A Summer Lunch

It was one of those beautiful soft summer days we’ve been enjoying this year and I was up in the “Cities” visiting a dear, old friend. Mary Anne and I go back to pre-kindergarten when we discovered each other in our St. Louis Park neighborhood. In spite of many moves, marriages and various and sundry life changes, our friendship has never skipped a beat.

I was sitting at her kitchen table watching her put the final touches on our lunch which would be eaten on her porch. When she composed a salad that included grape tomatoes and cantaloupe, my curiosity was piqued—certainly an unusual combination. I could hardly wait to taste this colorful and interesting dish.

We sat on the screen porch with the summer-dressed trees, flowers and temperatures in the mid seventies and ate the wonderful salad, a magnificent frittata (recipe from Lucia’s Restaurant in Minneapolis) a lovely crisp white wine and enjoyed catching up on our lives. A perfect alliance of weather, good food and magnificent company.

Since many people eat melon with salt, the sweet and savory pairing in the salad really is a natural after all. It would be equally good served on a bed of prosciutto or other thinly sliced smoked ham.

Summer Melon Salad with Feta and Mint

4 cups cubed cantaloupe (about ½” cubes)
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about ½ cup)
1 bunch watercress, stems removed, washed and drained (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Using individual plates, or one large platter, arrange the melon and tomatoes. Sprinkle cheese over all and arrange watercress sprigs on top of that. (Or, alternatively, lay watercress on bottom and build upon it.) Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar; sprinkle with mint. Season with salt and pepper.

The frittata is more like a crustless quiche or tart, but whatever you call it, it was one of the creamiest, tastiest dishes I have tried. It is definitely going on my menu here at the inn.

Basil Frittata with Parmesan and Goat Cheese

Serves 6

2 Tbsp. butter
5 eggs
3 cups heavy cream
Splash hot-pepper sauce
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
4 or 5 oil-cured dry tomatoes (can use ½ cup peeled, seeded and diced fresh tomato)
2 heaping Tbsp. rough-chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8-inch skillet. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, cream and hot-pepper sauce. In a medium bowl, combine Parmesan, goat cheese, basil, tomato and salt and pepper (do not season egg-cream mixture). Pour half of eggs into prepared pan, sprinkle cheese mixture over eggs then cover with remaining eggs. Bake until set, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let sit for 15 minutes to set filling. Slice and serve.

You didn’t think I forgot dessert, did you? When women get together for such a sumptuous meal, I think that chocolate is in order. Something very rich, but very small.

Here’s a recipe that fits the bill perfectly.

French Chocolate Cake

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp. water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
2/3 cup butter, softened
4 eggs, separated

Melt chocolate with water in microwave proof pan, 30 seconds at a time until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add sugar, flour and butter; mix well. Beat egg yolks vigorously. Blend into chocolate mixture gradually. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into chocolate mixture. Spoon into 9-inch round cake pan lined with waxed paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Cake will be soft but will stiffen when cool to consistency of cheesecake. Cool completely in pan. 6-8 generous servings.
(I like to serve sweetened raspberries and a little whipped cream on the side.)
If that is too much trouble, a small dish of Hagen-Daz ice cream and some wafer-thin cookies can do the trick.