Summer foods should be fun and flavorful. Use fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley and mint, to garnish both sweet and savory foods. Serve on colorful, uniquely shaped dishes for striking presentation combinations. Meals should be as attractive as they are delicious!
Entrees:
- Cold main dish salads, such as chicken, tuna and shrimp, are perfect when temperatures soar. For an eye-catching presentation, serve lobster salad in its own shell; garnish with celery tips, olives or capers.
Side Dishes:
- Combine complementary salads into one bowl. Nestle a tomato salad inside cucumber salad for a pop of color and an interesting texture contrast. It also helps free up space on a cookout table and makes for a more streamlined cleanup.
Desserts:
- Instead of using icing to decorate a cake or brownies, place a doily on top and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar to create a pretty pattern. Serve with berries and fresh whipped cream.
Beverages:
- Make flavored ice cubes using fresh fruit and herbs. Place slices of cucumbers, citrus fruit, peaches, berries, basil and mint into ice cube trays, fill with water and freeze. Add to mixed drinks, seltzer water or lemonade for a variety of taste combinations.
Becky Libourel Diamond is a food writer, researcher and librarian. Her latest book, The Gilded Age Cookbook, which includes a chapter on Outdoor Eats, will be published in August 2023. She lives in Yardley.
