Summer Recipes: Rutgers Chefs Share Some Favorites

Chefs from dining services offer tips on what to make after a trip to the farmers market or firing up the grill

Photo: Cameron Bowman

'Have an idea before you go to the farmers market. Print out a recipe, bring an ingredient list and go shopping. Otherwise you bring home all this beautiful produce and you don’t know what to do with it.’

 

– David Mule

Back to school may be around the corner, but the summer isn’t officially over for several more weeks and farmer’s markets are at their height selling an abundance of peak season produce. Are you looking for ways to savor the end of the season? Rutgers Today asked chefs from University Dining Services to share their favorite summertime recipes with our readers.

For the novice cook heading out to buy seasonal produce, David Mulé, chef manager of the Neilson Dining Hall, offered this advice: “Have an idea before you go to the farmers market,’’ Mule said. “Print out a recipe, bring an ingredient list and go shopping. Otherwise you bring home all this beautiful produce and you don’t know what to do with it.’’

But Mulé doesn’t discourage home cooks from going to browse. “The other option is to pick what catches your eye and go home and look up recipes too,’’ he said. “If you go not knowing what you want to make then you can get a little creative.’’

Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Cilantro Vinaigrette Served over Baby Spinach & Arugula
Courtesy of David Mulé

(serves 4-6)

1/2 cup Jersey cilantro
2 cups Jersey spinach
1 cup Jersey arugula
1 cup Jersey asparagus
1 tsp Brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp blended oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped garlic
pinch salt
pinch white pepper
4 oz jersey goat cheese
1/2 cup candied walnuts or chick peas for added protein (optional) 

Directions:
1. Clean cilantro, spinach, and arugula. Set aside. Cut and blanch asparagus. Cool and set aside.
2. In a blender combine brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, oil, honey, mustard, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper to make vinaigrette.
3. Blend until smooth consistency and season to taste.
4. Toss vinaigrette with spinach and arugula and top with crumbled goat cheese and asparagus.

Grilled Shrimp with a honey coriander glaze and Jicama Slaw
Courtesy of Chef Brian Petersen, chef manager, Busch Dining Hall

“Here is one of my favorite recipes to prepare in the summer. One of the reasons is its easy, because you can make the slaw the day before. So after a day at the beach you just need to turn on the grill and in no time at all you are ready to go. Another reason is it is so light and refreshing it helps cool you off on a hot summer day and being lower in calories will satisfy you without weighing you down.’’ – Brian Petersen
(Serves 4)

16-20 shrimp tail on       
6 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon coriander
1 1/4 cups jicama            
1/4 cup red pepper
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup scallions
1/4 cup mango
1/2 bunch cilantro          
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar              
2 tablespoons honey    
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Peel and julienne jicama, red pepper and mango and place in bowl.
2. Mince jalapeno add to bowl.
3. Slice scallions as thin as possible into rings and add to jicama.
4. Chop cilantro for salad and garnish
5. Toss contents of bowl with vinegar, honey and lime juice season to taste (allow to sit for 2-3 hours before serving)
6. Toast coriander in sauté pan for a couple minutes until the coriander becomes more fragrant allow to cool and crack seeds by rolling a rolling pin over them.
7. Grill shrimp until cooked through then toss in a bowl with the honey and coriander.
8. Place 1/4 of the jicama salad on plate and place 4 shrimp around and then drizzle with the juice from salad serve.

Note: The jicama slaw is better if prepared the day before allowing the flavors to combine and some of the juice to come out. This dish can also be done with grilled coriander crusted Tuna just take out the honey glaze. Also the amount of heat in the dish can be limited by using less jalapeno.

Honey-Roasted Peach and Frangipane Tartlet with Blueberry Coulis and Whipped Cream

For dessert Peter Imranyi, a chef manager in catering, suggested these tartlets using fresh peaches, which are currently in season, and topping them off with mint from the garden.
Tip: Simplify this recipe buy using pre-made pie crust.

Ingredients:
Dough
1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3 1/4 cup cake flour
For the filling:
4 tablespoons almond paste
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cake flour
8 peaches
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoons honey
2 tsp. sugar
For the blueberry coulis:
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
4 Tbsp. sugar
For the whipped cream:
Seeds of 1/2 of a vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectionary sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Garnish (optional):
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Fresh mint leaves

Directions:

For Dough
1. In mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla bean in mixer until smooth. Slowly add egg blending until smooth.  Then add flour all at once and mix until just blended.
2. Turn the dough onto floured table, wrap and place in refrigerator for one hour
3. Roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 8-4inch rounds.
4. Place into tartlet pans, dock bottom with fork.

For Filling
1. In a mixer, beat together almond paste, sugar, and egg making sure there are no lumps.  Beat in butter. Add flour and mix just until combined.
2. Using pastry bag pipe frangipane into tart shell filling them half way.
3. Cut peaches in half and toss with lemon juice, sugar and honey, place onto baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cool.  Once peaches cool slice and fan them on top of the frangipane.
4. Bake at 375 until shells and filling are golden brown, about 30 minutes, remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
5. Combine blueberries, with sugar and sherry in a pot and simmer until sugar dissolves and begins to thicken.  Strain and chill and drizzle on tartlets. Garnish with sliced almonds and mint.

Whipped Cream
1. Beat whipped cream in a chilled bowl until frothy. Add confectionary sugar, vanilla extract and beat until whipped.