It’s
summertime on The Beach Coast and in this rich agricultural area we have an
abundance of beautiful fresh produce that you can turn into fresh, fabulous
dishes. We went to Brad Hindsley,
Executive Chef and Owner of Spire Catering & Events in La Porte, Indiana,
who was kind enough to share three crowd-pleasing recipes for Beach Coast
entertaining. Brad is passionate
about using only the freshest seasonal ingredients and the following recipes
will be perfect to serve after a visit to your local farmers market or produce
stand.
Roasted
Vegetable Pasta Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Serves 8
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1 lb. bowtie pasta (farfalle), cooked and cooled
2 zucchini, sliced
2 yellow squash, sliced
3 red bell peppers, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
olive oil (as needed)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. Italian Romano Seasoning
½ c. Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
Vinaigrette:
4 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
¾ c. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat
an oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Toss
the zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and red onions with olive oil and
season with salt and pepper. Lay in a single layer on a parchment lined baking
sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables start to brown.
Remove from the oven and cool.
3. In a
small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, and shallot.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil to create an emulsion. Season with salt and
pepper to taste.
4.
In a
large bowl, toss together the pasta, cooled vegetables and Italian Romano
seasoning. Gently stir in the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Top with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.
Panzanella
Salad
Prep
Time: 15 minutes
Serves
6
6 c. day-old crusty whole-grain bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and
toasted
1 lb. heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 ear corn, kernels removed
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 roasted red peppers, julienned
1/2 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
10 fresh basil leaves, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved
6 c. salad greens, washed
extra virgin olive oil to taste
1. In
a large bowl stir together the bread, tomatoes, corn, onion, roasted red
peppers, oil, vinegar, basil, and salt and pepper to taste until the salad is
combined well. Allow salad to sit and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes
2. Lay
the salad greens on 6 serving plates and divide the panzanella into equal
servings and place on top of greens. Top with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and
drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Serves 10
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 large red bell pepper, cored and quartered
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise ½ inch thick
2 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise ½ inch thick
1 large red onion, quartered
2 ears corn, husked
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 c. tomato juice
½ c. fresh orange
juice
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1. Light
a grill. Thread the garlic cloves onto a skewer. Lightly brush the garlic, bell
peppers, zucchini, carrots, onion, and corn with the oil. Season with salt and
pepper. Grill the vegetables over moderately high heat, turning frequently,
until lightly charred and crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer peppers to a
bowl, cover with plastic and let steam for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile,
remove the garlic cloves from the skewers, peel them and transfer to a large
bowl. Using a serrated knife, cut the charred corn kernels into the bowl. Peel
the peppers and add them to the bowl along with zucchini, carrots, onion,
cumin, crushed red pepper, tomato juice, orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar.
3. Working
in batches, puree the vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor. Pour
the gazpacho into a clean bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and
refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Note: If you prefer your gazpacho a
little chunkier, puree only part of the mixture and combine with unprocessed
veggies.
4. Just
before serving, stir the cilantro into the gazpacho. Ladle into chilled martini glasses, garnish
with cucumber and serve.
Spire Catering and Event Planning, LLC
701 Lincolnway
La Porte, IN 46350
(219) 608-5301
Spire
Catering’s Owner/Executive Chef, Brad Hindsley, has an AAS in Culinary Arts, a
BBA in Hospitality Management, an MBA in Business Management, and a Baking and
Pastry Certificate from the Institute of Culinary Arts at Robert Morris
University in Chicago. He has also studied under world-class chefs in Florence,
Italy.
