The good foods of summer; cool blends for summer sipping - recipes

Sunset, June, 1991

THE GOOD FOODS OF SUMMER

In summer, the pleasures of warm days and balmy air are enhanced by the good foods of the season and the zest and challenge of eating and entertaining outdoors.

It's the refreshing bounty of fruits and vegetables that inspired the beverages to sip, foods to nibble, dishes that wait, and showoff desserts on the following pages.

Planning a picnic, a reunion, a neighborhood party? You need foods that travel well, like our nonfading vegetable dishes and flavorful grain and legume salads; they hold for hours without spoiling or wilting.

Tempted to invite a crowd? We show you festive ways to feed 25--or 150--with an expandable, carefully choreographed, make-ahead fiesta or scrambled eggs by the dozen.

And from galley cooks come quick and easy one-pot meals ideal for cooking in a minimally equipped vacation kitchen, or on a lazy summer day.

Coll blends for summer sipping

Cool off with sips of these refreshing beverages. The first two are based on berries; the last two start with vegetables and could also pass as cold first-course soups.

For the smoothest mixtures, use a blender. If using a food processor, whirl fruit or vegetables as smooth as you can with the ice, then add the liquids.

Strawberry Shrub

Because strawberries' sweetness varies, taste shrub and add the sugar you want.

1 cup hulled and rinsed strawberries 1 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar About 1/2 cup small ice cubes or crushed ice Sugar Chilled sparkling water (optional)

Reserve 2 pretty berries. Put the remainder in a blender; add juice, vinegar, and 1/2 cup ice cubes. Puree smooth. Add sugar to taste. Pour into tall glasses; for a version with half the calories, fill glasses halfway, then fill the rest of the way with sparkling water. To decorate glasses, slash reserved berries about halfway through and perch 1 on each glass rim (or cut berries in half, slash, and slip onto rim). Makes 2 servings, 4 with sparkling water.

Per undiluted serving: 180 cal.; 1.3 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 19 g carbo.; 2 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Summer Rose

Look for rose flower water with supermarket fancy foods or at liquor stores.

1 cup craberry juice cocktail 1/2 cup raspberries, rinsed and drained 1 teaspoon rose flower water Seed from 1 cardamom pod 1 cup small ice cubes or crushed ice Thin orange slices, or small rosebuds (free of pesticides), rinsed and drained

In a blender, combine juice, raspberries, rose flower water, cardamom seed, and ice. Whirl until pureed smooth. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with orange slices or float a rosebud in each. Makes about 2 1/2 cups, 2 or 3 servings.

Per serving: 58 cal.; 0.2 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 15 g carbo.; 1.7 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Buttercups

To turn this into a rosy sunrise, use red bell peppers alone or with yellow-or orange bells. for a short-cut, use 1 jar (12 to 14 oz., or 2 cups) canned red bell or other sweet peppers or pimientos.

2 large (about 1 lb. total) yellow or orange bell peppers 2 cups small ice cubes or crushed ice 1 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (optional) Salt 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dry dill weed 4 green onions, ends trimmed

Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Lay cut side down in a foil-lined 10- by 15-inch pan. Broil peppers about 4 inches from heat until skin is charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let cool. Pull off and discard skins, stems, and seeds. Drain liquid from peppers into a blender. Add peppers, ice cubes, buttermilk, and lemon juice. Whirl until pureed smooth. Stir in cumin seed and salt to taste. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with dill; add a green onion as a stirrer to each glass. Makes about 3 2/3 cups, 4 servings.

Per serving: 54 cal.; 3.2 g protein; 1 g fat; 9.3 g carbo.; 70 mg sodium; 2.5 mg chol.

Flaming Sunset Sipping Borscht

Sip, or serve in wide bowls as soup for a summer supper first course, or for a cool lunch with a sandwich.

1 can (about 1 lb.) sliced pickled beefs 1 pint (2 cups) nonfat yogurt 1 cup small ice cubes or crushed ice 1 cup rinsed and drained blackberries 1/2 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice Salt Bread-and-butter pickles

In blender (at least 6-cup capacity), combine beets and liquid, yogurt, ice cubes, berries, orange juice, and lemon juice. Whirl until pureed smooth. Add salt to taste and pour into tall glasses; garnish each glass with a pickle slice. Makes about 6 cups, 6 servings.

Per serving: 114 cal.; 5.3 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 24 g carbo.; 259 mg sodium; 1.5 mg chol.