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Summer officially arrived Tuesday, Prince William’s 29th birthday. It’s been nearly two months since the future king of England wed Kate Middleton in Westminster Abbey.
Summer is high time for the royals. Racing meets, parties at Windsor Castle and a two-month holiday at Balmoral Castle — the Windsor family retreat in the Scottish Highlands built for Queen Victoria. The family schleps a portable grill into the woods where Prince Philip and his daughter, Princess Anne, grill steaks while the queen and whoever has joined them, sets the picnic table. There’s a marvelous scene in “The Queen” where Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren does just that and declares they can eat the lamb she brought in a plastic container cold.
There’s been much fuss made about how ghastly the food is. The Brits suffered terribly during World War II when food rationing was rife. It took years for England to recover. British cuisine has been undergoing a huge makeover in the past 30 years.
I salute Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay and Nigel Slater for bringing new British cuisine to the forefront. I am a strong champion of Oliver’s dedication to ridding British schools of junk food. He’s trying to help American institutions as well.
British food in early summer is similar to American fare. The last of the late spring asparagus is in the market. Strawberries are in full bloom even though they are not flowers.
“A typical June meal for friends might be the classic asparagus, salmon and strawberry hat trick,” writes Slater in his book ‘Appetite: So What Do You Want to Eat Today?’
I could not agree more. A simple meal of asparagus, salmon and strawberries is a light, yet lusty way to greet the summer.
Cool Asparagus with Chopped Egg Sauce
Ingredients:
20 spears of fresh asparagus, trim the ends and peel the bottoms
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Directions:
Place the asparagus in a large skillet in a single layer. Cover with cold water. Bring the contents of the skillet to a boil and cook for about five minutes, until the asparagus are tender. Do not overcook them.
Using tongs, place the asparagus into a big filled with ice and cold water. Drain them well in a tea towel. Wrap them up in the towel and place in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, place the asparagus on a serving platter. Top with the salt and pepper.
Whisk together the oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the asparagus.
Scatter the eggs over the asparagus and serve.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: After the eggs are peeled, slice them with an egg slicer. Place them in a bowl. Then cut them up using two butter knives.
Strawberries Romanoff
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds of strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup of fresh orange juice
6 tablespoons of Cointreau
Whipped cream for serving
Vanilla ice cream, optional
Directions:
Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and Cointreau and blend well. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, divide the strawberries among six dessert bowls or oversized martini glasses. Top with the whipped cream. You can add a dollop of the ice cream if desired.
Note from Phyllis: There are a number of versions of this French recipe named after the royal Russian family. SPR
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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