Photography by Carmen Troesser
When I muse about food on a stick, I think of grabbing an elderflower ice pop and dashing joyously out the door in a pair of little pink pumps. Or I imagine sitting soot-faced beside a campfire and biting chunks of beef off a red-hot poker. Both images are enticing—and either way, sticks say summer.
When it comes to skewered food, there’s plenty of room for creativity, with clever recipes bringing a new twist to this traditional summer cooking style. Sticks aren’t as stiff as they seem.
For instance, a friend’s off-the-cuff mention of a Greek salad kebab was a complete head-turner. (“What?!”) I’d never thought of such a thing. But it was less the potential tastiness that had me giddy and more the liberty it suggested—the fact that I could walk down the street with a Greek salad if the mood so took me.
In the same vein, and even easier, are caprese skewers or grilled kebabs made with your favorite stone fruits.
Salads aside, the King of Sticks is still the corn dog (see recipe in web exclusives section below). Don’t be afraid to tell yourself that these puppies are perfectly acceptable meals in themselves. We do.
Caprese Skewer
Serves four
12 cherry tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
1 pound mozzarella, fresh
Balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Alternate cherry tomatoes wrapped in basil leaves and mini mozzarella balls on each skewer, then drizzle it with balsamic vinaigrette (1 part balsamic vinegar, 2 parts extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste) and serve.
Stone Fruit Kebab
Serves four
2 peaches
2 nectarines
4 plums
8 ounces plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 orange, zested
3 tablespoons honey
Slice fruit, slide onto skewers, and grill. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest, and honey until well combined. Serve the dipping sauce with the skewers.
Greek Salad Kebab
Serves six
24 cherry tomatoes
7 ounces feta cheese
12 Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 red onion, cut into 12 half-inch pieces
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Whole fresh oregano leaves
Place feta block in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and carefully cut into 12 half-inch cubes. Place red-onion pieces in a small bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Drain.
Assemble on bamboo skewers as follows: tomato, feta block (be careful with them), olive, onion, tomato. Place the 12 skewers on a platter. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, red-wine vinegar, chopped oregano leaves, and olive oil, plus salt and pepper
to taste.
Pour dressing over skewers and top with whole oregano leaves. Serve.
WEB EXCLUSIVES:
Corn Dogs
Serves eight, or a greedy four
2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix, 8 1/2 ounces each
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2 scallions, finely chopped
8 jumbo pork or beef franks, skewered vertically
Preheat oven to 425. In a shallow dish, combine muffin mix with flour, then stir in eggs, milk, and melted butter. Season the mix with chili powder, cumin, Tabasco, and scallions. Roll each skewered hot dog in the bowl of batter to coat evenly to about half-inch thickness. Place coated hot dogs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until evenly deep brown all over.
Sparkling Elderflower Popsicles
Serves eight to 10
2 cups sparkling water
1/3 cup elderflower syrup
In a large pitcher, mix the water and the syrup; stir until syrup is fully dissolved. Pour into preferred popsicle molds. Place in the freezer overnight.
