Father's Day brunch: relax with this make-ahead menu

Vegetarian Times, June, 2002

Fathers endure plenty as their children grow up: assembling toys on Christmas Eve, playing endless games of catch, teaching their daughters to drive, enforcing curfews, paying sky-high tuition. On this Father's Day, let's give dad something that won't require tools, a checkbook or a great deal of patience: a relaxing brunch with his appreciative family.

Following is a simple menu with satisfying food--just the thing for a special guy. The best part about our menu is that it's also easy on the cook. Both the couscous salad and the tomato galette, a rustic, savory tart made with pastry dough, can be prepared and served in under 30 minutes.

To further simplify your Father's Day brunch, you can make the recipes in the morning and leave them covered at room temperature until serving time.

Prepare the cobbler ahead of time also, but wait to bake it until the guest of honor and his family sit down to eat. A fragrant aroma will fill the air as the cobbler cooks, tickling tastebuds for what's to come. For dad, we're guessing a nap--c'mon, he earned it.

Tomato-Mushroom Galette

4 SERVINGS

This savory tart, somewhere between a pizza and a pie, with its free-form crust makes a casual meal served warm.

2 Tbs. olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
1 large onion, thinly sliced (3 cups)
1/2 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms
1 homemade or prepared pie crust for
  9-inch pie
4 oz. chevre (goat cheese), crumbled
  (1 cup)
2 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh thyme or
  rosemary, or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 to 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick
  slices, then cut in half
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 [degrees] F. In medium skillet, heat 1 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper

3. Transfer onions to bowl. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet: Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until softened and juices have evaporated, about 6 minutes. Season with pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Add mushrooms to bowl with onions and mix gently.

5. Lay dough flat on baking sheet. Distribute onion-mushroom mixture evenly on top, leaving 1-inch border.

6. Dot with chevre, and sprinkle with thyme and pepper to taste.

7. Starting from outer edge of onion mixture, arrange tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with pinch of salt and pepper.

8. Fold pastry over topping, crimping dough every inch or two.

9. Bake until crust is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool slightly. Cut into 4 wedges and serve warm.

PER SERVING: 260 CAL; 4G PROT; 6G TOTAL FAT (4G SAT. FAT); 48G CARB; 15MG CHOL; 190MG SOD; 3G FIBER

Couscous-Corn Salad

4 SERVINGS

30 MINUTES OR LESS

This salad is a delight to make in the summer when fresh basil and corn are in abundance. Couscous, a staple in North African dishes, is made of tiny pasta pellets and is readily available in most supermarkets.

1 cup couscous
2 cups fresh (about 4 ears) or frozen
  corn kernels
1 cup packed basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 to 5 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
  (1 to 2 lemons)

1. In medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil over high heat. Add couscous, stir and return to a bolt.

2. Cover pan, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

3. In the meantime, bring another medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add corn, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well.

4. Fluff couscous with fork and transfer to large serving bowl. Set aside to cool at room temperature. Add corn, basil, peppers and onion.

5. In small cup, mix oil and lemon juice. Pour over couscous mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

PER SERVING: 310 CAL; 9G PROT; 8G TOTAL FAT (1 G SAT FAT); 53G CARB; 0 CHOL; 15MG SOD; 5G FIBER

Peach Cobbler

8 SERVINGS

Sweet juicy peaches are perfect for this dessert. Select fruit that is unblemished and yields to gentle pressure when squeezed. Sweetness does not increase after picking, so be selective. To vary the cobber's filling, add some blueberries, strawberries or sliced plums.

Cobbler

9 ripe medium peaches (3 pounds)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

Topping

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold butter or
  margarine, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F.

2. Peel peaches by immersing them in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon.

3. Cool peaches under cold running water, then slip off skins.

4. Slice peaches into wedges directly into a 2-inch-deep, 2-quart baking dish or deep 10-inch pie plate (give knife a twist to release slices).

5. Toss peaches with lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar.

6. Cover fruit with foil, and bake until peaches are hot and juices bubble, about 15 minutes.

7. To make topping, in large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Curt in butter with two knives or pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas.