter). Combine panko, remaining ¹/₄ tsp. salt, and ¹/₈ tsp. pepper on a large plate. Season pork and zucchini blossoms lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge pork and blossoms in egg mixture, shaking off the excess, then dip in panko, pressing to adhere; gently lay them in the oil, without crowding the pan. Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon and adding ¹/₂ Tbsp. vegetable oil after turning, until pork is golden brown and cooked through, about 1¹/₂-1³/₄ minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Toss salad with dressing; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve porks and blossoms with salad and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Fig-Papaya-Almond Margarita Tart

6 servings

CRUST

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp. heavy cream

1¹/₃ cups all-purpose flour plus more

6 Tbsp. sugar

¹/₄ tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus more

FILLING

6 Tbsp. half-and-half

2 Tbsp. plus ¹/₂ cup plus ¹/₃ cup sugar, divided

2 medium eggs

¹/₂ Tbsp. all-purpose flour

¹/₂ tsp. vanilla extract

³/₄ tsp. minced fresh rosemary

¹/₄ large Mexican papaya or ¹/₂ large Hawai'ian papaya, halved, seeded

14 Tbsp. (scant) slivered almonds

¹/₄ cup (¹/₂ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 Tbsp. tequila blanco

6 oz. fresh Mission figs (about 6 medium), stemmed, quartered

4 fresh orchid blossoms (optional)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Use a 10"-diameter tart pan with a removable bottom.

CRUST: Whisk egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Mix 1¹/₃ cups flour, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1 cup butter; mix on low speed until coarse meal forms. Add egg mixture. Blend just until moist clumps form. Gather into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.

Butter tart pan. Roll out dough to 13" round on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to pan. Press onto bottom and up sides. Trim excess dough. Chill 30 minutes.

FILLING: Bring half-and-half to a simmer in a small saucepan. Whisk 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 egg, and flour in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in half-and-half. Return to saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat 1 minute. Add ¹/₂ cup sugar and ¹/₂ cup water. Continue whisking constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in vanilla and rosemary; let steep 15 minutes. Add ¹/₄ cup cold water. Set over a bowl of ice water; stir pastry cream until cold. Remove from ice bath; set aside.

Scrape papaya flesh into a food processor; puree until smooth. Measure 6 Tbsp. puree (reserve remaining puree for another use, such as a smoothie); return to food processor. Add almonds and 8 tsp. sugar to food processor; finely grind (do not grind to a paste). Using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining 8 tsp. sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add remaining egg and beat well. Gradually beat almond-papaya mixture, then ¹/₄ cup reserved pastry cream (reserve remaining cream for another use), then tequila. Cover; chill until firm, about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread filling over crust. Arrange figs, cut side up, in concentric circle over filling. Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling in center is golden and somewhat set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let tart cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Garnish with zest and orchids (if using).