Chef chase elder with recipes she created for summer

Easy & Delicious Summer Recipes with Chef Chase Elder 

Copied to Clipboard

We traveled to Ojai, California to partner with the incredibly talented chef, Chase Elder. We had so much fun learning the ins and outs of making easy delicious summer recipes. We can't wait to hear what you think! Let us know in the comments. 

Whole Grilled Branzino


Ingredients:

    • Small branzino (Scaled and gutted – you can request your fish monger to do so) 
    • Fresh thyme
    • 1 fresh lemon
    • 1 cup olive oil
    • 2 Bay leaves
    • Kosher salt
    • Fresh parsley
    • 2 tbsp capers
    • Chili flakes
    • Toothpicks           

man putting finishing touch of sauce on the whole grilled branzino

Instructions:


Prepare the sauce


1. Wash & dry parsley

2. Finely chop parsley 

3. Mix parsley with olive oil, zest of one lemon, the juice of one lemon, capers, a pinch of chili flake, and salt to taste.

4. Wisk slightly with a spoon.


Prepare your fish


1. Score the skin on both sides by making 1 vertical slice and 2 horizontal slices. It should create a diamond-like pattern
2. Slice a whole lemon
3. Slice open the belly of the fish

4. Stuff fish with fresh thyme, a few bay leaves, and 2 lemon slices

5. Using toothpicks you will close the belly of the fish so the herbs and lemon don’t fall out.


Prepare your grill


1. Preheat grill to 400-500 degrees

2. Drizzle olive oil over the fish and season with salt

3. Place the fish on hot grill and flip after roughly five minutes. Once flipped leave on grill for a few more minutes. You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature - 145º

4. Remove from grill and place onto a platter

5. Add a few spoonfuls of parsley sauce and a lemon cut in half

6. Serve hot and enjoy :)   


Peach Iced Tea

Ingredients:

  • Oolong tea bags (according to package instructions and desired portions)
  • 2 cups water⁠
  • 2 cups sugar⁠
  • 4 fresh peaches sliced (or one 16oz bag of frozen peaches)⁠
  • Ice
  • Fresh mint sprig (for garnish)⁠

Instructions:


Peach simple syrup:

1. In a saucepan, bring water, sugar and 3 peaches to a boil on the stovetop. Stir occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved.⁠

2. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the saucepan from heat and allow the mixture to steep for a few hours or overnight, allowing the flavors to infuse.⁠

3. After steeping, strain the peaches from the syrup using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Store the peach syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.⁠


To assemble:

1. Brew the oolong tea according to the package instructions and desired portions. Set it aside to cool.⁠ 

2. In a pitcher, add peach simple syrup.⁠ 

3. Fill the remainder of the pitcher with the cooled oolong tea.⁠ 

4. Stir the tea and syrup together until well mixed.⁠ 

5. Pour the mixture into a glass filled with ice.⁠ 

6. Garnish with a fresh peach slice and a sprig of mint.

Grilled Peach & Burrata Toast

Ingredients:

  • Fresh peaches                
  • Fresh basil 
  • Sourdough boule 
  • Burrata cheese
  • Pine nuts
  • Olive oil
  • Maldon salt

Instructions:


1. Preheat your oven to 350º
2. Toast 1⁄2 cup of pine nuts until golden brown / about 6 minutes
3. Slice bread into 1/4 inch slices

4. Cut peaches in half

5. Remove the pit of the peach

6. Slather the peaches & bread in olive oil and season with salt
7. Grill peaches & bread. Grill both until you see nice grill marks. The peaches should also start to carmelize 


To plate :
Slice your peaches into quarters then layer peaches and burrata on grilled bread. Add torn basil leaves and toasted pine nuts then drizzle with olive oil and sea salt!


Watermelon & Arugula Salad                        

Ingredients:

  • Baby arugula
  • 1/2 cup seedless watermelon cubed 
  • Ricotta Salata or feta cheese
  • 1 tbsp Calabrian chilies (jars are available at Whole Foods)
  • Fresh lime
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
the watermelon & arugula salad dish on a table

Instructions:


Dressing

In a small bowl whisk together chilies, honey, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and juice of 1 lime


Salad


1. Toss watermelon and two big handfuls of arugula with vinaigrette
2. Shave ricotta salata on top with a vegetable peeler or a cheese grater. 


**If you’re subbing with feta, crumble and sprinkle on top


Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

More Stories

Get Your Cushions Summer-Ready: A Guide to Cleaning Sunbrella Fabric
Read →
Summer, Remixed: A Playlist Guaranteed to Keep the Good Vibes Flowing
Read →