A Summer Evening: Little Compton

Recipes by Sarah Coleman
Photographs by Ashley Herrin

A summer evening. When hot days give way to warm nights. When crickets and fireflies rule at dusk, only to be conquered by laughter and the warm glow of a campfire shared with your closest friends. A summer evening. Saying this speaks beauty and instantaneously brings a smile to one’s face. A memory conjured. A smell, a taste, a moment shared. These are the nights we dream for.

On The Menu:
Little Necks in White Wine with Banana Peppers

3 lbs. (about 3 dozen) Little Necks, scrubbed clean 1 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 small yellow banana peppers, stemmed and finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pat of butter
Baguette for dipping

Heat oil in a 6–quart saucepan over medium–high heat. Add garlic, and cook, stir- ring until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the clams, wine, and chilies; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook, covered, until the clams open, about 12 minutes. Uncover the pan and stir in a pat of butter to finish. Toss in chopped parsley, remove and discard any clams that don’t open. Serve with bread on the side.

On The Menu:
Blistered Shishito Peppers with Sea Salt & Olive Oil

1 pint shishito peppers, washed and dried
1–2 tbsp. olive oil
A few pinches of flaked sea salt

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron pan or pot on medium–high heat. Once it’s hot (shimmering), toss in peppers, trying not to overcrowd. The peppers should brown, not steam. Let them cook for 2 minutes without stirring. When the peppers start to brown or blister, stir, and allow to cook for 1–2 minutes longer.

Serve with crusty bread and cured ham.

On The Menu:
Oven Roasted Cod with Thyme, Breadcrumbs and White Wine

4–5 lbs. skinless cod fillets
1⁄2 stale baguette (should make 1∕3 cup breadcrumbs)
2 tbsp. chopped thyme
2–3 tbsp. olive oil
Splash of dry white wine
1⁄2 lemon

Preheat oven to 450. Cut stale baguette into 1 inch cubes, spread onto cookie sheet and bake until bread is hard and golden brown. Pulse in food processor until bread is a fine (or desired) consistency. Mix breadcrumbs with chopped thyme. Set aside.

Brush both sides of each cod fillet with olive oil and season both sides with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place on a nonstick baking pan or cookie sheet. Sprinkle the top of each fillet with the breadcrumb and thyme mixture. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil (roughly 1 tbsp).

Bake for 7 minutes, or until the fish is almost cooked through. Remove from oven and add a splash of white wine. Continue baking for 2 to 3 minutes or until fish is cooked through and opaque in the center. Remove from oven and finish with a squeeze of lemon.