A Mid-Summer Dinner in Cooperstown with Perfect Salmorejo {Naptime Entertaining}

I am currently in Cooperstown on vacation so I am stopping in with a few great recipes and shorter posts this week and next. When my daughter naps on vacation I am generally away from my computer having fun cooking with my Mom, canning with Dad and catching up on the latest editions of Vogue and House Beautiful! At night, when I usually work, I am out with old friends!

On that note, I wanted to drop in today to share a fabulous recipe from the most recent Bon Appetit and a great menu we had at a dinner party last week. It was a bit of a potluck situation where three families brought dishes to my friend Peggy’s house for dinner. All of the dishes we brought were easily made during naptime earlier in the day. Truth be told, they could even had been made the night before after my daughter had gone to bed if I had to make them further in advance. Since the weather has been hotter than usual up here I elected to make a cold salmorejo, a chilled Spanish tomato soup that is a close cousin of gazpacho. This recipe, as stated about, is from Bon Appetit and my friend Caroline made it for us recently at their house. It was so fabulous I was waiting for an excuse to make it again and this was definitely the perfect occasion. During naptime I prepped the tomatoes and assembled the soup in the food processor in less than 20 minutes. I chilled it for the afternoon in an everyday plastic pitcher and transported it to the party in that same vessel. To serve, I poured portions into individual glasses and topped each with slices of prosciutto. It was perhaps the simplest cold soup recipe on the planet and everyone loved it. It had a smooth, creamy texture from the bread with nutty undertones from the toasted almonds. I happened to find near perfect summer tomatoes at the farmer’s market and their sun-ripened flavor was so sweet I could’ve served it for dessert. As far as summer entertaining goes, this naptime-friendly soup is perfect. Make it ahead of time, enjoy it when you want. Your guests, and palate, will thank you for it.

Here is the Naptime Cooking-Friendly Menu from the Dinner Party: Salmorejo: A Spanish gazpacho that is perfect for making ahead of time. Deviled Eggs: Hard-boil the eggs ahead of time, prepare them a few hours before the event. Caprese Salad: Easy to assemble immediately prior to eating. Grilled Pork Tenderloin: Spice rubbed during naptime, grilled right before dinner. Hazelnut Gelato:Ideal for making far in advance during naptime!