For Your Summer Supper Table

three recipes worth making this summer

Dear friend,

In a perfect summer moment, I would find myself with a full plate. In the literal sense of course. In my perfect moment my plate is piled high with a delicious feast, all of which I can eat and enjoy. There’d be music in the air… Django or Paolo… and it would be a delightful backdrop to the chatter of friends and family alike. They’re with me. I’m poolside, riverside, beachside. The summer sun is warming me up from the inside and I can feel it creeping into the dark and cold corners that I thought would never thaw. In my other hand is a beverage, most likely frosty, and for this fleeting moment — all is well.

Eating well is never on the periphery at our cottage, it is a part of life here. Not because we’re fancy, not because there’s anything to prove, and certainly not because we’re health-maxing. Eating well is central because it connects us to each other; thrice daily we get to rejoice in the fact that we are once again provided for, sustained, and nourished.

Last week, I sent my two boys on a small quest — they were to walk to the nearby farm, through the orchards and along the dirt trails — to pick up our vegetable order. There are a few items I’m not growing this year that I am most grateful to buy these from our neighbors who do such a wonderful job (and all the weeding). Market baskets in hand, the boys trudged off through the cherry trees that are already heavy laden with fruit, our Aussie on their heels and along for the adventure. I’d instructed them to enter the make-shift cooler at the farm, locate the basket with our name on it, and fill their own baskets with what was inside. They were to then hustle back so that we could get the vegetables prepped for dinner and store the extras in the refrigerator before the heat took its toll. Bless them, they did just that. My heart about burst when I saw them stomping down the driveway, baskets slung over their backs, green carrot tops flopping out, and a (now) very dirty dog still on their heels.

I can assure you that each pea pod we ate for supper felt far more significant than the sum of its calories. It was summer and community and pleasure and experience and delight all tucked together soundly.

Eating well, intentionally, allows us a break and a pause in our productivity, to remind us that life is far more than zeros and ones on a screen and that we are far more than machines for making money. For us there are ripe raspberries, seared steaks, cold glasses of lemon ice water. For us there is the summer’s first basil leaves, roasted tomatoes, and handfuls of black currants. It may not be a financially rich life, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s lacking. It is rich in all the ways that deeply matter — at least, it is to us.

Let us not settle for pure sustenance.

In a culture of DoorDash and instant and constant gratification, I plead with you to seek out such tiny treasures of the season, whatever those may be for you. I want you to cook for people you love and find pleasure in the work of your hands. I want you to taste a perfectly ripe strawberry and eat an apricot still warm from the tree. It will make you feel rich indeed!

In The Cooking Community, we cook like this on purpose — more dishes, more crumbs, and all the most wonderful gifts you could give yourself and everyone who finds their way to your table.

Below are a few recipes from The Cooking Community's summer table. Enjoy.

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Blistered Flatbreads with Garlic and Oil

This is my go-to pizza crust, but also a perfect bread to serve alongside summer dishes. It’s crispy, savory, and very fragrant — especially when it’s topped with spicy chili flakes, pungent garlic, and high-quality olive oil.

2 ½ cups (620 grams) warm water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

6 cups (740 grams) unbleached bread flour, or all-purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon rye flour

1 ½ teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Olive oil, for serving

Minced garlic, for serving

Chili flakes, for serving

Fresh herbs, for serving

1. Combine the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl). Stir to combine and allow the yeast to hydrate for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add half of the bread flour (3 cups or 370 grams) and all of the rye flour into the yeast-water mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover the bowl and set aside for 90 minutes.

3. Add the remaining bread flour, along with the honey and salt, into the bowl. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and knead the dough on medium speed for 6-8 minutes. The dough should start to pull away slightly from the sides of the bowl — add a handful or two of additional flour if needed to achieve this.

4. Oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough into the bowl, cover tightly, and allow the dough to proof for an additional 45 minutes at room temperature.

5. Preheat the oven to 500° Fahrenheit.

6. When the dough has doubled in size, dust a work surface lightly with flour. Using a handful (about ¼ cup) of dough at a time, shape it into a circle with your hands, stretching and pressing with your fingertips as needed, until it is about ½” thick. Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking tray. Repeat with a second piece of dough. Two flatbreads are enough to fill a standard baking tray, so the baking must be done in batches.

7. Drizzle the flatbreads generously with olive oil. Transfer the baking tray to the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the flatbreads are golden and blistered.

8. While the breads are baking, prepare your desired toppings and shape a second batch of flatbreads on a separate tray.

9. Remove the baked flatbreads and dress them with garlic, herbs, chili flakes, and additional olive oil. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

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Pepperonata

This is a staple on the summer table, as it goes over pasta, grilled vegetables, rice, meats, and everything in between. It’s sweet, fragrant, and full of intense Mediterranean flavors. It also stores well in the refrigerator, so one batch can serve you for days and days.

2 red onions

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

4 sweet red bell peppers

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

14 ounces canned peeled tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

Basil, for serving

1. Peel and slice the onions into thin strips. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion strips and salt to the oil and sauté them slowly for 10-15 minutes until soft and translucent. Take care not to burn or brown the onions.

2. Slice the peppers into ¼” strips, discarding the stems and seeds. Add the peppers into the onion mixture, along with the red wine vinegar. Sauté the peppers for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often. The peppers will turn glossy and fragrant.

3. One at a time, squeeze the tomatoes in your hand to break them up into rustic pieces. Add them into the mixture, along with the juice from the can. Finally, add in the tomato paste and sugar. Stir well to combine.

4. Cover the mixture and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.

5. Adjust the seasoning as needed with additional salt or red wine vinegar. Serve either warm or cold, topped with fresh basil leaves.

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Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken Thighs

This is a recipe that’s perfect to make for guests — all the “work” is done ahead of time, and it looks spectacular on a plate. I prefer to source chicken thighs that have the bone in and skin on, as this results in a moist, flavorful thigh. The only secret to this recipe is to bring the chicken to room temperature before baking — it helps keep the chicken moist and allows the marinade to work its magic.

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning

⅓ cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

½ teaspoon chili flakes

6 chicken thighs

1 lemon, sliced thin, for serving

Fresh rosemary, for serving

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, minus the chicken thighs. Whisk well to combine.

2. Add the chicken thighs into the bowl and use your hands to massage the marinade evenly into all the chicken, ensuring each thigh is evenly coated.

3. Allow the chicken to marinate for 2-4 hours at room temperature. Alternatively, the chicken can be marinated overnight in the refrigerator.

4. Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

5. Place the chicken thighs in a baking pan, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. A bit of room around each thigh will ensure they roast and don’t steam.

6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden. The skin should be crispy, and an internal thermometer should register at least 165° Fahrenheit.

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These are recipes from The Cooking Community — my community where I share recipes, videos, and community with a group of home cooks who are choosing to eat well on purpose. This week, you can get three months free. I'd love to cook with you this summer.

Love,