Chef Pierre La Pierre's Summer Time Cuisine
July Menu
Strawberry Iced Tea Fizz
Arugula Farm Salad
Angel Hair Pasta with Grilled Shrimp
Poached Peaches with Vanilla Custard and Berries
What You'll Need
For Tea:
1 pint basket of fresh Strawberries: Stemmed and Sliced.
1/2 cup of sugar
5 cups of boiling water
1 orange pekoe tea bag
1 12 oz. can of frozen lemonade concentrate: thawed.
1 quart chilled sparkling water
Ice Cubes
For Salad:
3 cups (packed) arugula leaves, whole if small, torn if large,
washed and spun dry
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1/2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion: thinly sliced
1/2 cup of pine nuts: lightly toasted
1/4 cup of olive oil
For Entree:
20 medium-size raw shrimp, shelled and deveined with tails left attached
2 tbl spoons olive oil, plus extra for coating the shrimp
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 medium tomatoes: cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 tbl spoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 tea spoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound angel hair pasta: cooked, drained, and set aside in a warm place
For Dessert:
Custard:
2 Cups Milk
3 Egg Yolks
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tea spoon Vanilla
Peaches:
3 tbl spoons honey
1/2 tea spoon ground Allspice
4 Ripe but firm peaches:
Peeled Halved lengthwise and pitted.
1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries
Drink: Makes 12 Servings
In a large bowl combone strawberries and sugar; set aside. In another bowl pour water over tea bag; steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bag; cool tea to room temperature. Stir tea into strawberry mixture alongwith lemonade concentrate, chill. To serve, stir in sparkling water, ladle over ice cubes in tall glasses. Serve with spoons.
Salad:
Spread the Arugula on a serving platter. Sprinkle the feta over the leaves. Strew the onion slices over the feta. Sprinkle pine nuts over the onions. Drizzle the oil oer the top and serve without tossing.
Entree:
*Prepare a charcoal fire. Skewer the shrimp and brush with olive oil. When the fire is ready, place the shrimp on the grill and cook, turning once, until barely pink and firm to touch, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill and take the shrimp off the skewers. Set aside in a warm place.
Place the 2 table spoons of olive oil and garlic in a large nonreactive saute' pan. Saute' for 1 minute, until the garlic wilts. Add the tomatoes and basil, cover the pan, and cook over low heat for 8 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Stir in the salt and pepper and set aside in a warm place.
Spread the pasta on a serving platter. Pour the tomato mixture over the top and arrange the shrimp over all. Serve right away.
* Instead of grilling the shrimp, you can saute' them in a little olive oil. The timing is the same.
Dessert: 1) Custard
Bring the milk just to boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl beat the egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. Add the sugar in 3 batches, beating after each addition. Continue beating until well blended, then slowly add milk.
Pour the mixture into a nonreactive saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon.
2) Peaches
Prepare custard and refrigerate until chilled. Bring two quarts of water, honey, and Allspice to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the peach halves and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.Cook uncovered, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, place the peaches in a shallow dish and refrigerate until chilled. To serve spoon the custard over the peach haves and top with berries.
