Cool in the kitchen

Hot enough for you?

Everyone has been talking about the weather since the heat wave began. We have endured nearly two weeks of temperatures of 90 degrees and above and the dreaded heat index makes it feel as if we all moved into a sauna.

Relief is welcome, but the scorching days come back with a vengeance.

What to do?

The answer is to prepare simple cool foods. I have dozens of dishes in my hot-weather repertoire and we never tire of them.

Gazpacho is one of my favorite summer dishes. This classic cold tomato-based soup from Spain can be a freeform recipe because it adapts to a variety of ingredients.

My husband Edward loves a cool Mediterranean entree salad chock-full of refreshing seafood. Shrimp and scallops cook and cool down quickly. All you need to do is chill them thoroughly. I also like to include crabmeat in this dish.

Summer is also the time for leftover salads with flank steak taking center stage. Although top-quality flank steak – which should not be confused with what supermarkets call London broil – can be a bit pricy, it is a juicy lean cut and there is no waste. You can substitute leftover flank steak for seafood in the Mediterranean salad.

A loaf of crusty bread is all you need to round out these recipes. As for the wine, I prefer a grassy Sauvignon blanc or slightly chilled Beaujolais.

I recently purchased white and yellow California peaches at the market. I kept them in a bowl on my kitchen counter for two days before chilling them in the fridge. They were ripe and juicy and peaches can be used in a myriad of recipes for cool, refreshing desserts.

Here are easy recipes for hot summer weather.

Gazpacho

Ingredients:

2 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
2 English cucumbers, peeled and chopped
6 scallions, with some green, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can vegetable or chicken stock
2 to 3 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Small handful fresh basil leaves, snipped with a scissors
Hot sauce to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl, stir well and refrigerate for several hours.

Serves eight.

Note from Phyllis: I like to use V8 Vegetable Juice in this recipe. You can use green or yellow peppers, but I like the sweetness of red peppers. If you cannot find ripe tomatoes, simply substitute four canned San Marzano tomatoes. You can also add a handful of cooked popcorn shrimp or 1 cup of crabmeat to the soup.

Mediterranean Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound medium shrimp
1 pound sea scallops
1 pound crabmeat
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, sliced
1 small head radicchio, sliced
2 heads Belgian endive, sliced
1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 small Vidalia onion, peeled and diced
1 pint grape tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon imported Dijon mustard

Directions:

Place the shrimp and scallops in two separate 3-quart saucepans and cover both with cold water. Cook both over high heat just until the shrimp turn pink, about three-five minutes. Drain both in a colander and run under cold water.

Place the shrimp and scallops in two separate bowls. Peel the shrimp when cool enough to handle. Cut each scallop in half. Chill both in the refrigerator.

Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Add the shrimp, scallops and crabmeat. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Pour over the salad and serve.

Serves six to eight.

Note from Phyllis: Vidalia onions are in season now. They are sweet and have the consistency of an apple. I prefer a sweet onion in this recipe because a strong tasting onion would detract from the light seafood.

Peach Melba

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches
Vanilla ice cream
2 pints fresh raspberries, pulsed in a food processor to make a coulis
Slivered almonds
Whipped cream

Directions:

Cut each peach in half and place in eight pretty bowls or deep-footed dessert bowls. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center of each peach. Spoon some raspberry coulis over the ice cream. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and top with whipped cream.

Serves eight.

Easy Peach Cake

Ingredients:

1 store-bought angel food cake or pound cake
4 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
Whipped cream

Directions:

Slice the angel food cake into three layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Cover the layer with peaches and whipped cream. Continue until all three layers are used. Cover the top layer with peaches and whipped cream.

If you are using pound cake, cut the cake into slices. Place a slice into the bottom of a parfait glass, top with peaches and whipped cream and continue until you fill each glass. You may have to cut each slice of cake into squares depending on the size of the glasses. You also can use large balloon wine glasses.