By James V. Ruocco
Dig in and enjoy ten special recipes from my family members that were part of my life - indoors and outdoors - every single summer.
Nothing complicated. Nothing high pressured.
Just easy, enjoyable drinks appetizers and food that they enjoyed making whenever they had the urge to entertain the family during picnics, midweek dinners, Sunday brunch or Saturday night meals with mom, dad, the uncles, the aunts, the grandmother and oh yes, my sister.
Blueberry, Strawberry and Cantaloupe Salad
Ingredients:
Cantaloupe
Blueberries
Strawberries
Sugar or artificial sweetener
In a large bowl, combine blueberries with well-round pieces of cantaloupe and strawberries. Chill in refrigerator for about 30-40 minutes. Serve with sugar or artificial sweetener.
"This recipe was one of my sister's favorites. It was often served after dinner or dessert at one of her outdoor picnics. Any time I would go to her house during the summer months, I would ask if this dish was on the menu and she would say 'Yes.' " (Recipe of Joanne Ruocco Bianca, sister)
Raw Clams On the Halfshell
Ingredients:
Fresh raw clams (little neck or cherrystone)
Lemon wedges
Ice
Tabasco sauce
Cocktail sauce
Open clams sideways with knife to retain the juice. Place on tray of chipped ice. Squeeze lemon juice over the clams. Add a dash or two of Tabasco sauce and Cocktail sauce and indulge.
"During big family get-together's at my uncle Benny's home or summer cottage on Bantam Lake, he would sit comfortably at the picnic table surrounded by big buckets of clams, which he would open and serve to everyone in my family. He also loved spicy foods. Let's just say, we couldn't get enough. And there was more than enough to go around." (Recipe of Benjamin Capizzi, uncle)
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
Fresh corn on the cob
Butter.
Salt
Preheat outdoor grill on high heat. Grill corn with husks still on them for 10-12 minutes. Wrap each piece of corn in tin foil and turn often until done. Once charred all over, add butter and salt and serve.
"Picnics at my grandmother's during the summer were commonplace. One of the main dishes was my uncle's famous grilled corn. We'd drive him crazy running up to the grill every three or four minutes asking if the corn was ready. When it was, it was well worth the wait." (recipe of Thomas DiPaola, uncle)
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ice Cream
Ginger Ale
Ice
Scoop vanilla ice cream into a tall glass. Top with ginger ale and ice and enjoy.
"Often an a Saturday or Sunday night following dinner at my grandmother's - take out pizza from Domenic's and Vinnie's because it was too hot to cook - my aunt would whip up a special batch of vanilla ice cream floats topped with Canada Dry ginger ale in big, tall frosted glasses. It was an enjoyable treat she loved making. But you only got one - not two." (recipe of Ursula "Sis" DiPaola, aunt)
Fresh Peaches in Red Wine
Ingredients
Red wine of your choice
Fresh peaches
Peel and cut peaches into wedges or halves and place them in a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Add enough wine to cover the peaches and let them marinate for 30-60 minutes. Cover with plastic or tin foil and chill.
"My dad loved fine red wine and fresh peaches so at a very young age, he taught me how to make this popular Italian dessert. Once it was refrigerated and ice cold, he would serve it to my mother and I. But since I was still a kid, I would get more peaches and less wine. Regardless, it was still delicious. Real delicious." (recipe of James Vincent Ruocco, father)
Old Fashioned Lemonade
Ingredients
Lemons
Sugar or artificial sweetener
Cold water
Ice
Slice the lemons in half and squeeze them to make the juice. In a clear glass pitcher, add juice, water, ice, sugar or artificial sweetener. Stir and chill in refrigerator. Add lemon slices for garnishment and extra flavor.
"My mom loved lemonade, not the store bought brand, but the kind you made from scratch on a hot summer afternoon. She'd buy fresh lemons at the grocers, grab a bag of sugar and whip up a batch of homemade lemonade almost every other day. It was one of her favorites. Mine, as well." (recipe of Frances Capizzi Ruocco, mother)
Shrimp Stuffed Avocado
Ingredients
Shrimp
Avocado
Mayonnaise
Parsley
Celery
Lemon
Salt
Pepper
In small bowl, add diced shrimp together with mayonnaise, chopped parsley, chopped celery and cubed avocado pieces and stir. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt and pepper for seasoning. Spoon mixture into avocado halves and serve.
"During an afternoon lunch at Casey's in New Haven, my mother ordered 'Shrimp in Avocado' from the menu for both of us. We enjoyed it so much, she bribed the waiter to get the recipe from the chef and he gave it to her. She made it as often as she could. I also drove my mother crazy when it came to other shrimp dishes, but that's another story." (recipe of Frances Capizzi Ruocco, mother)
Black Raspberry Ice Cream Float
Ingredients
Black Raspberry Ice Cream
Ginger Ale
Whipped Cream.
Black Raspberries
Ice
Scoop black raspberry ice cream into a tall glass. Top with ginger ale and ice. Add whipped cream and fresh black raspberries for garnishment.
"Although everyone craved vanilla ice cream floats, my aunt would switch things up from time to time using black raspberry ice cream drenched in ice cold ginger ale. They were easy to make and welcomed by all at the dinner table. To this day, black raspberry ice cream remains one of my all-time favorites." (recipe of Ursula "Sis" DiPaola)
Cream Cheese Tomato Sandwich
Ingredients
Tomatoes
Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread.
Salt
Pepper
Cut tomatoes into whole slices. Slather one side of the bread with a heavy sampling of cream cheese. Top the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Put the two slices of bread together and serve.
"Whenever she was in the mood for a light snack before dinner, my aunt reached for the Philadelphia cream cheese, cut up some tomatoes and made this sandwich. She enjoyed it so much, I used to make it for her whenever she came home from work. Eventually, it became a favorite of mine as well. "(Recipe of Ursula "Sis" DiPaola, aunt)
Sliced Tomatoes with Fresh Basil, Olive Oil and Aged White Vinegar
Ingredients
Fresh Garden Tomatoes
Fresh Basil Leaves
Italian Oliver Oil
Aged White Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Cut the tomatoes into whole slices and place on a dinner plate or serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped or whole basil leaves. Drizzle with whisked olive oil and aged white vinegar. Add salt and pepper and serve.
"My grandmother's garden was overflowing with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. So this dish was often on the menu for lunch, dinner or an afternoon snack. The dressing, made from scratch, was absolutely perfect. Italian bread, on the side, was a must." (recipe of Anna Lapiana Capizzi DiPaola, grandmother)
