Summer Specialties : A Sumptuous Buffet for 16 Is Built on Versatile Treatments of Easy Dishes

Do other families spend summer as we do, in an ever-changing group of parents, children, friends, friends’ dogs and casual droppers-in? With Memorial Day almost here, I’ve been reviewing my repertoire of summer specialties--recipes that are quick to make for a few or many. They have to mix well with other dishes and last for a day or two without harm.

Together, the following ideas add up to a sumptuous summer buffet for 16, or you could excerpt just a few recipes for smaller groups of people. The spread is centered on a big fresh fish, baked whole with lemon, herbs and plenty of olive oil. The fish itself, the sides slashed and spiked with herbs and a lemon in the mouth, is its own ornament, needing no garnish but a bed of lettuce and a bowl of mayonnaise--lightened, if desired, with yogurt and lemon.

First Consideration: Freshness

Red snapper with its pink skin and salmon with its pink flesh are natural kings of a buffet table, but almost any large fish can be cooked this way--freshness and price are much more important than type. When we had a beach house on the Delaware coast, sea bass and bluefish were our favorites; when we moved to Normandy we switched to cod, hake and the occasional pollack.

The salads I suggest to accompany the fish are standbys I’ve encountered throughout the years. All of them are made with vegetables rather than fragile greens, and they keep--indeed, they improve on standing. Mushrooms a la Grecque, for instance, is a French version of marinated mushrooms liberally spiced with coriander and pepper. Cauliflower, zucchini, cucumbers, even green beans, can be cooked the same way and, in combination or on their own, make an excellent appetizer.

Sweet red peppers, broiled so they acquire a touch of char, are asking to be dressed in Italian style with olive oil, vinegar and oregano. Equally Mediterranean is the idea of baking vegetables in oil--tomatoes and eggplant in this case--then sharpening their flavor with vinegar or lemon to serve at room temperature. Indeed, cold can be the enemy of taste and all these salads are best enjoyed at the temperature of a shady table outdoors.

A Salad With a Difference

Root Celery Remoulade, that French standby which is so neglected elsewhere, breaks the monotony of oil and vinegar dressing. Root celery is slowly gaining ground in markets here, and when cut julienne, blanched to remain crunchy, and dressed with spicy mustard mayonnaise, it is hard to beat. It, too, is an easy first course to serve with salami and olives.

My last two salad suggestions are from that master of culinary invention, Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier was a native of Nice and, with the Italian border only 20 miles away, his pretty rice salad mixed with green peas and carrot echoes the colors of the Italian flag. As for his salad Nicoise, it must be authentic, although I’ve never seen its like elsewhere. His combination of tuna, anchovy, herbs and ripe tomatoes is exactly right.

After such a virtuoso display of salads, dessert could be strawberries and cream. This recipe is little more, for the berries are simply macerated in orange juice and Grand Marnier, then topped with whipped cream and toasted almonds. What a way to start out summer.

MEMORIAL DAY BUFFET FOR 16

Baked Fish With Herbs

Light Tomato Mayonnaise

Mushrooms a la Grecque

Roast Sweet Pepper Salad

Baked Eggplant - Tomato Salad

Root Celery Remoulade

Italian Rice Salad

Escoffier’s Salade Nicoise

Strawberries With Almond Cream

Suggested wine: A Provencal or domestic rose wine, or an Italian-style white wine such as Soave

All the cooking can be done a day ahead for this spread, but be sure to allow plenty of refrigerator space.

BAKED FISH WITH HERBS

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 (6- to 7-pound) fish or 4 (3- to 4-pound) fish, scaled and cleaned, with heads on

2 bunches fresh thyme

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt, pepper

9 lemons

1 large head lettuce

Grease grill pan with some of olive oil. Wash fish, trimming tail and fins, but leaving head. Pat dry with paper towels. Score flesh deeply with 3 to 4 slashes on each side of fish to cook evenly. Set fish in pan. Tuck 1 sprig thyme in each slash. Stuff remaining thyme in cavity. Spoon remaining oil over fish, sprinkle generously with lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bake fish at 375 degrees, basting often and adding more oil if necessary, until fish just flakes easily when tested at thickest part. Allow 35 to 45 minutes for large fish and 20 to 25 minutes for smaller ones. Leave fish to cool. They can be stored up to 24 hours in refrigerator.

To finish, not more than 2 hours before serving, halve 8 lemons. Cut remaining lemon in wedges. Arrange bed of lettuce on 2 platters. Place fish on top. Set lemon wedges in fish mouth. Set halves around edge of platter. Serve fish at room temperature. Makes 16 servings.

Note: If fish are very large, you may need to cook one at a time. To fit big fish in pan, curve in semicircle rather than laying flat.

LIGHT TOMATO MAYONNAISE

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Juice of 1/2 lemon, about

Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt and tomato paste. Season to taste with lemon juice. Mayonnaise can be kept up to 3 days in refrigerator. Makes 3 cups or enough for 16 servings.

MUSHROOMS A LA GRECQUE

1/4 cup olive oil

30 baby onions, peeled

2 pounds mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups veal stock or water

3/4 cup white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

Large bouquet garni of bay leaf, thyme sprigs and 3 parsley sprigs

Salt

Heat olive oil in saute pan or deep skillet pan. Saute onions until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, wine, lemon juice, coriander seeds, peppercorns, bouquet garni and salt to taste. There should be enough liquid to half cover mushrooms.

Cover and boil over high heat 15 to 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Boiling emulsifies oil and stock so sauce thickens slightly. Remove lid for last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking to evaporate and concentrate sauce.

Let mushrooms cool to tepid. Discard bouquet garni. Taste to adjust seasonings. Mushrooms should be refrigerated at least 12 hours to marinate before serving and can be kept up to 3 days. Makes 6 to 8 servings if served alone or enough for 16 servings as part of buffet of salads.

Note: Personally, I like crunch of occasional peppercorns and coriander seeds among my vegetables, but if you prefer to remove them, tie them in cheesecloth bag during cooking for easy removal later.

ROAST SWEET PEPPER SALAD

3 sweet red peppers

3 green peppers

2 large onions

3/4 cup Vinaigrette Dressing

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt, pepper

Quarter sweet red and green peppers, discarding cores and seeds. Cover broiler rack with foil. Place peppers on top, skin side up. Broil 8 to 12 minutes until skin is charred and blistered. Cover peppers with wet cloth or paper towels, then leave to cool. Peel peppers. Cut into wide strips.

Meanwhile, halve onions without peeling. Place on broiler rack, cut side up. Broil 5 to 8 minutes or until charred. Turn over. Broil until onions are tender when pierced with skewer, 5 to 8 minutes. Peel. Cut into wedges and add to peppers.

Add Vinaigrette Dressing, garlic and salt and pepper to taste to salad. Toss to mix. Onions will break up. Taste to adjust for seasonings. Salad can be kept 48 hours in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature. Makes 6 to 8 servings if served alone, or enough for 16 servings as part of buffet.

Vinaigrette Dressing

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup red wine vinegar or lemon juice

Salt, pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

Whisk mustard with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste until salt dissolves. Gradually add olive oil, whisking constantly so dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. It will separate on standing, but will re-emulsify when whisked. Makes 1 cup.

BAKED EGGPLANT-TOMATO SALAD

2 pounds eggplant

1/2 cup olive oil, about

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 teaspoon crushed bay leaf

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced

Salt, pepper

5 to 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice

Cut eggplant into 3/8-inch slices, including skin. Grease large shallow baking dish with some of olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and add rosemary and bay leaf. Arrange eggplant and tomatoes overlapping in dish, alternating slices. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove cover for last few minutes of cooking so vegetables can brown. While still hot, sprinkle with vinegar, adding more oil if vegetables look dry. Salad can be kept in refrigerator up to 24 hours. Serve at room temperature. Makes 6 to 8 servings if served alone or 16 servings if part of buffet.

Note: Sliced onion and zucchini can be added, if desired.

ROOT CELERY REMOULADE

2 medium celery roots

Salt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Pepper

Peel celery roots. Cut into thin slices, then into julienne strips. To avoid discoloration, immerse celery immediately in pan of cold salted water with lemon juice. Blanch celery by bringing water to boil. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes, then drain. Celery will be slightly cooked, but should still be crunchy.

Stir mayonnaise and mustard into celery and season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings. Refrigerate celery remoulade at least 2 hours for flavors to mellow. Salad can be kept up to 24 hours. Makes 6 or 8 servings if served alone or 16 servings if part of buffet.

Note: Supplies of root celery can be erratic. For salad of similar flavor, sliced celery stalks can be substituted in this recipe. However, they should not be blanched.

ITALIAN RICE SALAD

Salt

3 cups long grain rice

1/2 lemon

3 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas

1 pound carrots, diced

2 cups vinaigrette dressing made with lemon juice and olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Bring large pot salted water to boil. Add rice and lemon. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until rice is just tender. Drain, then rinse with cold water to wash away starch. Drain again thoroughly.

Cook fresh peas in pan of boiling salted water 8 to 15 minutes or until tender. Cook frozen peas according to package directions. Drain peas. Rinse with cold water and drain again thoroughly. Cook carrots in boiling salted water 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Vegetables and rice can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.

Not more than 2 hours before serving, stir vinaigrette and oregano into vegetables and rice using forks. Taste to adjust for seasoning. Serve at room temperature. Makes 16 servings as part of buffet.

Note: Cooking rice with lemon bleaches it white.

ESCOFFIER’S SALADE NICOISE

3 pounds large ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced

12 ounces canned tuna in oil, drained and flaked

1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh chervil, chives and tarragon

1 cup vinaigrette dressing made with white wine vinegar and olive oil

2 cans anchovies, coarsely chopped

Arrange tomatoes overlapping in shallow dish. Spread tuna on top. Whisk herbs into vinaigrette. Spoon over tuna and tomatoes. Sprinkle with anchovies. Cover and leave 1 hour to marinate at room temperature.

Salad can be kept up to 24 hours in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature. Makes 8 servings if served alone or 16 servings if part of buffet.

Note: For more substantial salad, add layer of sliced cooked potatoes marinated in vinaigrette.

STRAWBERRIES WITH ALMOND CREAM

4 quarts strawberries

Juice of 3 oranges

1/4 cup Grand Marnier, optional

1 cup slivered almonds

3 cups whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar

Hull strawberries. Wash only if very sandy. Cut into 2 or 3 slices each. Mix with orange juice and Grand Marnier. Cover. Macerate in refrigerator at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Spread almonds on tray. Bake at 350 degrees until brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Not more than 2 hours before serving, whip cream until it holds soft peaks. Beat in almond extract and sugar. Divide strawberries evenly among 16 glass serving bowls. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with almonds. Chill until serving time. Makes 16 servings.