Savor the Outdoors: 4 Tasty Recipes to Try this Season

Make your next al fresco meal unforgettable with these standout recipes — created by local chefs with the season's heat and humidity in mind — that can be enjoyed all together or on their own.

Misty Day by MaMou

This refreshing cocktail from the team at MaMou (942 N. Rampart Street) is best served in a coupe and enjoyed outside. "Calvados and celery juice are refreshing, bright, and so fun," says partner and sommelier Molly Wismeier. "Plus, its color makes it beautiful in any glass, but we serve it up in a coupe."

1 oz Calvados

½ oz St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur

1 oz Celery juice

¾ oz Lemon juice

¼ oz Simple syrup

8-10 dashes of Fee Foam

Combine ingredients in shaker tin, shake hard until chilled, and double strain directly into glass.

From Dickie Brennan's Palace Café: The Flavor of New Orleans, this recipe is a crowd pleaser and a great start to any meal. P.S. This dip can be served warm or cold!

1 lb Dried red beans

2 tbsp Butter

8 oz Andouille sausage, chopped

1 cup Celery, chopped

1 ½ cups Onions, chopped

1 cup Green pepper, chopped

¼ cup Garlic, chopped

1 tsp Fresh thyme, chopped

2 Bay leaves

2 tbsp Creole seasoning

8 cups Water

Sort and rinse the dried beans. Combine the beans with enough water to cover in a large bowl and let stand for 8 hours or longer.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the andouille. Cook until the andouille is light brown. Add the celery, onions, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and Creole seasoning. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.

Drain the beans and add to the saucepan with 8 cups of water. Cook over medium-high heat for 1 hour or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.

Purée the mixture in batches in a food processor and return to the saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 6 hours or until thick enough to dip with chips. Serve with potato chips.

Recipe courtesy of Dickie Brennan & Co.

This easy, fresh salad from Shannon Bingham, Executive Chef of Brewery Saint X and Devil Moon BBQ (on the corner of Loyola Avenue and Girod Street), feeds four and is filled with bold flavors.

1 Head red cabbage, outer leaves and core removed

1 cup Coconut-Lime Vinaigrette (recipe included)

½ cup Spicy Peanuts (recipe included), plus more for garnish

½ cup Fried shallots, plus more for garnish*

½ cup Lightly packed fresh mint leaves, torn or roughly chopped

½ cup Lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, torn or roughly chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Use a sharp knife or mandolin to slice the cabbage very thin. Add the cabbage and all other ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more spicy peanuts and onions if you’d like.

Makes 1 Pint

3 Limes

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp White sugar

13.5 oz can Full-fat coconut milk

Zest and then juice the limes. In a blender, combine the lime juice, zest, salt, and sugar.

With the blender on low, slowly pour in the coconut milk until the dressing is emulsified.

Makes 1¼ Cups

1 cup Unsalted peanuts

½ cup White sugar

3 tbsp Water

1 tbsp Sambal

Zest of 1 lime

Kosher salt to taste

In a small saucepan, cook the peanuts, sugar, water, and sambal over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns dry and sandy. Continue to cook, watching carefully, until it reaches a deep amber color.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lime zest and a big pinch of salt, then spread on a sheet pan in an even layer to cool.

Miushroom Campanelle by Osteria Lupo

Uptown's newest Italian spot, Osteria Lupo (4609 Magazine Street), suggests beating the heat with this lighter vegetable-driven dish. "There are a variety of beautiful wild mushrooms that come to market April to June, so we’re taking advantage of that," says Brian Burns, chef and co-owner of Osteria Lupo. "Campanelle, which translates to bellflower and is named for its distinct shape, is conical with fluted edges that make it perfect for holding on to the mushroom ragu."

1 lb Fresh Campanelle pasta, or other fresh hollow center pasta

6 oz Porcini mushrooms

6 oz Shiitake mushroom

6 oz Oyster mushrooms

½ cup Shallot, minced

1 tbsp Garlic, minced

1 tsp Fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp Fresh oregano, chopped

1 tsp Fresh rosemary, chopped

½ tsp Crushed red pepper flake, to taste

4 oz Dry white wine

12 oz Chicken or vegetable stock

3 oz Heavy cream

Juice of ½ lemon, to taste

2 tbsp Chives, minced

2 oz Parmesan, to taste

Black pepper and sea salt, to taste

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Heat a large, heavy bottom sauté pan over medium high heat; coat with olive oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the mushrooms. You may want to work in a couple of batches.

Stir in the shallot, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and red pepper flakes to the mushrooms. Cook for several minutes until the shallots begin to soften and the garlic has mellowed. Add the white wine and allow it to reduce until nearly dry. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half. Add the cream and lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook the pasta in the pot until a bit firmer than al dente. Fresh pasta cooks very quickly, and you’ll remove it from the water early so that it can finish cooking in the sauce.

Add a couple of ounces of pasta water to the mushroom pan. Toss the pasta in the mushroom ragu to evenly coat, cook for two minutes over very low heat to allow the flavors to combine. Squeeze the lemon half into the pasta, be sure to taste. Divide evenly among four bowls. Top with grated parmesan, minced chives, and a pinch of sea salt.

This article appeared in the April 2023 issue of Adore