Cocktail Hour for a Lazy Summer Day

After one of his days at the beach, Christopher sees nothing wrong with inviting friends to get together for drinks without giving the first thought to what we’ll serve with them. He’ll open a bag of chips. On a lazy beach day, a jar of salsa is already gilding the lily in his book.

I’m not a beach person, but I am starting to get his point. Getting together with friends does not require the fancy parties and elaborate meals that used to be our thing. Maybe this means I’ve suddenly entered my golden years, but cozy one-pot suppers in the winter and now cocktail hours with snacks on the porch are what I want most.

Still, I believe easy snacks can be done with flair. Among my go-to quickly made noshes are a tofu-based green goddess-inspired dip for veggies, pimento cheese on crackers, crostini with chopped tomatoes and herbs, and deviled eggs with smoked paprika. Just add a batch cocktail and you have a nice little summer party.

One of my best effortless-but-elegant snacks is a white-bean-and-miso spread on olive oil-fried slices of baguette. As long as you keep a package of white miso in your fridge (and you should) and tahini and a can of white beans in the pantry (you do, right?) it’s ready in 10 minutes. It’s substantial, the way hummus is, but the texture is smoother, and the miso adds another layer of umami; you won’t notice it — unless you don’t use it.

Pickled oysters with cucumbers are another of my favorites. They might sound odd to New Englanders, but pickled oysters are very popular in the South. You’ll need to pick up the oysters the day before, as they marinate for 12 to 24 hours before you serve them. I’ve cobbled together my recipe from the many that are out there; all are variations on a ceviche-like spice-infused vinegar bath for the bivalves. Adding a garnish of soft herbs if you have dill, tarragon, or young borage in your garden is a nice touch.

Stir up a batched champagne-based elderflower cocktail — it’s just the libation to go with — and head to the porch where your friends await you.

WHITE BEAN MISO SPREAD
Makes about 2 cups

1 garlic clove
1 (15-oz.) can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup tahini
5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. cumin seeds, lightly toasted and coarsely ground, or 1½ tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. white miso
Kosher salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Smoked paprika for the garnish
1 baguette

1. Pulse the garlic in a small food processor until minced.
2. Scrape down the bowl and add the beans, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, miso, 1 teaspoon salt, and the white pepper. Pulse until smooth and scrape down the bowl. With the processor running, add ¼ cup olive oil in a slow stream. Add more salt if needed and allow the spread to rest for about an hour so the flavors meld. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika at serving time. The spread will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for about a week.
3. Cut the baguette into ¼-inch-thick slices and fry the slices in a small skillet in the remaining quarter cup of oil (you may need to add more oil, depending on the size of your skillet) until they’re golden brown. Drain the toasts on paper towels and serve with the spread.

   

PICKLED OYSTERS
Makes enough pickling liquid for up to 3 dozen oysters

1 cup white wine vinegar
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
1 whole allspice berry
8 coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
1 to 3 dozen oysters, shucked, shells reserved
½ jalapeno or serrano pepper, finely diced

For the cucumbers

1 English cucumber, peeled
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. chopped dill, tarragon, basil or borage

1. Make the oyster pickling liquid by putting the first 8 ingredients (all except the oysters and the jalapeño or serrano pepper) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and allow to steep for at least 30 minutes. (This is enough to pickle up to 3 dozen oysters.)
2. Shuck the oysters, discarding their liquor and reserving the deepest-cupped shells for serving (keep the shells in the fridge while the oysters pickle). Add the oysters to the cooled pickling liquid along with the diced pepper. Refrigerate in a covered container for at least 12 and up to 24 hours.
3. Half an hour before you’re ready to serve the oysters, cut the cucumbers into long thin planks with a knife or mandolin. Stack the slices and julienne them into thin strands. Toss the cucumber with the kosher salt and rice wine vinegar and allow to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain for a few minutes, squeezing gently to remove some of the liquid. Toss with the chopped herbs.
4. To serve, arrange the reserved oyster shells on a platter and place a teaspoon-size swirl of cucumber strands in each shell. Top each mound of cucumber with a pickled oyster.

ELDERFLOWER CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
Makes 1 pitcher

1 bottle chilled rosé champagne or other dry sparkling wine
24 oz. chilled sparkling water
1 cup elderflower liqueur such as St. Germain
Lemon slices or mint leaves as a garnish

In a large pitcher, mix the champagne, sparkling water, and elderflower liqueur. Keep chilled and serve in cold coupes or champagne flutes; garnish with lemon slices or mint leaves.