height of summer

​Since I last posted, my husband and I have become the grandparents of another baby girl. This little gem joins my daughter, son-in-law and her almost three-year-old sister. We had the three-year-old for several days while mom and dad were at the hospital and had me going all day, no time for new recipes.
 
I did try two new light and tasty recipes recently.  The first is from the new Sunday section of the New York Times called “At Home” in a column entitled “Five Dishes to Cook This Week,” Summer Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes and Corn. The other recipe, Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Basil butter is from a cook book that my daughter no longer wanted, 5 Ingredient Fix, by Claire Robinson. 

​The Summer Scampi recipe needs 1 pound of shrimp, extra virgin olive oil, 1-pint cherry or grape tomatoes, fresh or frozen corn, garlic, red pepper flakes, dry white wine, fresh lemon juice, unsalted butter and fresh chopped parsley, chives or turn basil leaves.
 
I purchased my shrimp from Atlantic Offshore Fishery in Point Pleasant. I picked up raw, wild shrimp that was shelled and deveined. The corn and tomatoes came from Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck. I started the process by removing the corn from the cob, juiced a lemon, set out the spices and liquids I would need and a dish to hold the sautéed shrimp. This recipe uses only one pan and takes 15 minutes to cook, so prep is essential if you want to get dinner on the table fast.  For herbs, I used fresh chopped parsley for a classic scampi dish.
 
My husband simply loved this dish. I served it over bucatini pasta, which was too thick. Spaghetti would have been a much better choice. It was a delicious seasonal version of shrimp scampi.
 
When I received “5 Ingredient Fix” from my daughter I immediately sat down and found over a dozen recipes that I would like to make. The first one I prepared was Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Basil Butter. I selected this one as the basil in my garden was looking particularly good and my husband likes spaghetti squash as a lunch alternative.
 
For this recipe you’ll need a large spaghetti squash, pine nuts, basil leaves, unsalted butter and pecorino Romano cheese. Instead of roasting cut side up, I roasted cut side down as I find it cooks quicker (it bakes for approximately an hour). While the squash was roasting, I made the basil butter. As I didn’t have pine nuts, I substituted toasted walnuts. It took just minutes to make the butter.
 
This was a delicious preparation and the basil butter gives the dish a little oomph! I had a bit of sausage and peppers left and I placed it on top of warm squash for a change. Yum!
 
By the way, New Jersey plum tomatoes are at their peak. I just purchased the first of two 25-pound boxes to start making fresh tomato sauce for the winter. I used the last of last year’s sauce about a week ago. The fifty pounds will be made and frozen. While the plum tomatoes are good, I’ll make weekly fresh tomato sauce.  

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​Summer Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes and Corn
By Ali Slagle
The New York Times
From the “At Home” section, August 2, 2020
“Five Dishes to Cook This Week”
 
INGREDIENTS

• 1-pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 4 ears)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon), plus wedges for serving (optional)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or chives, or torn basil leaves

 
PREPARATION

1. Pat the shrimp very dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate.
2. Add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until they start to blister in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until the tomatoes burst and the corn is golden in spots, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until you smell garlic, about 1 minute.
4. Reduce heat to medium, and add the wine and lemon juice, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until nearly evaporated, then add the butter and stir until melted. Add the shrimp and its juices and stir until warmed through. (If the sauce breaks and looks greasy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water and stir until emulsified.)
5. Remove from heat, add the herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with extra lemon for squeezing over, if you like.

 

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​Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Basil Butter
5 Ingredient Fix
Claire Robinson
© 2010 by Claire Robinson
 
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
 
Preheat the oven to 375°
 
Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
8 large basil leaves, sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for serving
 
Halve the squash through the stem and remove the seeds. Season with salt and pepper and roast cut side up on a baking sheet until completely soft, about 1 hour. Let it cool slightly and, with a fork, shred the squash flesh from the shell and transfer to a serving dish.
 
Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the pine nuts and basil to a paste. Add the butter and cheese and pulse to combine; season with salt and pepper.
 
Serve the squash warm with soft butter on the side to a dollop on each serving.
 
 
Donna’s Tips

• A suggestion that I got from my daughter was to prick the skin with a fork in a line to form circle around the squash, then use a knife to cut the squash through the dotted line. This is much easier as spaghetti squash is quite hard.
• Roast squash cut side down. The steam that builds under the squash will help it roast quicker.
• You can substitute walnuts for the pine nuts.

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