Laurel Reufner
This entire menu was made with grilling and eating outside in mind. We held our Midsummer ritual in the pool and then gathered around the grill after for the feast.
Marinated Veggie Kabobs
This recipe is easy to make either with or without meat. I’ve written the recipe to use tofu, but if you want to make it for your more carnivorous friends, simply switch out the tofu for chicken. Or you can please everyone and offer both!
Prep time: 1–2 hours
Cook time: 10–15 minutes
Servings: 4–6
1 block of extra firm tofu
1 batch balsamic rosemary marinade (see page 210)
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
1–2 green bell peppers
1 sweet yellow onion
2 small zucchini
8 ounces cherry tomatoes
Press the tofu to remove the excess water. I’ve found the easiest way to do this without a tofu press is to use two plates, a clean kitchen towel, and a few bags of dried beans. Carefully wrap the tofu in the towel and place it between the two plates. Then just pile on the bags of beans until you’ve got 3 or 4 pounds pushing down on the tofu. This method works well because the bags can more easily conform to the curve of the plates. Let it press for at least half an hour before continuing.
Cut the tofu in half lengthwise, then cut each of those sections into fourths, finally cut those fourths so that they’re half as thick. This should give you 16 pieces. Place in a plastic ziplock bag along with the marinade and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes. (Do not over-marinate.)
If using chicken, cut into roughly 2 inch pieces and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
Clean the mushrooms, cutting into halves or fourths if they are really large. I’d suggest maybe making an extra batch of the marinade and letting the mushrooms soak alongside the tofu.
While your protein of choice is marinating, chop up your vegetables into roughly 1½ to 2 inch pieces and place in separate bowls. Cut the onion into small chunks, unless you know that everyone likes a really good mouthful of the stuff. Also, if you’re using wooden skewers, start them soaking in water so they aren’t flammable on the grill.
I like to let everyone assemble their own kabob. To do so, set everything out in bowls and place the skewers nearby. The trick to this is to remember which kabob belongs to which diner, but hopefully they can remember what they put on their skewer.
Grill on a medium heat for 5–10 minutes or until everything is heated evenly. Chicken will probably need longer to cook, perhaps up to 15 minutes. Make sure it is cooked through before serving.
Balsamic Rosemary Marinade
With a good, flavorful marinade, you can take any dish to new levels, especially those containing tofu. It’s great for absorbing whatever you want to flavor it with. This particular recipe is a nice change from all of the Asian-inspired ones out there, which makes for a great summertime flavor boost.
Prep time: 5 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
½ tablespoon brown sugar
½ cup red balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
Place together in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Rosemary-Onion Potato Packets
Start these cooking while the kabobs are being assembled. Serves 6.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10–20 minutes
Servings: 6
6–8 potatoes
3 carrots
1 medium onion, chopped small
5 tablespoons olive oil
1½ tablespoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Clean your potatoes and cut them into ¾ inch pieces. Clean, peel, and slice the carrots into ¼–½ inch pieces. Boil for about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender—a fork goes in, but not without some pressure. Drain and give a quick rinse under cold water.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and add the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat, then portion out evenly onto 6 pieces of aluminum foil. Wrap up tightly.
Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
Swedish Pickles
These pickles are a traditional Swedish Midsummer dish. Everyone who has tried them has loved them.
Prep time: 40 minutes
Chill time: 2–24 hours
Servings: 8
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, either crushed or coarsely ground
2 English cucumbers
2 tablespoons sea salt
Bring the vinegar, sugar, water, and caraway to a boil in a medium saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside to cool to room temperature.
While the brine is cooling, wash the cucumbers and slice them thinly. Leave the cucumbers unpeeled. Place them in a large bowl and toss with the salt. You want to set them aside for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the salt to start extracting some of the moisture out of the cucumbers.
You will now need a second bowl, because you’re going to pick up small handfuls of the cucumber slices and squeeze out the extra liquid. You can continue on at this point, although I like to let them sit for another 15 minutes or so and repeat the whole squeezing process.
Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, pour it over the cucumbers and stir well. Transfer to a sealable container and chill for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
Lemon-Berry Trifle
Out of all the desserts I made for the Almanac, this might just be my favorite. It’s light and fluffy, sweet without being cloying, and a perfect accompaniment for any warm weather meal.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12
1 yellow cake
1 pound strawberries
Lemon whipped cream (recipe follows)
I’m going to be perfectly honest here—I used a boxed butter cake mix found at the Dollar Tree. It has an amazing flavor that was far better than any of the yellow cake recipes I tried. Whatever you decide on, make your cake and set it aside to cool. While it’s cooling, wash and slice your strawberries.
Once it has cooled, cut it into 1 inch pieces. To assemble the trifles individually, place a few pieces of cake in the bottom of your dish, add on a layer of the strawberries, and top with a dollop of whipped cream. To make one large trifle, place a layer of cake in the bottom of your dish, top with a strawberry layer, followed by a layer of whipped cream and then repeat the layers all over again.
Store it in the refrigerator until serving.
Lemon Whipped Cream
This truly whips up quickly if you start with everything cold, including the bowl. Try putting it in the freezer for a few minutes.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
When you’re ready to go, combine everything in the chilled bowl and beat with an electric mixer, at medium speed, until soft peaks form.
Keep refrigerated until needed. Makes about 2 cups.