It’s not too late to create a lavish summer picnic of your own. Star Provisions has lots of picnic supplies from wooden knives and forks and Emma Bridgewater’s lightweight picnic plates to a wide range of cured meats and cheeses perfect for packing. And then of course, there’s the wine. It’s a rare Impressionist who didn’t include at least one bottle on his canvas, and if Wine for All’s Crosby Roamann “Introsé” had existed they’d have surely chosen it. Eli Hardoff, Wine for All’s proprietor describes it as summer in a bottle—and that, after all, is what picnics are all about trying to capture. Made by bleeding off Crosby Roamann’s flagship Cabernet, the wine is all bright berries, cherries, and spice with a crisp and dry finish. Hardoff says he likes it with everything from lamb skewers to fried chicken, preferably “while sitting outside on a late summer evening listerning to Pink Floyd.”

We’ll leave it to you to load your picnic iPod, but we do suggest a luscious berry tart (which would actually be great with the wine) from Deborah Madison’s new cookbook, Seasonal Fruit Desserts. It’s a dessert Monet would have loved—to paint and to eat. For a picnic at the beach, pack the divine Mini Lobster Rolls from chef Marc Murphy at NYC’s Ditch Plains. He made them for a summer event at the James Beard House and they flew off the trays.

Marc Murphy’s Mini Lobster Rolls

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:
1 head garlic, outer papery layers removed
5 ribs celery, divided
2 cups white wine
1 lemon, halved
1 onion, halved
One lobster, about 1 ½ pounds
1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
2 scallions, chopped
10 tarragon leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
6 top-split soft dinner rolls
Butter as needed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the top off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the head on a large piece of foil and fold the foil around the garlic to create a sealed package. Roast in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. Discard the foil and remove all of the garlic peel. Set aside the roasted cloves.

Roughly chop 3 of the celery ribs. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the chopped celery, white wine, lemon, and onion. Add the lobster to the pot and boil until bright red, about 7 to 10 minutes. Prepare an ice bath while the lobster cooks.

Use tongs to remove the lobster from the water and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking. When the lobster is cool enough to handle, break apart the tail and claws and remove the meat. (Reserve the rest of the lobster for another use.) Slice the tail in half lengthwise and slice each half in half lengthwise. Chop the four tail slices. Cut each claw in half and chop the halves. Place the lobster meat in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Chop the two remaining celery ribs and add to the lobster meat. Mix in the mayonnaise, scallions, tarragon, mustard, salt, pepper, Old Bay, and 1 tablespoon of the roasted garlic.

Spread with butter on the insides of the dinner rolls. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Fill the toasted rolls with the lobster mixture.

Deborah Madison’s Cream Tart with Black Raspberries

Makes one 9-inch tart serving 8

Ingredients:
1 recipe Silky tart dough
¾ cup crème fraiche
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple sugar or organic sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 cups Blackcap raspberries or other berries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the dough and line the tart pan with it. Make sure the rim is fairly substantial, although it needn’t be high.

2. Whisk the crème fraiche, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, and salt together. Pour the mixture into the shell. Dot the berries over the top and bake until puffy and pale gold, about 35 minutes. Remove even if it’s wobbly, as the custard will continue baking. Serve while still a little warm and fragrant.

Silky Tart Dough
Makes one 9-inch to 10-inch round or square tart

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup organic sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 orange or tangerine (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Butter a 9-inch round or square tart pan. Beat the butter with the sugar and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again until smooth. Add the flavorings, then the flour, mixing just to combine. Using a wide rubber spatula, scrape up the batter from the bottom, incorporating any stray bits of flour.

2. Scrape the batter into the tart pan. Using an offset spatula, spread it out, pushing the edges up the sides to make a rough rim. It needn’t be very high—just enough to hold the custard. If the batter is extremely soft, refrigerate for 10 minutes, then finish shaping the sides.

Pictured above, from left: Cream Tart with Black Raspberries from Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison; a Pierre Bonnard picnic Under the Pines; Crosby Roamann Introsé wine from Wine for All

It’s classic back yard American fare with some sophisticated—and delicious—twists, and the same could be said of Joel’s rum punch, which he infuses with an inspired touch of vanilla. First he puts whole vanilla beans in a jar with an inch or so of rum and lets them ferment for a few hours (or longer). When it’s time to make the punch, he mixes two parts orange juice with one part lemon and one part lime (all freshly squeezed, of course). Then he splits the beans and adds them to the juice with a touch of sugar. For kids, serve as is. For adults, add club soda and Mount Gay rum.

Pictured above, from left: Gayle Warwick linen cocktail napkin in lime yellow from Hollyhock; Joel’s vanilla-bean-infused rum punch in William Yeoward’s Country 3-lip jug at Hollyhock; extra oranges and limes on a Match oval pewter dish from The Mercantile.

We’d never advocate a grilling moratorium, but we do advocate liberating yourself from summer’s ubiquitous burgers and steaks. Instead, try a little tenderness in the form of lovely lamb skewers and chops, and discover some swell wines to pair them with.

It has always amazed me that Americans eat so little lamb—less than a pound a year, per capita, compared to 14 pounds in England, Ireland, and Spain, and a whopping 30 pounds in Greece. Those folks know what we are missing, that lamb is high in protein, B vitamins, and iron and low in fat. It is also enhanced by all manner of fresh herbs, especially thyme, rosemary, and mint, and is a wine-pairer’s dream.

Sommelier Eli Hardof, of TAIGAN’s Wine for All, says he loves choosing wines for lamb its unique savory quality demands a little extra thought. “True, a Cab, a Merlot or even a Shiraz might hold court to this ancient meat of kings, but the gods’ gift to lamb is Grenache, a pauper of a grape that was born in the arid hills of Spain and known as Garnacha. It then migrated to France where it built a reputation as a blending grape in the Rhone Valley and several other appellations.

“But it wasn’t until it crossed several oceans to Australia and California that it finally achieved top soloist billing,” Hardof says. “From Napa to the Barossa, Grenache makes a bold and brooding red wine that fills the air with aromatics of dried cranberries and currants topped with a dash of cracked black pepper. Typically fruity, yet not sweet, and always hiding a hint of Far Eastern spices in it’s long finish, Grenache is both a counterpoint to the savory meaty qualities of lamb as well as a condiment, much like the way mint brings out lambs best attributes.”

Hardof’s recommendations include:
Pertusiane 2004 from Cotes de Catalanes ($49). His “first and best” choice, “it’s ‘the’ wine for any lamb preparation.”
Slipstream Grenache from the McLaren Vale in Australia ($23). “Perfect for a simple meal,” this wine, “delivers a classic mix of ripe bramble berries and hints of spice at a moderate price.”
Tablas Creek Cotes De Tablas Rouge 2008 ($29). “I heartily recommend this Rhone-style blend that is predominantly Grenache based. Tablas is the American arm of Chateau Beaucastel, one of the greatest Chateauneuf-de -Pape producers, and it’s French lineage is evident from nose to finish.”

My own recommendations for grilling lamb include one of my favorite warm weather recipes, in which chunks of lamb are threaded onto fragrant—and very pretty—rosemary skewers. I serve them with an herby salsa verde that’s not only delicious with the lamb but also its accompaniments, as in grilled zucchini slices or a summer squash gratin, fresh baby butter beans, or better yet, a creamy butter bean puree with a bit of garlic and green onion—the possibilities are endless. Even simpler, are the addictive chops from my new favorite cookbook, Recipes from an Italian Summer.

I can’t wait to try both with Eli’s wine recommendations, particularly the Tablas Creek, which I’m thrilled about, since Chateau Beaucastel has long produced some of my very favorite wines.

Julia Reed

Lamb Chops with Mint

Adapted from Recipes from an Italian Summer
Serves 4

juice of 1 lemon, strained
plenty of olive oil, for brushing
2 or 3 sprigs mint, chopped
8 lamb rib chops
salt and pepper
peas or zucchini cooked in butter, to serve (optional)

Combine the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil, and the mint in a dish, add the lamb chops, and let marinate, turning occasionally, for 1 – 2 hours.

Light the barbecue. Drain the lamb chops, place on the barbecue grill, and cook for 2 – 4 minutes on each side, basting with more oil as necessary. Season with salt and pepper and serve with peas or zucchini, if desired.

Rosemary Lamb Skewers

Serves 6

6 branches fresh rosemary about 7 inches long (choose the ones with the thickest stems you can find)
3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1½ inch-thick pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
coarsely ground black pepper
salt

Mix lamb chunks in shallow dish or casserole, pour olive oil over, and turn to coat. Add herbs and garlic and pepper, taking care to distribute evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours, or, preferably, overnight.

About a half hour before cooking time, take the lamb out of the refrigerator and light the grill. Skewer three pieces of lamb on each rosemary skewer and season generously with salt. Cook for three minutes on each side for medium rare.

Salsa Verde

½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 salt-packed anchovy, rinsed with bones removed, or 4 oil-packed anchovies, minced
2 tablespoons capers
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
Zest of two lemons, minced
½ lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of salt

Place herbs, anchovy, capers, and lemon zest in a food processor. Pulse to chop. Add olive oil until mixture forms a fluid puree (you may need a bit more olive oil). Stir in sugar and taste for salt.
Note: If you have lots of fresh herbs in your garden, you may add or substitute a bit of oregano, marjoram, or basil.

Pictured above, left, are Lamb Chops with Mint from Recipes from an Italian Summer, and right, Rosemary Lamb Skewers, both of which are marinated in extra virgin olive oil like the excellent version from Italy’s Marco Zanetti.

Shop Marco Zanetti and Wine for All on TAIGAN.com

The humble hot dog is now exalted by some of the nation’s hottest chefs. Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, Donald Link, and more share their favorites exclusively with Fetch.

At Donald Link’s Butcher in New Orleans, the all-beef dog is house-made and served with a choice of toppings ranging from pickle relish to pulled pork. The most popular combo is pimento cheese and chili, but the chef himself, a self-described “purist,” says he’s strictly a sauerkraut and whole-grain mustard man. Partner Stephen Stryjewski concurs, though he has been known to make an occasional foray into pimento cheese territory, as in the fine specimen pictured above.

Daniel Boulud says he developed a serious dog-a-day habit during an early stint in Copenhagen, where he claims the street vendors serve the best in the world. He’s also crazy about the one he developed for his own downtown Manhattan outpost, DBGB Kitchen and Bar. The all-beef dog is house-smoked in hickory and served poached (not grilled) on a house-made brioche bun. Toppings are: a sauce of Dijon mustard and Heinz ketchup; sautéed onions; and a relish of pickled turnip, onion, radish and carrot.

Thomas Keller doesn’t do dogs at The French Laundry or Per Se, but he is not above eating one, especially at a ballgame. “It somehow raises the anticipation of the game, and – win or lose – it brings me back to the many wonderful games I went to as a kid. How do I enjoy my dog? With mustard, ketchup and relish. That’s it.”

Eric Ripert may be chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin, arguably the most famous—and best—fish restaurant in the world, but he is not averse to the charms of a hot dog. He recently discovered his current favorites at the Meat Hook, a butchery and kitchen shop in Brooklyn. “What I like to do is grill them on the barbecue—until the skin is very, very seared and almost blowing up like a balloon. It’s crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, like the heart of a man! Then I serve it right away on a good bun w/spicy mustard.”

Danny Meyer’s restaurants include Manhattan’s landmark Union Square Café and the divine new Maialino but he’s gaining equal fame for his growing chain of Shake Shacks, featuring shakes, burgers, and flat-top dogs. His favorite: The Second City Bird Dog. “We begin with a Usinger’s (Milwaukee) Chicken-Apple Bratwurst, split and griddle it “flat top”-style, and then serve on a poppy seed roll, adorned with traditional Chicago toppings – pickle, cucumber, onions, mustard, tomatoes, celery salt, Sport Peppers, and Rick’s Pick’s Relish (standing in for Chicago ‘neon relish’ which has such a ghastly color I have to wonder whether it came from this earth).”

Atlanta’s Anne Quatrano runs a culinary empire that includes Bacchanalia, Abattoir, and Taigan’s own Star Provisions. At the latter, the delicious dogs are made from local pork and served on “a simple soft milk roll,” which is made in house as well. As for her favorites, “I like a modified Chicago style with pickle spears (half sour for me), mustard (Dijon), sweet onion, pickled pepper, and tomato slices in the summer—although I definitely also see the value in a good old fashioned sloppy slaw dog.”

Pictured above, left: The chili-pimento cheese dog at Butcher in New Orleans.
Top right: McClure’s is a family owned pickle company that hand-cuts their cucumbers and hand-packs their jars. Their excellent relishes—the Spicy Relish and the Garlic Dill Relish—transform a humble dog into a gourmet sensation. Both are available at St. James Cheese Company.
Bottom right: French Pommery mustard from Meaux is the smoothest whole grain mustard there is. Packed in a cool pottery crock, it’s also at St. James Cheese.

Shop St. James Cheese and Star Provisions at TAIGAN.com

At Blackberry Farm, a lemon chess pie is paired with opal basil syrup, a perfect match in both flavor and color. The pinkish-purple syrup against the yellow pie is gorgeous, and the pungent, almost anise-like flavor of the opal basil works with the lemon to offset the sweetness of the pie. With one creative stroke, a Southern classic is made fresh and sophisticated—and perfect for relaxed summer suppers featuring other bounty of the season.

Blackberry Farm’s innovative Walland, Tennessee kitchen is not the only one producing desserts with basil accents. At New Orleans’s Lilette, pastry chef and James Beard nominee Beth Biundo makes an amazing strawberry shortcake accompanied by a drizzle of green sweet basil syrup—another spot-on match in flavor and color. And at Taigan’s own Sucre, also in New Orleans, the gelato case features an addictive coconut basil sorbet.

The possibilities are almost as numerous as basil’s many varieties. Add chopped basil or a few dashes of basil syrup to a recipe for lemon or pineapple sorbet; use it to flavor a glaze for a lemon pound cake. Even easier: Toss a combination of fresh berries with raw sugar to taste, a handful of chopped or torn basil leaves (tearing releases the most flavor), and 12-year-old balsamic vinegar from Marco Zanetti. A dollop of Blackberry Farm’s Brebis cheese, a creamy sheep’s milk cheese similar to chevre, would be delicious on the side.

Lemon Chess Pie with Opal Basil Syrup
Adapted from the Blackberry Farm Cookbook
Serves 8 to 10

For the syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup opal basil leaves
½ cup sugar

For the pie:
½ recipe basic pie pastry
4 large eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/3 cup white cornmeal
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
zest of two lemons
pinch of salt

To make the syrup, in a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves. Let sit for 15 minutes, then strain out and discard the leaves. Return the water to the pan and add the sugar. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow the syrup to simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes, until reduced by half

To make the pie, place the dough on a well-floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a circle 11 inches in diameter and about 1/6 inch thick. Fold the dough over your rolling pin and unroll over a 9-inch pie pan. Ease the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the dough if needed, leaving a 1-inch apron all around. Fold excess dough over and use your fingers to crimp the edges. Refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 325. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in sugar, butter, cornmeal, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Pour this mixture into the chilled pie shell. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the filling comes out clean.

Allow the pie to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 11/2 to 2 hours. Slice and serve with basil syrup drizzled over pie or onto plate.

Basic Pie Pastry

Makes enough for two 9-or-10-inch pie shells or one double-crust 9-inch pie

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons shortening
1 large egg
1/3 cup plus 1-to-3 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, 1/3 cup of the ice water, and the vinegar. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until dough comes together. If the dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a ball. Divide the ball in half and flatten each piece into a disk about 1½ inches thick. Wrap each piece in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. The dough can also be frozen for up to 6 months and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to using.

Pictured above: Lemon Chess Pie with Opal Basil Syrup from the Blackberry Farm Cookbook

Shop Blackberry Farm and Marco Zanetti on TAIGAN.com

No matter how it is said, a perfect, vine-ripened tomato is, for most of us, the prize that makes even the most brutal summers infinitely worthwhile. And no one makes better use of them than the Italians. In ensalata Caprese, in panzanella, in all manner of pizzas and pastas, frittatas and bruschetta. And, when they are at their peak, simply drizzled with olive oil and served up on a plate.

In Italian Food, a wonderful journey of a cookbook by the great English writer Elizabeth David, there is a recipe for Insalata di Pomodoro that could not be simpler: “Slice ripe tomatoes and season them with oil, salt and pepper (no vinegar or lemon), and garnish them liberally with onion tops and parsley, or, when in season, basil. Arrange them on a large flat dish so that they are not piled on each other and so do not become clammy.” That’s it. And it should be it, especially when messing with tomatoes grown from the burgeoning array of heirloom seeds now available.

Heirloom tomatoes are loosely defined as self-pollinators who have bred for at least 40 years. Whatever, they are literal Godsends that more than make up for the serious sins (mealy texture, bland flavor) of too many commercial varieties. Blackberry Farm offers the seeds of two of my favorites, Cherokee Purple and Isis Candy. The former, a rose-to-purple colored beefsteak with deep red flesh, was originally cultivated by the Tennessee Cherokee Indians, and is not only among the most productive of all tomato plants, it’s one of the best tasting—rich, sweet and complex. Isis Candy is a yellow cherry with tinges of red, about an inch in diameter, and incredibly sweet and fruity. They are great on their own simply popped into the mouth like the candy of their name, but I also like them in salads with their larger cousins. In Sunday Suppers at Lucques, a cookbook I could not live without, the brilliant Suzanne Goin makes an heirloom tomato salad with burrata cheese and opal basil that is a sublime variation on a classic Caprese. First, slices of beefsteaks are seasoned with fleur de sel and drizzled with a vinaigrette made of extra-virgin olive oil, red wine and balsamic vinegars, oregano, and garlic. Next, slices of creamy buratta are tucked in and basil is scattered over. Finally, heirloom wedges and halved cherries are tossed with chopped shallots, kosher salt, and more vinaigrette and piled up on top. Goin throws in torn bread croutons, but they aren’t necessary. Either way, it is a tomato lover’s dream.

So is the new cookbook, Recipes from an Italian Summer, produced by the same team behind the twin Italian cookery bibles, Silver Spoon and Silver Spoon Pasta. Equally comprehensive, the new one is divided into seven sections: Picnics, Salads, Barbecues, Light Lunches and Suppers, Summer Entertaining, Desserts, and Ice Creams and Drinks. To cook your way through it is to feel like Elizabeth David must have felt when she spent the better part of a year trekking through Italy researching Italian Food. It is also to encounter lots of tomatoes. Two of the best uses for them are in the recipes below, which have the added bonus of requiring very little actual cooking. Have one followed by the other and toast to summer’s finest bounty.

Baby Zucchini Salad
(Adapted from Recipes from an Italian Summer, Phaidon)
Serves 4

6 baby zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
1 pinch dried oregano
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the zucchini in a salad bowl. Add the Parmesan, oregano, and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside in a cool place for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Add the tomatoes and toss just before serving.

Spaghetti with Raw Tomato
(Adapted from Recipes from an Italian Summer, Phaidon)
Serves 4

1 pound, 2 ounces vine ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
10 leaves fresh basil, torn
2 cloves garlic, smashed but still whole
12 ounces spaghetti
salt and pepper

Put the tomatoes in a salad bowl. Add the oil, basil, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, cover, and set aside in a cool place for 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Remove and discard garlic.
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions, until it is tender but firm to the bite. Drain and toss with the raw tomato sauce. Serve immediately.

Pictured above, from left: Heirloom tomatoes grown from seeds at Blackberry Farm; Baby Zucchini Salad; Spaghetti with Raw Tomato

Not pictured: Extra-virgin olive oil from Marco Zanetti, made in Tuscany from trees as old as a hundred years. This rich and peppery oil is the mighty tomato’s best possible accompaniment.

Shop Blackberry Farm and Marco Zanetti on TAIGAN.com

There is a large faction of drinkers for whom warm weather means gin-and-tonic weather, but for generations of east coast country clubbers, summers are meant for Southsides.

Like a lot of classic cocktails, the origin of the Southside, a refreshing combination of gin, sugar, lemon (or lime) and mint, are still fiercely debated. A few years ago, NPR’s “Day to Day” devoted an entire segment to its history, making the case that the drink was an invention of Prohibition-era Chicago’s notorious Southside Irish gangs. The theory is that since the Northside gangs secured superior bootleg spirits, the Southside bunch, which was affiliated with Al Capone, were left to mask the taste of their inferior hooch with lots of lemon and citrus.

Another Prohibition-era landmark, Manhattan’s “21” Club, which began life as Jack and Charley’s speakeasy, is also said to have been the birthplace. True or not, “21” serves an excellent Southside, which has long been one of its signature drinks.

A third theory has been put forth by Wall Street Journal columnist Eric Felten, who believes that the Southside was born in the early 20th century at the Southside Sportsmen’s Club, a private club on Long Island where moneyed New Yorkers went to fish, hunt, and enjoy the powerful minty libations on offer at the club bar. (It was the mint that separated the drink from a plain old Tom Collins.) The same men would also have been members of the Rockaway Hunting Club, the Maidstone Club, and Piping Rock, which explains, says Felten, “how the cocktail spread to become the definitive summer drink of the country-club set.”

The 1930 cocktail book of London’s Savoy Hotel has a recipe for the Southside that calls for the mint to be shaken with gin, lemon, juice, sugar, and ice, which is the identical to the “21” Club’s method. These days, country clubs, and anyone else making the Southside in bulk, tend to use simple syrup or, for a real short cut, simple syrup infused with mint. Gin and lemon is still considered the classic combination, but variations abound. In Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities, the British reporter Peter Fallow drinks his Southside with vodka. In Maryland’s hunt country, the spirit of choice is Mount Gay rum. Some folks even add a drop of bitters, which is not a bad addition—Fee Brothers Old Fashion bitters go exceedingly well with the complex flavors of gin.

No matter which recipe you choose or what, indeed, the Southside’s origins may be, it is an elegant, refreshing drink for the season, made all the better by its rather subdued fame. Let us hope that the Southside, brainchild of speakeasy or sporting club, stays quietly among us and does not fall prey to mojito or martini madness, complete with mango versions and silly names. In its current state, it is a very cool customer and the perfect augur of a perfect summer to come.

The Southside

2 ounces gin
¾ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
5 mint sprigs, plus sprig for garnish
2 pieces lime or lemon
¾ ounces club soda

Place mint leaves and lime or lemon pieces at the bottom of a cocktail shaker and crush with back of spoon or muddler to release essential oils. Add and shake well. Pour into goblet or Collins glass filled with ice, top with club soda, and garnish with mint.

Variations: For a Southside Royale, add dry Champagne rather than club soda. Hendrick’s gin is especially good in this combination.
For a pitcher of Southsides, do the math according to how many you want to serve, muddle the citrus and mint at the bottom of a pitcher, add remaining ingredients and stir vigorously until blended. Top with the club soda.

The 21 Club Southside Cocktail

2 ounces vodka, gin, or white rum
juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously to bruise mint leaves.
Strain into chilled Collins glass filled with ice.

Pictured above, left: William Yeoward’s Country Covered Pitcher from Corzine & Co. is not only beautiful, but perfect for keeping bugs away from outdoor libations

Right: William Yeoward’s Jezebel Juicer from Corzine & Co. is the chicest way we can imagine to squeeze citrus for summer drinks.

Either way, it’s wonderful when paired with seasonal brethren ranging from shellfish to mushrooms. In the excellent new book Edible, A Celebration of Local Foods, for example, there’s a recipe for asparagus sautéed in butter with tarragon and morels. Birmingham’s resident culinary genius Frank Stitt serves it topped with crawfish meunieure or in a rich gratin with mushrooms and spring onions.

At Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm, which is not only a luxurious Relais & Chateaux inn but a working farm, every menu is a celebration of the season. In spring, you might find asparagus paired with young lettuces and strips of country ham or prosciutto, tossed in a slightly tangy muscadine vinaigrette. It looks—and tastes—like spring on a plate.

Asparagus & Country Ham Salad with Muscadine Vinaigrette
Adapted from The Blackberry Farm Cookbook
Serves 4

1 cup muscadine wine or Riesling
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 bunch (1 pound) thick asparagus, bottom 2 inches of each spear trimmed off and discarded
6 cups baby lettuces
2 ounces country ham or prosciutto, thinly sliced and julienned

1. Place the wine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the wine is reduced to 1/2 cup. Cool to room temperature, and then whisk in the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the mustard, and the pepper. Whisk in the oil and set aside.
2. Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full of water, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Drain the asparagus and cool under cold running water. Once cooled, pat dry and split each spear in half lengthwise.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the asparagus, lettuces, and ham. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, toss again, and serve.

Note: Increase the ingredients and add some boiled new potatoes and you have an excellent main course lunch salad.

Shop Blackberry Farm on TAIGAN.com

Hang Thyme
Adapted from Mix Shake Stir
Makes 1 drink

Ice
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 oz. citrus-flavored vodka, preferably Hangar One Buddha’s Hand Citron
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. sugar

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Muddle 4 of the thyme sprigs in a cocktail shaker. Add ice to the shaker and then the vodka, lime juice, and sugar and shake vigorously. Strain into the glass, garnish with the remaining thyme sprig, and serve.

Tagliatelle with Lemon
Serves 4

3 unwaxed lemons
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup light cream
10 ounces fresh tagliatelle
salt
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Grate the rind of 2 of the lemons. Peel the remaining lemon, removing all traces of pith from the rind and cut it into thin strips. Melt the butter in a skillet. When it foams, add the grated lemon rind and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, then stir in the cream and season with salt. Do not let the mixture boil. Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of salted boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes until al dente. Drain, tip into the skillet, and toss gently. Transfer the tagliatelle to serving dish, sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan, and garnish with the strips of lemon rind.

Fresh Pasta Dough for Tagliatelle
Serves 4
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, preferably Italian type 00, plus extra for dusting
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt

Sift the flour and pinch of salt into a mound on a counter. Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Using your fingers, gradually incorporate the flour, then knead for about 10 minutes. If the mixture is too soft, add a little extra flour; if it is too firm, add a little water. Shape the dough into a ball and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured counter or use a pasta machine to make a thin sheet, and cut into strips about ¼ – 3/8 inch wide and let dry on floured dish towels.

Note: If you are not inclined to make your own pasta, dried tagliatelle (preferably from Cipriani) is fine.

-Julia Reed

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