Mojitos with Basil and Summer Fruit
Any variety of summer fruits will do in this cocktail: You can even use an equal quantity of frozen ones, partially thawed with their juices. Serve it in a large pitcher or, as shown here, a wide-mouthed jar with a ladle. This recipe doubles easily.
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1¼ cups water
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
1½ pounds mixed summer fruit, such as sliced apricots, peaches, berries, or sour cherries
½ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
1½ to 2 cups vodka
3 cups sparkling water
1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 15 minutes. (Syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
2. Combine lemon juice, fruit, and basil in a bowl. Add syrup; mash lightly to release juices. Refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 4 days.
3. Combine fruit mixture and vodka in a pitcher; ladle about ⅓ cup into each glass. Fill with ice, top with sparkling water, and serve.
Tabbouleh
This Mediterranean restaurant favorite is often served as part of a meze platter, along with toasted flatbread and spreads like hummus and baba ghanoush. Tabbouleh is always a good choice for entertaining since it can be made ahead; cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours, but stir in the mint just before serving.
2 cups bulgur wheat
8 plum tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved
2¼ cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2 bunches)
8 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
1. In a bowl, cover bulgur with cold water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain in a sieve lined with damp cheesecloth, then gather the cheesecloth and squeeze as much water as possible from the bulgur. Transfer to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork.
2. Stir in tomatoes and reserved juice, parsley, and scallions. Add lemon juice and oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Stir in mint right before serving.
Grilled Flatbreads
Of course, you can just use store-bought flatbreads or large pita breads for meze, but making them from scratch is easy, and the process feels almost magical. It starts with a simple yeast dough (we used some whole-wheat flour in addition to white) that gets “baked” over a very hot grill. The heat activates the yeast and creates steam, which causes the dough to puff up dramatically, forming the signature pocket. Serve half the flatbreads as an appetizer with spinach, yogurt, and toasted sesame seeds alongside stuffed grape leaves, feta, olives, and tzatziki, and save the rest to serve with the lamb and chicken. This recipe yields 16 breads.
4½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 envelopes (¼ ounce each) active dry yeast (4½ teaspoons)
1 tablespoon honey
2¼ cups warm water (110°F)
1½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon coarse salt
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
Fine cornmeal, for sprinkling
1. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the yeast, honey, and 1 cup warm water until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining 3½ cups all-purpose flour, the whole-wheat flour, salt, oil, and remaining 1¼ cups warm water.
2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead, dusting hands and work surface with more flour as needed, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
3. Punch down dough and form into a ball, then turn out onto lightly floured surface. Quarter dough. Working with 1 piece at a time (drape a kitchen towel over the rest), divide each into 4 smaller pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and pinch, tightening ball. Turn pinched-side down and flatten with your palm.
4. Flatten each ball into a 6-inch round with a lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer rounds to rimmed baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal; drape with kitchen towels. Let stand 30 minutes. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days.)
5. Heat grill (or grill pan) to medium-high (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds). Working in batches and using tongs, place rounds directly on grill and cook until dough bubbles and puffs, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and grill other side until blackened in spots and cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a basket lined with a kitchen towel; cover to steam and keep warm. Grill remaining flatbreads. (Flatbread is best served the same day but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
Tzatziki
To avoid a waterlogged sauce, wrap the grated cucumber in paper towels and give it a good squeeze to remove excess moisture. You can also place it in a colander over the sink and press gently.
2 medium cucumbers, seeded, coarsely grated, and squeezed of excess moisture
1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, combine cucumbers, yogurt, parsley, and lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (Can be made 1 day in advance; refrigerate and whisk before serving.)
Grilled Marinated Leg of Lamb
This marinade does double duty: Some of it flavors the lamb and chicken before grilling, and the rest is reserved to serve alongside. It’s heady with the tastes and incredible aromas of preserved lemons, garlic, red chiles, fresh mint, and marjoram.
2 preserved lemons
10 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 small dried red chiles, stemmed and crumbled (about 2 teaspoons)
2 cups fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for serving
½ cup fresh marjoram leaves, plus sprigs for serving
Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons, plus lemon halves for serving
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, butterflied and pounded to an even thickness (1 to 1½ inches)
1. Halve preserved lemons; remove and discard seeds and flesh. Chop skin and pulse with garlic, shallot, chiles, mint and marjoram leaves, lemon zest and juice, and salt in a food processor until coarsely ground. Stir in oil. Reserve 2 cups marinade (1 cup for chicken and 1 cup for serving).
2. Place lamb in a baking pan; rub with marinade. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
3. Let lamb stand at room temperature 1 hour. Heat grill (or grill pan) to medium-high (see this page). Remove lamb from marinade, brushing off excess. Grill, covered, 8 minutes. Flip; continue cooking until a thermometer inserted in center reads 130°F for medium-rare, about 8 minutes more. Remove from grill and cover loosely with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Slice thinly and serve with herb sprigs, lemon halves, and reserved marinade.
Grilled Marinated Chicken
To ensure moist chicken, keep a close eye on the meat as it cooks and use an instant-read thermometer. Marinades help, but the chicken will dry out fast (especially the breasts) after reaching an internal temperature of 165°F.
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces (breasts halved on the diagonal)
1 cup reserved preserved lemon marinade (see previous recipe)
Safflower or other vegetable oil, for brushing
1. Place chicken parts in a baking pan. Toss with marinade, turning to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally. Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
2. Heat grill (or grill pan) to medium with direct and indirect heat zones (see this page). Brush grates with oil. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Grill breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks, skin-side down, over direct heat for 10 minutes.
3. Flip, move to indirect heat, and grill, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thighs registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Grill wings over direct heat, flipping often, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with additional reserved marinade on the side.
Peach-Pie Crumble Bars
With a press-in shortbread crust that doubles as a topping, peach pie becomes fuss-free (and fork-free to boot). Another bonus: Lining the pan with parchment makes removing the bars a breeze.
For crust
½ cup (1 stick) plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
For filling
1¼ pounds peaches, pitted and cut into ½-inch dice (3½ cups)
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment.
2. Make crust: With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add flour and salt; beat just until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 2½ cups flour mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Reserve the remainder.
3. Make filling: Stir together peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Pour into crust. Crumble remaining flour mixture evenly over top, squeezing to create clumps. Bake until bubbling in center and crust is golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent top with foil). Let cool in pan, about 1 hour. Refrigerate, wrapped tightly in plastic or in an airtight container, until ready to serve (up to 3 days). Cut into squares and serve.