Fancy Feast?

You must be hosting my cats. Except they would gladly accept shellfish.

Bessie was sick a couple of weeks ago, wouldn't eat, lethargic, $$$ at the vet's. Thankfully, she's fine now. To tempt her to start eating I brought home some Fancy Feast. Omg, they are already addicted to it.

I prefer Fancy Feast Pate', but not with gravy. Easy to serve. Open a can and dump into plate. hee.

I did think this was going to be about the cat food thread that has been popping up for years.

What are you making for Saturday night?

Oh yeah, Oakley, it's all about the paté.

Its not terribly fancy, but a giant platter of salade Niçoise with grilled tuna, or vitello tonnato! I don't mean to perseverate on that classic Italian summer dish, but it is perfection. You can substitute some other mild meat for the veal.

The NYT recipe is Hazan's adapted by Hessler, so looks perfect.

I would definitely want to prepare something that takes advantage of the great summer fruits and veggies .. I like Zalco's suggestions

My remaining suggestions are not recipes I have tried and not likely to meet your definition of "fancy".. but they are on my mind right now. In summer, I tend to like fresh and simple ..

Fish (Salmon, Halibut, etc) grilled on a Pineapple Plank.

Lots of recipes out there for this-- but the best I've seen were videos. A simple dish but a beautiful presentation!

I also saved this recipe yesterday-- I don't normally like soup in the summer but this recipe has me dusting off my dutch oven in July! I will cut out the milk and cream --- but even if I wasn't lactose intolerant, I would prefer no cream for summer. I intend to add more corn and to blend a portion of it out to add creaminess without the dairy. I haven't tried the recipe yet-- but I have rarely been unhappy with SK's recipes.

corn chowder with chile, lime and cotija – smitten kitchen

To go with? Well none are fancy but my first thought goes to Arepas w/mojo pork? Cauliflower tacos? zucchini enchiladas?

Pink Pineapple Sorbet

I just don't know how you could go wrong with a pink pineapple sorbet or granita .. yes, it is simple too but so perfect for the season and SO pretty!!

Sorry, running dry on "fancy"..

I like to do grilled chicken kabobs, and lots of sides like tzatziki, hummus, tabouli (made w/ quinoa so it’s GF), grilled or sauteed split baby squashes, and green beans w/ garlic. Or a grilled teriyaki london broil, tomato & onion salad, etc.

eta: summer = casual :)

We love good food, but we are not foodies or fancy LOL. I agree with taking advantage of fresh summer produce. On the salad thread, I believe it was Sue that mentioned a salad that we do a similar version of. Cucumbers, tomatoes, purple onion, mozzerella and we use an italian type dressing. For the meal I would add a grilled item, either chicken or steak for us, yummy bread and probably a potato or pasta dish. This time of year we like pan fried sliced potatoes rather than a baked potato with toppings. It seems lighter. Not fancy or new, I know. I had a pasta dish the other day (out); it was angel hair pasta with a light alfredo sauce topped with slices of grilled chicken and topped with diced fresh tomatoes and purple onion. The chicken was thinly sliced. It was yummy! I also like the idea of kabobs, either all veggies or veggies and steak or chicken. Baby squash sounds yummy as does that pink pineapple sorbet! @Funkyart our little produce market has started carrying the pink pineapples and this week there were peaches! White ones too! : )

I am watching Restaurants at the End of the World with Kristen Kish (National Geographic Channel) .. the first episode is in panama and is focused preparing a meal of items sourced on a high mountain farm. It is inspiring.. it's inspiring in the same way I found the Lost Kitchen inspiring. They are preparing meals with what they harvest that day ..

not suggesting this meal per se but they served a fresh made coffee bread with ricotta and honey, smoked (fresh) chicken on top of watercress salad with a dessert of homemade ice cream and a berry jam and a strawberry blossom garnish. A very simple meal but everything fresh from the farm and a beautiful presentation.

It inspired me in the same way the Lost Kitchen did.. simple but elegant and perfectly executed and beautifully presented dishes of local ingredients in peak that week.

They made some wonderful (sounding) simple soups poured tableside into bowls with herbs, flowers and/or various finely chopped accoutrement-- fruits or veggies in the bottom. It feels so special each time-- even though they the same thing (diff soup, diff garnishes) each episode.

Also from Lost Kitchen .. they do a wonderful cheese plate that includes a number of homemade crackers, nibbles, local cheeses, etc.

If your friends are from out of town, I think it would be fun to come up with a meal using what is coming in locally, local products and for the "fancy" part-- a few special homemade elements and a protein, salad and a dessert all made special with local fruits in peak ripeness.

I get these are not recipes or dishes -- but I am sharing mostly because i think it is the presentation and the local connection that make the dishes "fancy".

You could center a meal on your favorite local farm or something that is just coming into the markets this week .. local peaches or fiddleheads or ramps or baby pig or whatever.

A variation of something I saw on FB…
Appetizer:
Bruschetta with goat cheese and grilled peaches. (They used bleu cheese)

I thought cat food too and was surprised when I realized who was posting it,.

You said not shrimp, which suggests crab may also be a no, but if not, we had cucumber slices topped with crab as an appetizer -- very fresh and simple best of summer fare. Or watermelon and pineapple with mint and basil, a cheese optional -- skewer it for an appetizer. That leaves peaches available for dessert.

This almond crusted baked peaches recipe is so good with yellow or white peaches -- topped with a little whipped cream or ice cream. They can be made ahead and just popped in the oven before serving. https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/08/almond-crisped-peaches-uk-book-tour/

No shellfish, eg anything with a shell

If you go with Maine fare--Halibut is a good fish. Wild blueberries are just starting to come in. Someone mentioned cold cucumber/avocado soup--we had the most delicious version of it last night. The best part, imo, was the topping of smoked trout creme fraiche. Yum, yum!

ETA: looks like Halibut season ended in June.

Yes, I recently had a cucumber gazpacho with white grapes, and I am thinking of that.

Jojo's peaches with cheese and another thread about burrata, has me thinking of this Stonefruit Tomato Panazanella. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/tuscan-summer-stone-fruit-tomato-and-burrata-panzanella-salad/

I think I will make these for dessert:

https://athomebysteveposes.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/the-commissarys-strawberry-heart-tarts/

I have made them before and they are always a hit. I don't want to bake anything, and I can order little shells to put them in at our local bakery here.

I submit to you, this is a bad name for a dish

Grilled Baby Potato Salad

https://www.foodandwine.com/side-dishes/summer-sides

You may have decided your menu already but I wanted to submit one if my favorite summer dishes from The Splendid Table: Almond Chutney Chicken Lettuce Wraps https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2011/04/07/almond-chutney-chicken-in-lettuce-roll-ups

oohh yes!

I don't think of lettuce wraps and fresh spring rolls as fancy feasting, but they sure are summer fresh and good.

Here's my favorite menu to serve for our Summer guests. I'm not Armenian, and can't remember where I found this recipe, but I've been making it for the past 30+ years and it never fails to get raves. It's the wonderful marinade that makes it so fantastic. That, and good quality meat! I skewer the kebobs the morning of our big cookouts and refrigerate them covered to make things easier and less hectic for me. But, setting up a make-your-own kebob station might be fun, as well.

Armenian Shish Kebobs Serves 6

Marinade Ingredients

¨ 1/2 cup olive oil

¨ 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

¨ 1 teaspoon salt

¨ 1 teaspoon dried Marjoram, crushed

¨ 1 teaspoon dried Thyme, crushed

¨ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¨ 1 clove garlic, crushed

¨ 1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.

Kebob Ingredients

¨ 2 lbs. sirloin or London broil, cubed

¨ Green bell peppers, cut into approx. 1 1/2” squares

¨ Cherry tomatoes (and/or any other veggie you’d like to add)

¨ Fresh mushrooms, whole and stemmed

¨ Sweet red onion cut into squares, about 1 1/2”

Directions:

1) 8 hours or the night before, combine all the marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag or a glass dish; add cubed meat and toss to coat. Refrigerate.

2) The day of grilling, cut the kebob vegetables. Thread the meat and veggies onto the skewers, saving the marinade for basting.

3) Grill until done to your liking, turning and brushing often your marinade.

4) Serve with stuffed grape leaves, Spanakopita, Greek salad and/or whatever you choose!

Lacatx,

I think I will make the wraps for a lunch later in their stay;love chicken lettuce wraps with peanuts and soy-based sauce, but almonds and chutney sounds really good.

I think, w the panzanella salad and gazpacho as given, the entree has to be simple grilled fish or chicken.

This is a big dose of deja vu for me, Mtn 😁 Dh and I finished off a batch of gazpacho today, and I just finished making giant croutons for panzanella salad this weekend. ( I hope they make it til tomorrow night, DH loves them.) Our son flies in tomorrow for a five day celebration of his 40th bday (17th). We ’re having a choice of marinated grilled chicken or beef tips over a blend of several rices, asparagus, and panzanella salad. Last night I made coffee ice cream with chopped pecans and ribbons of nutella swirled through it. We are going out for his birthday dinner but I wanted his first dinner home to be really special.

Just seasonal cuisine can impress. An old favorite..? French onion soup in little brown handled bowls spilling over with cheese on top, then a Cob Salad. Very Summery and can be made ahead. Having a LOT of variety is fancy too! Maybe a carved melon basket on the side.

My husband makes this easy sword fish recipe. I like it with a lot of freshly ground pepper so I grind up more than the recipe calls for, usually just black pepper. It's best if the steaks aren't overcooked, so thicker cuts usually turn out better for him. He's sometimes not as attentive to what's cooking as he needs to be. We usually have 2 steaks with that amount of sauce, so for 4 people I would double the ingredients for the sauce. We have it with rice and that easily soaks it up.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pan-roasted-swordfish-steaks-with-mixed-peppercorn-butter-232695?epik=dj0yJnU9TE1QdkhDS09IazJVVmRsX2VndjNITlVmSy1RWG1nMXMmcD0wJm49bVRULXR6ZXYtNlcxX21MTm5Qb1V6QSZ0PUFBQUFBR1N4dk1B