TasteFood

I discovered this fresh and light-handed salad years ago when I lived in Denmark. Most likely it was at one of our frequent family gatherings, seated outdoors at a long wooden picnic table in the shadow of a thatched roof farmhouse with the summer sun hanging, as if caught on the hook of the horizon, refusing to sink as the evening set in. It was certainly summer, because that's when new potatoes are at their peak in Denmark, and considered not only a staple but a delicacy to be greedily devoured.

I was smitten by the salad's restraint, simply tossed with oil and vinegar, and generously layered with freshly snipped flowering sprigs and herbs from the garden. As an American, my experience with potato salads to that point had been the heavy-handed mayo and egg sort -- tasty for sure, but more of a cloak to disguise the mild-mannered potato. I would prod a fork through those murky salads swathed in cream, sugar and oil in an attempt to fish out any intact morsel of potato, which by then had no flavor except that of the coating with which it was blanketed.

The Danish potato salad was delightfully different, and appropriately Scandinavian in its understatement and use of fresh ingredients, celebrating the humble potato with a confetti of garden herbs. Most important: I could taste the potato. And when the season's newest potatoes are available, delicately sweet and faintly redolent of butter, there is nothing as sublime as that flavor.

I chose blue potatoes for this salad, since I love their unusual color and how they contrast with the flowering yellow mustard greens I found at the farmers market. You can also use yellow or red new or small potatoes. The combination of herbs is up to your taste and whatever might be growing in your garden or stashed in your fridge. If you can find flowering mustard, add it to the mix or use it as a garnish, since it adds a nice peppery bite and vibrant color to the salad.

Danish Potato Salad With Garden Herbs

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes plus cooling time

Yield: Serves 6

3 pounds new potatoes or small potatoes (red, white or blue), washed

Salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, chervil, chives or tarragon, coarsely chopped

Flowering mustard sprigs for garnish

Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water and add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Partially cover the pot and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes depending on the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Cut the potatoes in half or into large bite-size pieces. Add the potatoes, oil, vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper to a large bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. Cool to room temperature.

Before serving, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired. Add the fresh herbs and stir to blend. If the salad is too dry, add additional olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

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Who doesn’t like fresh berries and whipped cream for a simple summer dessert? Berries and cream are the height of ease and good flavor, and a combination I rely on throughout the summer season.

Sometimes, though, if I want to up the presentation a notch, I make this frozen dessert. The good news is that this version is also easy to make, and it should be prepared at least eight hours in advance of serving, so it’s a great do-ahead dessert when entertaining.

To make it, I fold crumbled store-bought meringues into the whipped cream and freeze the cream in a loaf pan. The meringues add a nice light crunch and a jolt of sugar to the cream. Once frozen, the “loaf” can be sliced and served with fresh berries spooned on top. It’s fresh, light and luscious, and always a crowd pleaser.

To make the frozen cream, first lightly oil the loaf pan, and then line it with plastic wrap. This allows for easy removal from the pan once frozen. The whipped cream is delicate, so should only be frozen for eight to 24 hours. Once the loaf is removed from the pan and sliced, eat it immediately, because the cream will quickly begin to soften. Also, in the past I’ve added berries to the loaf, but I find that they remain frozen while the cream softens, which is not ideal for eating, so I spoon fresh berries, or in this case, a compote, over the top.

Iced Meringues and Cream With Berry Compote

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes, plus freezing time and cooling time

Yield: Serves 8

Iced Meringue Cream:

3 ounces meringues, divided� 2 cups heavy cream� 3 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Compote:

3/4 pound fresh berries, such as raspberries, blackberries or strawberries� 2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Lightly oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Line with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides. Crumble 1/3 of the meringues, leaving large chunks intact, and spread over the bottom of the pan.

Beat the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until traces of the whisk appear. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Crumble the remaining meringues and gently fold into the cream. Pour into the pan and spread the cream evenly on top. Cover with the plastic overhang, and then cover the pan entirely with another piece of plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Prepare the compote: Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the berries break down and release their juices, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

To serve, remove the frozen meringue cream from the freezer. Unwrap the plastic and invert the cream onto a serving platter. Remove any remaining plastic. Cut into serving slices and serve with the compote spooned over each slice.

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Now that it's summer, it's time to dig into spicy, meaty, two-fisted pork carnitas. Carnitas are perfect party food. They are easy to assemble and messy to eat, best washed down with a cold beer while eaten outdoors. What could be more fun?

The key to carnitas is to let the meat cook low and slow until it's fork-tender. In this recipe, the pork braises in a smoky, citrus-infused beer broth that imbues the meat with flavor and spice. The cooking process takes several hours, but it's relatively hands-off, simply requiring the occasional turn. The biggest challenge will be the wafting aroma of the simmering pork, which will surely test your patience. Hang in there. You can do it.

The final step is optional but highly recommended. Once the meat is shredded, arrange it in a baking dish or grill pan, toss with some of the basting juices and grill or broil at high heat until the meat begins to caramelize. Pile the meat on tortillas with salsa, guacamole or your favorite fixings, and you are good to go. (Just remember the napkins.) If you have any leftovers, use the meat in sandwiches or loaded on homemade nachos the next day.

The pork can be grilled, which will keep the heat outdoors on a warm day, or it can be cooked in an oven. If using a grill, brown the meat on the grates before transferring to a deep grill pan or grill-proof Dutch oven with the braising liquid.

Chipotle Beer-Braised Pork Carnitas

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: about 5 hours

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (4-pound) boneless pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, smashed but intact

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup Mexican beer

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Accompaniments:

Warm flour or corn tortillas

Guacamole

Salsa

Fresh cilantro

Sliced green onions

Heat the oven to 300 degrees (or prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat, 275 to 300 degrees).

Mix the cumin, paprika, chili powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over the meat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Or refrigerate for up to 24 hours, and remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.)

If using the oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the pork and brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 8 minutes. Remove the pork and pour off the fat. (If using the grill, brown the pork over direct medium heat on the grill grates, and pre-heat a grill-proof Dutch oven over indirect heat while the pork is browning.)

Add the garlic, onion, beer, orange juice, chipotles, lime juice and brown sugar to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium heat, scraping up any brown bits if on the stovetop.

Add the pork to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the oven (or transfer to indirect low heat on the grill). Braise the pork until fork tender, about 4 hours, turning every hour or so.

Remove the pork from the braising liquid and transfer to a cutting board to cool while you reduce the sauce. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Place the meat in a baking dish or grill pan.

Boil the braising liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to a sauce consistency, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the sauce, and drizzle some of it over the shredded pork (the pork should be lightly coated but not wet).

Grill or broil the pork at high heat until the meat begins to caramelize, 2 to 4 minutes.

To serve, spoon some of the pork in the center of a tortilla. Top with guacamole, salsa, fresh cilantro and sliced green onions. Roll up and eat.

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