Tapas Make Cool Summer Party Menu

I love to have people over to share a meal. Unfortunately hot evenings have a way of suppressing both my desire to cook and my desire to eat. How to resolve the inherent dilemma in this scenario?

Tapas, of course! These Spanish appetizers are traditionally served as a snack between lunch and dinner. The purpose is to ensure that bar-goers are not drinking on an empty stomach, and to provide a snack to tide people over between the afternoon and evening meals. The word “tapa” means lid or cover. In Spain tapas are often presented on top of a glass of alcohol, which is one explanation for the origin of the name. Others believe the word “cover” refers to masking the bad taste of cheap spirits, or suppressing one’s appetite.

Serving several different kinds of tapas makes for a terrific meal, especially in the summer time when your appetite may have waned and turning on the oven is the last thing you want to do. Tapas are a great party food because guests can take a small plate and mingle while eating. They are also a great way to take advantage of summer’s tastiest crops, including tomatoes, basil, green beans, and bell peppers.

Many tapas can be cooked up quickly right before you eat, or prepared in advance and refrigerated. Take, for example, Mediterranean Tuna Salad. This dish looks beautiful on small plates presented on a tiered serving tray. If you have any leftovers it will make a delicious lunch the next day. If you use garlic-stuffed green olives in the recipe you might omit the garlic clove from the dressing, or you risk your co-workers scooting their chairs away from you all afternoon.

Tomato Garlic Bruschetta may technically be an Italian recipe but it makes a great addition to a tapas menu. This recipe isn’t for the faint of heart. Chunks of tomato, garlic and basil are spooned onto bread and drizzled with olive oil. Ciabatta bread is great for this recipe because it has a soft and chewy crust (the result of lots of olive oil mixed into the dough). This is a wonderful way to use the purple, white, green and yellow-red striped heirloom tomatoes you can get at the farmers market. Here’s a tip for cutting the basil: take several leaves of a similar size and stack then. Starting on the long side of the leaves, roll the stack into a tight tube. Using a sharp knife, cut the basil into thin strips.

Other ideas for tapas include:
· Roasted red and yellow bell peppers sprinkled with parsley.
· Green beans cooked with olive oil and finely minced onion and garlic.
· A frittata, which is similar to an omelet or egg scramble. The traditional Spanish version (called “tortilla de patata”) is made by mixing fried potatoes and onions with beaten eggs. I typically use whatever I have on hand. An Internet search will yield many versions of this recipe.
· A plate of cheese or cured meats, such as salami or prosciutto.
· Bowls of olives or nuts.

Not only will these tapas make your stomach growl with hunger, they’re good for you. Cannellini beans, also called white kidney beans, are a great source of iron and folate. Tuna is a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, thought to be good for the heart and brain. Both these recipes have a decent serving of tomatoes, which are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber. The small portions can also help prevent overeating.

Serve some or all of these dishes with some chilled Willamette Valley white wine or sangria and – buen apetito! – dinner is served.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad
1 6-ounce can tuna, drained
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ c. garlic-stuffed green olives and/or Kalamata olives, quartered
½ c. cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
¼ c. red onion, chopped
2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 T. water
3 t. olive oil
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. balsamic vinegar
½ t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Place tuna, beans, olives, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients (omitting garlic clove if using garlic-stuffed olives) and mix well to combine. Pour dressing over tuna mixture and toss well.

Tomato Garlic Bruschetta
1 c. chopped tomato
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
8-10 basil leaves, cut into thin strips
Salt
1 small loaf ciabatta bread, cut into ½-inch slices
Olive oil

Place tomatoes, garlic and basil in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Spoon tomato mixture on top of ciabatta bread. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Serve immediately.