Belmont Shore Chef Paul's Bangin' 4th Of July Treats

Chef Paul Buchanan of Belmont Shore has a catering and cooking school with his wife Dana Buchanan called Creative Alchemy. It's the bright green storefront at the base of the Belmont Veteran's Pier. They specialize in using locally grown produce and teaching children how to cook and eat healthily. For the long holiday weekend, Chef Paul prepares some healthy twists on July 4th and summer classics.

GRILLED WHITE PEACH COBBLER

This is a perfect healthy dessert for summer. Choose fresh ripe peaches that have not been sprayed with any pesticides. Yellow peaches and nectarines can also be used.

Ingredients-
2 whole fresh large white peaches, halved and pitted
1/4 C brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 C good quality granola (or) make your own streusel by mixing 1c oats, 1 Tbsp       butter, & 2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 C heavy whipping cream
1 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Take a very small amount of canola oil and brush the cut side of the peaches and then out them on a very hot, cleaned and oiled BBQ grill. Grill the peaches so that you have some nice grill marks and then rotate them 90 degrees for another set of marks. Do the same on the skin side and then place the peaches in a bowl. Toss the warm peaches in the brown sugar and lemon juice and then place an even amount of the granola on the cut sides of each peach. Place the whipping cream in a clean bowl and whisk until it thickens slightly. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue whisking until medium peaks form. Top the peaches with cream and enjoy.

SIMPLE CUCUMBER DILL SALAD

At the beginning of summer my organic garden starts producing 4 different kinds of cucumbers at an astounding rate. My daughter Skye makes this salad often and it is one of her favorite things to eat. You need to pick cucumbers that are fresh and have a fairly thin skin. Cucumbers that are old or were allowed to stay on the vine too long may become tough. I like eating my cucumbers unpeeled so I can get all the vitamins. I have never needed to put any pesticides on any of my cucumbers so I insist on using fresh from my garden or from the local farmer's market.

Ingredients-
4 C young cucumbers, sliced thin
1/2 C rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1tsp fresh dill (no big stems), chopped
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of ground white pepper

Pay close attention now…it could be complicated…but it's not,,, Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix. Let sit one minute, mix again. Let sit 5 minutes, mix again. You can eat it now or you can refrigerate it for later. This is nice and crisp, cool and refreshing for warm summer days.

FINGERLING POTATO SALAD W/ SHERRY-MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients-
VINAIGRETTE-
5 Tbsp dijon mustard
5 Tbsp sherry wine vinegar
1 1/4 C canola oil
5 tsp Italian parsley leaves, chopped
2 1/2 tsp tarragon, fresh, chopped
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Potatoes-
3 C kosher salt
10 lbs fingerling potatoes (such as Ruby Crescent or Russian Banana)
10 1/4-inch thick slices smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick strips
10 small shallots, thinly sliced
10 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
10 green onions, thinly sliced

For Vinaigrette-
Combine mustard and vinegar in small bowl. Whisk in oil, then herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

For Potatoes-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread salt in even layer on rimmed baking sheet; arrange potatoes over salt, spacing slightly apart. Cover sheet with foil and bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, uncover, and cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, cook bacon until brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, chop bacon when cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Place warm potatoes in medium bowl. Add bacon, shallots, eggs, onions, and vinaigrette. Toss well and serve.