As luck would have it, the formal dinner party you’ve been planning for weeks falls on the hottest day of the year.
Even on the lazy, hazy dog days of summer, an invitation to come for “supper” rather than dinner sounds like a much better idea. The ambiance is casual, dress is simple and comfortable and there’s none of the stress related to standard dinner parties.
So, if it’s too hot, get out of the kitchen and fire up the grill. A grill menu — featuring zesty marinated chicken breasts and crisp yet mellow vegetables as a main course — is ideally suited for the hottest days.
If you make some extra chicken, you can use it in a salad (along with other “do-aheads”) for a Shabbat lunch. That way, you’ll have something that’s fresh and easy to make, keeping you out of the kitchen during the heat of the day. Guests always like to participate at the grill, which makes cooking congenial and fun. Prepare a pitcher of orange tea wine cooler and relax with friends. This is what summer entertaining is all about.
Orange Tea Wine Cooler
Makes about 1 1/2 quarts
3 cups chilled tea
1 cup orange juice
1 cup white wine
1 cup plain soda water
sugar to taste
orange and lemon slices
Combine tea, orange juice, wine and soda in large pitcher. Add sugar to taste. Stir in ice cubes. Serve with orange and lemon slices.
Mustard Marinated Chicken Breasts
Serves 8
1⁄4 cup Dijon mustard
3 Tbs. hot-sweet mustard
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄4 cup white wine
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves, minced or 1 tsp. dried
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded
Combine all ingredients except chicken to make marinade. Pour most of marinade into noncorrosive dish, reserving extra, and marinate chicken breasts 2 to 4 hours.
Place chicken breasts on hot open grill. Grill about 6 minutes per side. Serve any additional marinade as a sauce with chicken if desired.
Grilled Leeks
Serves 6-8
12 small (baby) leeks or 3 large leeks
1⁄4 cup olive oil
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1⁄2 tsp. dried
salt and pepper
Trim and clean leeks. If using large ones, quarter each one lengthwise. Combine remaining ingredients and brush leeks with mixture. Cook on medium high grill, turning on all sides until slightly charred and tender, about 10 minutes.
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Sage
Serves 8
8 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. chopped sage
8 ears corn, husked
salt and pepper
Combine oil and sage. Rub each ear of corn with sage mixture and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on hot grill and cook about 10 minutes, turning often. Unwrap and season with salt and pepper.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Rebecca Ets-Hokin. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].