As the dog days of summer approach, soaring temperatures drive lots of diners out of their kitchen and into the comfortable spaces of local restaurants.
Bill Livingston, owner of Detours Grill and Bar in Imperial, said this summer in particular has brought a boon in business.
The restaurant is near the Seckman schools campus and enjoys robust business during the school year. Summer school vacation usually brings a drop in business.
"But this has been one of the best summers we've had," Livingston said.
Temperatures that approach triple digits during the day aren't conducive to cooking at home, he said.
"People don't want to fire up their ovens at home," he said. "On top of that, it's almost too hot to barbecue."
Livingston said he also has noticed that diners are venturing out later in the evening for dinner.
"Instead of the typical 5:30-6 p.m. dinner crowd, we are seeing more 7:30 p.m.," he said.
At Trattoria Giuseppe, owners Giuseppe and Grace Prezzavento also hear a common refrain from lots of customers: It's too hot to cook.
"Hot weather is good for us," Grace Prezzavento said. "People do not want to cook when it's so hot. So they come in to our restaurant for dinner."
Not surprisingly, summer also is the peak time for frozen treats at Rich's Frozen Custard in Festus, store manager Robert La Brayere said.
"The warmer the better for us," La Brayere said. "It does get to a point where it's almost too hot to enjoy sitting outside, but that doesn't keep people away."
In addition to frozen custard and frozen fruit smoothies, Rich's also offers gourmet coffees, which remain popular even when temperatures soar,
In the summer, he said, coffee drinkers may switch to iced coffees and frozen frappes to help beat the heat.
Hot, and fresh
Hot-weather diners won't be disappointed with the selection of fresh ingredients that summer delivers, Prezzavento said.
"All our ingredients are fresh – tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, eggplant," Prezzavento said.
In fact, the only canned item you will find in Trattoria Giuseppe's storeroom is a special type of canned tomato used to make the signature tomato sauce.
Not only is the produce fresh, Prezzavento said all the meals are made fresh.
"We don't make up a bunch of sauces or pasta ahead of time," she said. "Everything is fresh. If you come in and order fettuccini alfredo or filet muddiga, the sauce is made fresh for that order."
Cooking each dish to order means that the chef can keep an eye on the quality.
"Our customers can tell the difference," she said.
La Brayere agreed. Fresh is the name of the game when looking for quality, he said.
"Fresh is definitely better," La Brayere said. "We use 100 percent fresh fruit for all our toppings."
Fresh strawberries, peaches, blueberries, pineapple and the like offer both freshness and sweetness to frozen treats available at Rich's like concretes and sundaes.
While fresh fruits are a given, La Brayere said Rich's works to have freshness in all their ingredients.
"For example, even all the candies are fresh," he said. "Our cheesecake topping is a real piece of New York cheesecake cut up and blended in. It's the same with pumpkin pie, once fall gets here."
Livingston at Detours said he looks forward to the better, fresher produce available in the summer. "I think all companies would rather buy fresh and local, when we can," he said. "Tomatoes are a big thing for us. We look for the best we can get. Also we serve a lot of jalapenos, bacon-wrapped jalapenos."
Outside the box
Detour has a large patio that seats up to 50 people. It features televisions, music and tables. Livingston said July temperatures tend to keep patrons inside, but not always.
"It's better in April and May and then in September and October when it's wonderful on the patio," he said. "But just last night we had a pretty good crowd out there. The humidity wasn't so bad.
Trattoria Giuseppe in Otto has five tables available for outside seating.
"When the weather is nice, all five will be filled," Prezzavento said.
Currently, Rich's only has outdoor seating – along with a drive-thru. No matter the temperature, customers continue to support the business.
"I've been here eight years," La Brayere said. "Our business has done nothing but grow. We have so many people who love us. And they tell us so."
That support led Rich's Frozen Custard to plan an expansion to at a new location in the former Crystal City Dairy Queen building. Details about when the new location will open are still being worked out. But La Brayere promised to keep all his regulars informed about the progress.
"We are figuring out exactly what we will do," La Brayere said. "The building came available, and we didn't want to pass it up."
Peach Bruschetta with Blue Cheese
Breakfast has long since been dubbed "the most important meal of the day." While some might dispute that distinction, there's no disputing that a delicious breakfast can be a great way to begin a day.
Freshness can go a long way toward making breakfast something special. For example, fresh peaches make this recipe for "Peach Bruschetta with Blue Cheese" from Christopher Hirsheimer's "The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market Cookbook" (Chronicle Books) something to savor. The dish also works as an appetizer and can be made with nectarines.
Peach Bruschetta with Blue Cheese
Serves 4
4 slices country bread
2 peaches
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
1/4 pound blue cheese, gorgonzola or Blue Castello cheese
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet, slip under the broiler and toast, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. This should take only a few minutes.
While the bread is toasting, halve the peaches lengthwise, pit them and then peel each half. Cut each half lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, keeping the shape of each half intact.
When the bread is ready, remove from the broiler and brush each slice on both sides with olive oil. Spread one-fourth of the cheese on each slice of warm bread, place a sliced peach half on top, and serve.
Charred Green Beans with Lemon Verbena Pesto
Vegetables are more versatile than many people may know. Steaming or sautéing vegetables might be among the most popular ways to cook veggies, but grillmasters know that it's not just main dishes that taste great when cooked over an open flame. As the following recipe for "Charred Green Beans with Lemon Verbena Pesto" from Karen Adler and Judith Fertig's "The Gardener & The Grill" (Running Press) can attest, grilled vegetables make for simple yet satisfying side dishes.
Charred Green Beans with Lemon Verbena Pesto
Serves 2 to 4
Green Beans
11/2 pounds slender green beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
Lemon Verbena Pesto
1 cup fresh lemon verbena leaves (substitute fresh lemon balm leaves)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts or English walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
Fine kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Prepare a hot fire in your grill.
Toss the beans with olive oil and place in a perforated grill basket or wok set on a baking sheet.
For the Lemon Verbena Pesto, combine the lemon verbena, garlic, cheese, and nuts in a food processor and pulse to puree. Slowly add the olive oil with the processor running until the mixture thickens and emulsifies, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The pesto will keep in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days, or it may be frozen for up to 3 months.
Place the grill wok or basket directly over the fire and stir-grill, tossing the beans with wooden paddles or grill spatulas until crisp-tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the grilled beans to a large bowl and toss with about 1/4 cup of the Lemon Verbena Pesto or to taste.
Tandoori Turkey Burgers with Grilled Red Onions and Tomatoes.
Many people feel no backyard barbecue is complete without staples like hot dogs and hamburgers. But grillmasters need not feel beholden to such fare if their hearts and stomachs desire something less traditional.
One of the joys of grilling is that there is a seemingly endless array of foods that can be cooked over an open flame. Grilled foods can be lean and healthy while still providing that unmistakable flavor unique to the grill. People who want to expand their grilling horizons while still providing juicy, delicious fare can try the following recipe for "Tandoori Turkey Burgers with Grilled Red Onions and Tomatoes" from Karen Adler and Judith Fertig's "The Gardener & Th Grill" (Running Press).
Tandoori Turkey Burgers with Grilled Red Onions and Tomatoes
Serves 4
Turkey Burgers
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine kosher or sea salt
Cumin Yogurt Sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Toppings
2 large red onions, thickly sliced
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, thickly sliced
4 seeded hamburger buns
Olive oil, for brushing
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded lettuce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, yogurt, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and salt until well-blended. Form into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
For the cumin yogurt sauce, combine the cumin and yogurt together in a bowl until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss the shredded lettuce and cilantro in a bowl and set aside.
Lightly brush the sliced onions, tomatoes and cut side of the hamburger buns with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the patties, onions and tomatoes directly over the fire. Grill the tomatoes for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Turn the burgers once after 7 to 8 minutes, then grill for another 7 to 8 minutes, or until the burgers are no longer pink inside and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 F in the center of each patty.
Grill the onions for about 8 to 9 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking time, or until softened and slightly charred. During the last minutes of grilling, toast the buns, cut side down, directly over the fire.
To serve, place a patty on each bun. Top with a slice of grilled onion, tomato and 1/4 cup of lettuce mixture and a dollop of yogurt sauce. Serve the extra grilled onion and tomato slices on the side.
