Cool football tailgating fare for still-hot days
It’s technically fall, but it’s still pretty warm in our neck of the woods. The forecast shows more than a few 80- and 90-degree days still ahead.
Football tailgating is in full swing, of course, which means grilled hot dogs and savory spreads of steamy barbecue — the traditional choices. But it’s also possible to style a successful spread using cooler and lighter pre-game fare that’s sure to hit the spot on sweltering afternoons.
Carrying coolers and insulated containers to the game festivities is the key to serving these chillier snack choices. (The containers can also be decorative. Some might even bring back memories.)
While thrift and antique stores often carry shorter, smaller insulated thermoses, you can also buy some new mini-thermoses at Target, Academy and Wal-Mart. Consider buying one for each guest you invite to your tailgate extravaganza.
For a larger crowd, an alternate approach is to pack 4- to 10-ounce Mason jars. These are commonly available by the case, and although they aren’t insulated, they keep food cold when nestled in an ice chest until it’s time to pass them around.
Bring on the cold pastas
You can make pasta salads from favorite recipes or you can save time and pick up ready-made pasta concoctions.
You’ll find some fantastic, prepared fare at local grocery stores and delicatessens. Market Street in Colleyville carries a zesty salmon and bowtie pasta salad made with sliced red onions, black olives and a tangy dressing. (It’s good to call ahead if you need large quantities, and to make sure it’s on the store’s list of pastas to make that day.)
Market Street also makes a picnic pasta that contains generous cuts of salami and mozzarella. It’s filling and satisfying like a sandwich, but cooler and lighter on a warm fall day.
La Madeleine’s convenient, cold pastas are available at locations all over the Fort Worth area.
Whichever salad you choose, pack it in soup thermoses or chilled Mason jars. Serve with bread, chips, salsas and beverages. Keep the jars cool but not frozen.
Surprise them with soup
A cold soup at a tailgate party may sound like a total buzz kill, but picture yourself dripping with sweat as the sun is beating down on you in your game jersey and you might reconsider.
Cold soup also works well in the mini-thermoses or Mason jars for an individual presentation. Below, you’ll find a cool cucumber-dill soup that will hit the spot. We stepped it up a little by topping it with zesty, grilled shrimp.
Keep the chilled, grilled shrimp separated in a food storage bowl and place them on top of the soup just prior to handing it out. This soup pairs well with a soft, medium-bodied white wine. Serve with nutty and whole-grain breads, gourmet crackers or pita chips with a flavored hummus.
You can make your own grilled shrimp ahead of time or buy grilled shrimp at a local grocery store. Keep in mind, it’s always best to call ahead for a larger order of grilled shrimp. (Central Market will even steam seafood while you shop.)
Steamed lump crabmeat is another option for garnishing this cool, creamy soup. And TJ’s Seafood Market in Dallas has “TJ’s Famous Cocktail Shrimp,” which pairs nicely with this flavorful chilled soup.
Cucumber-dill soup topped with grilled shrimp
Makes 3-5 servings
Recipe easily doubles or triples for larger groups, and you can prepare the soup up to 12 hours in advance.
- 3 large cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt (plain)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-10 medium-sized grilled shrimp (top each soup with one or two shrimp)
1. Coarsely chop 5 of the 6 cucumber halves and place in a large bowl.
2. Add Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, green onions, garlic, salt and white pepper.
3. Stir and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes so the flavors have a chance to blend well.
4. In a blender or food processor, puree the cucumber mixture until smooth and creamy.
5. Add vegetable stock while the blender or food processor is running.
6. Pour into a pitcher, cover and chill for two hours. This will thicken.
7. Just before serving, add the remaining cucumber half, chopped, and the olive oil to the mixture. Stir well and pour into individual, insulated soup thermoses and keep cold. You can sprinkle a little dill on the top of each soup for garnish.
8. Transfer soup-filled thermoses or wide-mouth Mason jars and an airtight container of chilled grilled shrimp to an ice chest. You might need two or more coolers for a larger group. Note: Don’t forget the soup spoons.
9. Just before serving, give the soup a quick stir and top with a grilled shrimp or two.
Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 3: 268 calories, 14 grams fat, 16 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein, 126 milligrams cholesterol, 799 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber, 44 percent of calories from fat.
Tailgate tarts
In the heat of the day, strawberry tarts will be fresh and cool, and they can be made ahead and assembled at the tailgate with just a bit of cold-storage coordination.
Traditional dough recipes make tasty tart crusts, but you can save time by placing ready-to-bake pie dough into mini-tart pans and baking. Four-inch, nonstick tart pans are ideal. Tart/quiche pans with removable bottoms work well for removing pastry shells with ease after baking.
You can make smaller tarts using ramekins — or a cupcake pan — and filling with ready-made pie dough. Or buy tarts that are ready to bake and fill. Clearbrook Farms makes mini shells and ready-to-use tart fillings. Wal-Mart sells Dutch Ann tart shells that bake in 15 minutes.
The recipe’s yield will vary depending on the type of crust and size of pans. The recipe can be easily doubled.
While making the shells, keep everything else chilled until it’s time to add the whipped cream, which is done last and on-site.
- Homemade tart/pie dough or 1 package frozen pie dough
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1-2 boxes of fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tubs or cans of whipped cream
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
- Some team spirit picks or team names on mini-pennants taped or mounted on wooden toothpicks (optional)
To make tarts:
1. Make tart dough from scratch or use ready-to-bake pie dough.
2. Make pudding according to package directions, using whole milk. Then chill in a covered, plastic food storage bowl until time to assemble tarts.
3. Rinse and slice fresh strawberries. Sprinkle with a little sugar. Keep chilled.
Partially assemble tarts at home
1. Spread a 1/4-inch layer of the chilled vanilla pudding into tarts.
2. Place strawberries into the pudding in the tart and keep chilled.
3. Place tart shells on a flat tray lined with a kitchen towel. To secure the tart shells from moving around, place plastic cling wrap over the tops of the tarts, tightly binding them to the tray.
4. Pack whipped cream into the ice chest. (Remember: It’s always better to have a little extra whipped cream.) Don’t let the cream freeze.
5. Place powdered sugar in a sifter and place sifter in a large plastic zip bag.
At the tailgate:
1. When you are ready to serve at the tailgate, sift a little powdered sugar onto the tart and top with whipped cream.
Nutritional analysis per tart: 340 calories, 16 grams fat, 44 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein, 36 milligrams cholesterol, 265 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 42 percent of calories from fat.
This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Cool football tailgating fare for still-hot days."