DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

COLD SUMMER DISHES

This is the time of the year known as the dog days of summer. Long, hot sultry weather in Florida lingers unwaveringly during the period between early July and September. Even our massive thunderstorms bring no relief to the sweltering heat that makes us all move a little slower.

The most plausible explanation of the term, dog days, could refer to man’s best friend sleeping out the heat in the shade. The frequency of summer storms may have evoked the phrase, “raining cats and dogs”, which compared cats and dogs fighting with the fury of the sudden downpour of rain. Some say the expression came from the dark ages when people believed animals, including cats and dogs, had magical powers. Cats were associated with storms, especially the black cats of witches, while dogs were associated with the wind. So, when a particularly violent storm occurred, people said, “It’s raining cats and dogs”. Another describes houses with thatched roofs with straw as a base instead of wood, where the animals slept for warmth. Sometimes, during a particularly heavy rain, the animals slid off the roof, bringing about the expression, “It’s raining cats and dogs”. This theory doesn’t hold much water because dogs normally cannot jump up to a roof.

The true explanation of the term, “dog days”, comes from ancient times when the night sky was not obscured by artificial lights. People drew images in the sky by connecting dots of the stars. The images drawn were dependent upon the culture. The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans. The star pictures, or constellations, mapped out in the sky come from our European ancestors. Images of bears (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins (Gemini), a bull (Taurus), and dogs (Canis Major and Canis Minor), are all drawn from the stars. The biggest dog, Sirius, is in Canis Major. It is also the brightest star in the sky. It is so bright that the ancient Romans thought it was the source from which the earth received heat. In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun. The ancients believed it was responsible for creating the long stretch of hot and sultry weather. The early Egyptians perceived Sirius as the home of departed souls. As the guardian star of Egypt, its cycle governed Egyptian mysticism. At the exact moment Sirius rises with the sun, the Nile begins its annual swelling that replenishes the land with fertile top soil necessary for their agriculture. Contrary to other river cycles, this takes place in the hottest time of the year. The function of the superstitious Egyptian priests was to determine the precise time of the rising in order to begin their religious rituals of cyclic death and rebirth to coincide with this phenomenon.

Our summer temperatures in Central Florida are similar to those of Egypt. And, on a clear night, the constellations perform a brilliant spectacle available to all without cost. Treat the family to a picnic at night with refreshing recipes meant for the Dog Days of Summer. Keep the mosquitoes away by spraying Listerine® Mouth wash around the eating and play area. Seriously, it works.

TOMATO-ONION RIBBON SANDWICH

Yield: 10-12 Slices

Family and friends will enjoy slicing their own “ribbon” sandwiches

1 pound unsliced loaf of soft white bread or egg bread with crust

Mayonnaise

Sweet onion, such as Vidalia, sliced very thin

Ripe tomatoes, sliced very thin

Salt and pepper

Optional: Chopped fresh basil leaves

1. With a serrated-edge knife, slice bread lengthwise across (perpendicular) two times to create a top, middle and bottom layer.

2. Spread all the layers with mayonnaise.

3. Set sliced onions and tomatoes across the bottom layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the middle layer over. Cover the middle layer with more sliced onions and tomatoes and basil, if you like. Close the “sandwich” and press the top layer down to secure the onions and tomatoes in place.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours. Serve whole with a serrated knife on the side. Cut vertical slices as needed to maintain freshness.

GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

Yield: 4 breasts

4 skinned and boned chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 red onion, minced

1 teaspoon tamari sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

Gas grill set to medium heat

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken. Line up, side by side, in a baking dish.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a microwaveable cup and microwave 1 minute. Cool to room temperature.

3. Pour marinade through a strainer over the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, covered.

4. Preheat oven to 300°F.

5. Remove breasts from marinade. Pour marinade into a bowl.

6. Brush chickens with olive oil and place oil side down over a gas grill. Grill until brown. Turn. Brush heavily with the marinade. Cook until brown on the other side. Do not overcook.

7. Remove to a shallow baking dish and brush heavily with the remainder of the marinade. Cover with foil and set into the oven. Cook approximately 10 minutes, or until very tender.

MARINATED HERRING SWEDISH-STYLE

Yield: 4 cups: 6-8 Servings

12 ounce jar herring tidbits in wine sauce

¾ cup thinly-sliced sweet onion

¾ cup diced Granny smith apples, peeled or unpeeled

8 ounces sour cream

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Optional: Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: 1 teaspoon curry powder

1. Discard the wine sauce from the herring. Combine the tidbits with the onion, apples, sour cream, sugar and salt and pepper. If you like, add curry powder for a special flavor. Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to “marry”. Serve with miniature rye rounds for an appetizer or on a bed of lettuce for a first course.

POTATO SALAD

Yield: 4-6 Servings

1 ½ pounds red potatoes

1 small red onion

½ cup mayonnaise

1 full teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped parsley or ½ teaspoon dried chervil

Salt, black pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1. Cook potatoes in water to cover until done but very firm. Pour off water to cool.

2. Peel and slice the onion into julienne strips.

3. Combine the mayonnaise with the vinegar and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cut the potatoes into pie shapes and toss with the mayonnaise and onion, leaving some of the strips for the top for decoration. Sprinkle the top with mint.

GREEK PASTA SALAD

Yield: 4-6 servings

3 cups cooked elbow macaroni or orzo pasta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt to sprinkle

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

½ cup extra virgin olive oil or more to moisten

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup chopped scallion greens

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 red onion, sliced very thin on the round

Salt and pepper

3 plum tomatoes, cut into strips

Black Greek olives, pitted

Feta cheese, cut into small squares

1. Cook the macaroni or orzo pasta. Do not rinse. Drain and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.

2. Combine the vinegar, olive oil, oregano and nutmeg. Toss with the pasta.

3. Toss in the scallions, bell pepper and onion. Toss in salt and pepper to taste. Be careful. The Feta cheese will add salt.

4. Pile into a bowl. Refrigerate to serve very cold. To serve: Decorate with tomatoes and olives. Cover the top heavily with Feta cheese.

Tune in Comcast channel 22 & BrightHouse 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens "The Back of the House", or watch it live on your computer at www.lakefronttv.com. Follow her food page on Wednesdays in The Daily Commercial.