Summer Vegetable and Cheese Pie

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This hearty vegetarian pie is loaded with the flavors of summer—and plenty of cheese. Peppers, fresh corn, summer squash, scallions, sweet tomatoes, mmmm. And when you add the cheesy, salty bite of asiago along with creamy provolone and ricotta, you’ve got a rich, flavorful pie to celebrate the season. You won’t miss the meat.

Tip: Removing the kernels from an ear of corn is easy. Stand the ear in a shallow bowl and gently scrape down the sides just beneath the kernels with a large, sharp knife. Take it slowly so that the kernels land in the bowl, not on the walls.

For potpies that aren’t so vegetarian, check out Skillet Chicken Potpie with Fresh Herbs and Spinach and Smoked Salmon Pie.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

•  olive oil for oiling skillet
• 1 14.1-oz package refrigerated piecrusts (2 crusts)
• 1 cup coarsely shredded asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup coarsely shredded provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup mixed, chopped red and green bell pepper (or all red)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• fresh corn kernels from 1 large ear
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 very small zucchini, thinly sliced (1/8-inch)
• 1 very small yellow squash, thinly sliced (1/8-inch)
• 2 large roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (1/8-inch) and patted dry with paper towels
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg white, whisked

Provolone, Asiago, and Ricotta

Pie Vegetables

Yellow Squash and Zucchini

Pat tomato slices dry

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Lightly oil a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place 1 piecrust in the bottom, pressing gently against the sides.

In a bowl, toss together the asiago and provolone cheeses. In another bowl, combine the bell pepper, scallions, corn, and ricotta.

Ready to Fill

Peppers, Scallions, and Corn

Ricotta Added

Scatter 1/3 of the asiago and provolone mixture over the piecrust. Top with half the zucchini slices and half the yellow squash slices, mixing vegetables throughout the layer. (Overlap as needed, but don't double-stack. Save any remaining vegetables for later use.)

Spread half the ricotta mixture on top, then top with half the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper.

Scatter another 1/3 of the asiago and provolone mixture over the tomatoes and repeat the layering, ending with the remaining 1/3 asiago and provolone mixture on top.

Top with the remaining piecrust, crimping the edges around the border. Make crisscross cuts in the top crust and brush with egg white.

Bake 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Asiago and Provolone

Squash Layer

Ricotta Mixture

Tomato Layer

Ready to Bake

Baked Pie

Transfer the skillet to a wire rack and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Summer Vegetable and Cheese Pie

Shrimp Cakes with Creamy Lemon-Herb Sauce

Crab cakes, salmon cakes, any kind of fish cakes—all good. But don’t leave shrimp off the table. Literally. Coarsely chopped shrimp combined with a couple binding ingredients (panko and egg yolk) and brightened with a little lemon zest and Dijon mustard are all it takes to produce sweet, beautiful, little cakes that cook up golden brown and taste just as good as they look.

But they still need a bit of dressing. I think a creamy, fresh lemon-and-herb-spiked sauce is just the thing to complement the briny shrimp. Mmmm.  

Makes 6 cakes

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp finely chopped dill weed
• 1 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper 

For the Shrimp Cakes

• 3/4 lb peeled, deveined medium shrimp, chopped
• 1/3 cup panko (or other fine, dry breadcrumbs)
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 large egg yolk, whisked
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Chopped Shrimp

Preparation

For the Sauce

• Whisk the first 6 ingredients (through lemon zest) in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Sauce Ready to Combine

Creamy Lemon-Herb Sauce

For the Shrimp Cakes

1. Combine the shrimp and next 5 ingredients (through mustard) in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 6 1-inch-thick cakes.
2. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, swirling to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
3. Cook the cakes until golden brown on the bottom, 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

Ready to Mix

Mixture Divided into 6 Portions

Formed Shrimp Cakes

Cakes Beginning to Cook

After Turning

Plate the cakes and serve with lemon-herb sauce on the side.

Shrimp Cakes with Creamy Lemon-Herb Sauce

Strawberry-Jam-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Juicy pan-roasted pork tenderloin with a sweet and sticky glaze is one of those simple dishes that looks much more complex on the dinner table. And that’s ok—you’re the cook. You know how easy it was. Your guests will simply know how delicious it is.

I love using whatever jams or fruit preserves I have in the fridge to make tasty sauces and glazes for roasted or grilled meats. This time, it was strawberry jam, but you could sub in peach jam or apricot preserves for other great finishes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1-1/4-lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Heat a large, cast-iron (or other ovenproof) skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, swirling to coat. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and sear, turning until browned on all sides, 8-9 minutes total.
3. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until just cooked through but still pink in the middle, 16-18 minutes, depending on size.
4. Meanwhile, heat a small, nonstick saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter.
5. When the butter is foamy, add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add the jam, honey, and vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, 6-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
6. About 5 minutes before the tenderloin is done, brush with half the glaze and continue roasting. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

Beginning to Sear

After Turning

Glaze Beginning to Cook

Roasted Tenderloin

Brush with the remaining glaze, cut into 12 slices, and serve.

Strawberry-Jam-Glazed Pork Tenderloin