Turning easy summer classics into savory dishes doesn't require sacrificing simplicity, says columnist Anna Thomas Bates.
Summer's best fare can impart a delicious element to the sunny season with a few changes to traditional recipes.
"Summer is all about the food," said Bates, also a cheesemaker from Albany in Green County and author of the blog Tallgrass Kitchen. "No one wants to spend a lot of time cooking it, but you want to spend a lot of time enjoying it."
Better Burgers
Gremolata burger. Photo courtesy of Anna Thomas Bates
While Bates said some burger purists advise leaving the meat alone, she embellishes her burgers with gremolata, an Italian herb mixture of garlic and lemon zest.
"It's bright and fresh and a really great seasoning for summer," Bates said.
This summer mixture is made by rolling the ground beef with minced parsley, garlic and lemon zest, and goes well with grilled vegetables or a fruit salad. Those looking to avoid carbohydrates can skip the bun and instead opt for wrapping the burger in lettuce.
Bates advised not to handle the meat too much, because it can become too dense and turn into a tougher burger.
Some other tips she imparted are to indent the burger while grilling to prevent it from shrinking too much, and to not press down on the burger, which causes it to lose its juice.
Ground chuck is fine to buy, she said, but make sure the meat has at least 20 percent fat content.
"You can get fancy and get sirloin, but (ground) chuck is going to taste delicious," she said.
If you can't grill outside, try using a cast iron skillet, which gets hot like a grill and adds a sear to the outside.
Refreshing Drinks
Hibiscus-lime Arnold Palmer. Photo courtesy of Anna Thomas Bates
While some options for refreshing summer drinks are saturated in sugar, Bates does a twist on the lemonade and iced tea combo with the hibiscus-lime Arnold Palmer.
In lieu of black tea, Bates opts for hibiscus tea and pairs that with homemade limeade.
A favorite element of this drink is that the sugar content is alterable, depending on preference.
"I typically think things are more refreshing when they're less sweet, especially in the summertime," she said. Sometimes, adding a pinch of salt can cut sweetness.
For those looking for a more adult version of this drink, try adding gin, Bates recommended.
Strawberry Desserts
Strawberry pie cups. Photo courtesy of Anna Thomas Bates
Instead of a typical 9-inch circular pie, Bates creates pie cups using muffin pans, pie crust and either blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries.
"When you cook the fruit, it loses a little bit of its magic, but if you just macerate those berries with a little bit of sugar, let their natural juices come out, then have a really beautiful buttery crisp pie crust, you have all the elements of a good pie," she said. Macerate in this case means to add a little sugar which brings out the liquid in the berries to create a light syrup.
Any pie crust recipe could work for this dessert, Bates said.
Another dessert recipe a little bit more dependent on one juicy red summertime staple is Bates' strawberry shortcake ice cream.
This recipe features a vanilla ice cream base with a strawberry jam ribbon and crushed up shortbread cookies.
Bates' recipe calls for homemade ice cream with corn syrup, cornstarch and cream cheese, three elements that prevent the ice cream from getting too icy, she said. While she uses a machine to make the ice cream, she said recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk don't require machines to make.
