Summer Spreads

It's Friday evening and instead of fluttering around town like the champagne-sipping social firefly I planned on being this week, I am instead, in the kitchen--looking anything but glamorous with my hair in a librarians bun, and spectacles perched on the tip of my nose--cooking up a storm. But I don't mind, because it's all for a good cause, as tomorrow I have a little ladies cocktail luncheon to attend. A friend of mine is turning thirty-nine for the fiftieth time, and so I am whipping up some quick and easy appetizers to counter the effects of our late afternoon cosmo-fest. I'm making two of my favorite spreads for the occasion--a white bean spread with rosemary and a bit of lemon zest, and a sun dried tomato and goat cheese spread that is so flavorful my mouth is actually watering just from typing the name of it. They are the perfect summer recipes as far as I am concerned, because they use just a handful of inexpensive and easy-to-find ingredients, and require no cooking whatsoever. I'm going to serve them tomorrow with warm pita bread, toasted baguette slices and a vegetable crudite, but I love the bean spread on toast, topped with slices of ripe tomato, or roasted red peppers out of the jar, or even chopped black olives. And the sun dried tomato spread does double duty as a delicious pasta sauce that tastes like summer itself (or, stuff some into an omelet, add a little to your next BLT, use it as a pizza topping if you are grilling pizza outdoors this summer).

These are two healthy and soul-pleasing recipes you will turn to again and again, and want to keep in your refrigerator well after the summer season has passed.

Enjoy!
Suzanne


PRINT RECIPES
WHITE BEAN SPREAD with Rosemary + Lemon Zest
2 - 15.5 oz cans cannelli beans (drained)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped lemon zest
salt + pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

SUN DRIED TOMATO + GOAT CHEESE SPREAD
10.5 oz log goat cheese
6.5 oz jar sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

Place the goat cheese and 3/4 of the sun dried tomatoes (drain them first) in the food processor and blend until creamy. If you'd like you can add some fresh rosemary to this recipe.

Clamaholic

As you might recall, I spent most of this past Saturday stuffing thousands of empty calories into my poor, defenseless body, the exception being, a plateful of delicious steamers, coated in butter (ok, so maybe it wasn't exactly health food) and garlic. Those twelve little hatched-footed mollusks were the culinary highlight of my day, and quite possibly my summer, thus far. I love clams. Linguini with clam sauce, clam pizza, baked clams, raw clams, clams casino, clam chowder; if it's got clams in it, on it, or around it, I will eat it until I burst (well, not really; I'm being somewhat dramatic). Last October I posted a recipe for Linguini with Clam Sauce that I adapted from the oh-so-talented Juan, at the Fish Market in San Diego. This year, I've decided upon a recipe for garlic steamed clams that are so chock-full of garlic, that I personally guarantee that you will be 100% vampire-proof for at least a week after digging in. Of course, no one will want to kiss you either, but that's a small price to pay to be in bivalve bliss.

GARLIC-STEAMED CLAMS (PRINT RECIPE)
4 dozen hard shelled clams, well scrubbed
3 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
10 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1-cup white wine
1/2-cup parsley, chopped (optional)
Lemon

Make certain your clams are alive by checking that they are tightly closed. If they are open slightly, tap to see if they react to your touch; if not, discard. Also discard any clams that have cracked shells. When ready to cook, scrub the clams with a stiff brush under cold running water.

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven with a firm fitting lid, heat the olive oil, then add the garlic and sauté for approximately 5 minutes.

Turn up the heat and add the water, the wine and the parsley. Add the clams, close the lid and allow clams to steam for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until the clams open. (Note: During the cooking process – without opening the lid - shake the pot a few times to redistribute the clams)

When done, place the clams and the broth in a large bowl, discarding any clams that did not open. Squirt some lemon over the clams and serve with crusty bread. You can also serve with a side of melted butter for dipping.

Makes 6 appetizer servings, or 2 entrée servings