More on Salt, Water and Hot Stuff as Summer vitals

Here are a few more ways to get salt, water, oil and chili into your body to keep it fit in the heat of summer. To repeat: when the body sweats, it needs water to replace its loss, salt to hold water intake, oil to lube muscles losing moisture, and chili to cool the body via sweating. This is why Mother Nature is relentlessly slinging watery foods at us right now: cucumbers, berries, melons, tomatoes, summer squashes and fish. And why hot weather cultures have devised olive oil recipes and chili fixations and salty dishes that help us take the heat.  And remember most pickled foods can be considered salty foods because salt is one of the pickling agents.

I'm going begin posting tomato and berry recipes next time as these are the ultimate watery foods fit for the dog days of summer.

Fish with harissa and olives (water, salt and chili)

This is a Moroccan dish fit for royalty but it doesn't need a gaggle of chefs to make it. It's easy. Just control the heat to your taste. Serve with couscous and a cucumber salad.
serves 4

flour for dusting (or if you fear gluten try fine cornmeal or rice flour) 
salt and pepper to your taste
1/3 c olive oil
4 white fish fillets (cod, haddock, perch, halibut, etc)
1 med/lg onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 14 oz can/box chopped tomatoes 
2 tsp harissa (this is North African chili sauce)
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 c black olives, pitted is probably safest)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced

In a small bowl, 2-3 tbsp flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dust the fish fillets with this mix.

In a large heavy frying pan, heat half the olive oil over medium heat and add the fish. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes on each side or until both sides are golden. Remove to a plate.

Add the remaining olive oil to the hot pan. Add the onion and garlic and over med/low heat sauté until onion is soft. Add the tomatoes, harissa, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Cook 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste. (Remember the harissa is chili.)

Return the fish to the pan with the sauce. Add the olives and cover the fish with the sauce. Remove the bay leaves and cook 2-3 minutes until the fish is cooked through/tender. Remove the cinnamon stick, add the lemon juice. Stir in the parsley and serve.
 


Smashed cucumber salad (water)
Like Mediterranean and South Asian cultures, China recognizes the cucumber as the ideal summer heat food. And this is how it's served --with a few red pepper flakes to cool you off.

not my photo

serves 6

2 lbs thin-skinned cucumbers like English or Persian

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for cucumbers

2 tsp granulated sugar, plus more for cucumbers

1½ tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, smashed minced or pressed

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Small handful whole cilantro leaves, for garnish

2 tsps toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish \

Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.

On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.

Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.

When ready to serve, drain off any remaining liquid from the cucumbers and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.

Cold Cucumber Soup

This could not be easier or healthier or more perfect to start a summer meal. Best of all you have to make it a day ahead.

2 large European cucumbers (2 1/4 pounds), halved and seeded—1/2 cup finely diced, the rest coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 small shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup loosely packed dill

1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tbsp loosely packed tarragon leaves

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Salt

Fresh ground white pepper

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

In a blender, combine the chopped cucumber with the yogurt, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, dill, parsley, tarragon and the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Season the soup again just before serving. Pour the soup into bowls. Garnish with the finely diced cucumber, red onion and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Hunan/Szechuan style pole beans (chili heat)

These are probably best served with rice and whatever main dish you like.
serves 4-6

1 lb Royal Burgundy or Kentucky Wonder pole beans, trimmed and cleaned

2 cups peanut oil                                      

 2 sm chili peppers, seeded & minced

2 lg garlic cloves, minced                        

1 tbsp Hoisin sauce    

2” piece ginger, peeled and minced     

1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry

3 scallions, finely chopped                    

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Optional: ¼ lb ground pork

Heat oil in wok or deep saucepan until sizzling. Deep-fry beans 3-4 minutes, in batches if necessary, until slightly wrinkled. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Transfer 2 tbsp of hot oil to a clean wok or skillet. Add garlic, ginger, scallions and optional pork. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add chili and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients plus 1 tbsp water, stir to blend and warm over medium heat 1 minute. Add beans, blend with sauce and heat through to serve.

Sicilian lemon pudding (water) 
This is easier to make and less caloric than ice cream. It's very refreshing after a salty fish meal.

not my photo

Makes 6 small glasses/bowls

Zest and juice of 3 large unwaxed lemons
3 large eggs

1/4c cornstarch
3/4c white granulated sugar

3 1/4 c water
To serve: cherries or sour cherries in syrup, to serve

Zest the lemons. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the zest, eggs, cornstarch and sugar until you have a thick cream. You can use a mixer for this.

   Scrape the mixture into a medium pot, add the water and lemon juice and cook over a medium low heat, whisking continuously, until the pudding is thick enough to really coat/run slowly from the back of a spoon. It should get hot, and nearly, but not quite, boil. Pour into 6 glasses or small bowls and allow to cool, then put in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or until firm and chilled. Serve alone or topped with fruit, such as cherries in syrup.

Peach raspberry crisp (water) 

This is one of the easiest, most popular summer desserts I know. If you want it to be totally gluten free (this has 1 tbsp flour to thicken the peach juices) use cornstarch instead of the flour.  You can also toss   shredded coconut into the crunchy topping mixture. 
BTW: In the photo here I made it in a throwaway tin because I was freezing it to brighten winter.

7-8 lg peaches, skins off

½ c fresh raspberries

1 lime, juice only

1 tsp rosewater (optional)

¼ c light brown or turbinado sugar

1 tbsp flour

½ tsp ground nutmeg

for the topping

¼ lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 c oats

1 c chopped pecans

pinch of salt

½ c light brown or turbinado sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350º.

To get the skins off the peaches dunk them in rapidly boiling water 30 seconds, then put in ice cold water. This will let you slip off the skins.  Slice the pieces thinly and arrange them in a 9-10 “ pie plate. Squirt them with the juice of a lime and optionally rosewater. Carefully blend in ¼ cup of brown sugar, 1 tbsp sieved or sifted flour (push it through a strainer to avoid lumps) and a pinch of nutmeg. Put the raspberries on top and try to push them in a bit but not much.

 For the crunchy topping: In a medium bowl, combine by hand the softened stick of butter, oats & chopped pecans, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon. You should get large clusters. Arrange these all over the peaches. They should cover but leave slight gapsBake at 350º until juice bubbles up and the topping is golden brown.

Serve with honeyed Greek yogurt, peach ice cream or whipped cream.