No-cook, fresh, and easy summer meal for singles

No-cooking, fresh, tasty, quick, and easy - an example of a fresh plateWhen the summer weather is sweltering, your appetite is waning, and the stove needs to be left off, take a cue from the Old World for a simple, nutritious, no-recipe meal that can be matched to size of your appetite. It takes advantage of all the ripening, in-season produce. 

The French crunch on their crudités. The Germans relish their kalte platter. Spaniards nibble on tapas. Italians are famous for their antipasti. Swedes graze on smorgasbords. Europeans have long known about eating small, simple, and fresh portions of food.

This is a melting-pot spin on these European traditions: a fresh plate. Growing up, my mother would assemble these cool, delicious meals on the blazingly hot days of summer when you're hungry, but your appetite is waning. Named because its components are fresh and unadorned, a fresh plate is simply a large plate with neatly arranged cuts of seasonal fruits and vegetables, savory cheeses, crusty bread or crackers, slices of quality cooked meats, or nuts. It can contain any combination of these.

Far from being fussy appetizers, the meal's beauty is simply in the integrity and flavors of the components. This is a sensual, finger meal that is meant to be lingered upon nibbling on it casually perhaps while chatting with a friend, reading, or watching a movie. A fresh plate is a study of contrasts: sweet and savory, soft and crunchy, delicate and strong smells. Therefore, freshness and quality are important when assembling a fresh plate. Any uneaten fruit or vegetable can easily reappear in a different form in another meal since they haven't been overly modified.

No hot stove, no major clean-up, no kidding

Turn away from the hot stove since the items are served refreshingly cool or raw on a frigid plate chilled in the fridge. Just take a good paring knife, a cutting board, and a large plate and cut up whatever selections you want on the plate.

Arrange the food in attractive, natural groupings. You "eat" with your eyes before anything reaches your tongue.

Clean-up is a cinch since there are few utensils to wash.

A summery fresh plate made in minutes for a friend and me to lazily eat in the backyard.Create a fresh plate on those days when you just need to chill out and relax with some tasty munchies. Put on some smooth music, crack open a bottle of crisp white wine, and curl up on your balcony or porch.

Fresh Plate Ideas 

Here are some other fresh plate combination ideas for no cook, easy summer meals. There are no rules, so let your tastes explore with whatever produce is in season and what you have on hand.

• apples, pears, walnuts, cheddar, Emmentaler (or Swiss) cheese, bagel chips, raisins, carrots, slices of ham
   
• fire-roasted peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella or asiago cheeses, vine-ripened tomato, prosciutto or salami, crusty baguette pieces, figs, zucchini, pine nuts
   
• fresh berries, brie cheese, melba toast, apricots/peaches, pecans, asparagus,  strips of cooked turkey or chicken breast
   
• cucumber, pita bread pieces, hummus, baba ganoush, feta cheese, olives, dolmas, dates, pomegranate seeds, almonds, hard-cooked egg
   
• sushi (from take-out), snow peas, pickled ginger, bean sprouts, raw broccoli, water chestnuts, orange slices, rice crackers, wasabi-flavored peas or nuts
   
• pineapple, mango, papaya, banana, crackers, macadamia nuts, strips of lean ham

• allow your tastebuds to combine food for your fresh plate - nibble pieces of different fresh fruits and food one right after another to "match" the flavors and textures that are most pleasing to you

Comments

[wayne cadman]

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