Mid-August, what to bring to the table? Whether you are at the seaside, in the mountains, in the countryside or in the city, this day is to be spent with friends or relatives, perhaps in front of a nice fresh dish, in good company.
There are so many ideas to serve, whether they are vegetarian recipes or vegan recipes, you can indulge yourself if you want a cruelty free alternative.
We have chosen for you a series of tasty dishes from starters to desserts, suitable for all palates, even the most demanding.
Fresh and easy mid-August appetizers
Hummus and legume creams
To enrich the mid-August appetizer you can also bring hummus and legume-based creams to the table. They are perfect to accompany with raw vegetables, croutons, toasted bread or focaccia and can be prepared in numerous variations. A fresh and versatile solution, also suitable for a completely vegetable menu and particularly practical for picnics, aperitifs and outdoor lunches.
Calabrian pepperoni
Calabrian peperonata, have you ever tasted it? If you haven’t done it yet, let’s say it right away: the peperonata recipe does not rhyme with diet, light meal and scales. But perhaps, sometimes, indulging in a little indulgence also helps our mood.
Savory muffins
Classic savory muffins are always very tasty, but you can also prepare them in a savory version, to be served as an aperitif, as an appetizer or to enrich a second course. Choose organic and seasonal ingredients as much as possible to make the recipes we offer.
Green sauce
We can serve the green sauce in combination with boiled or steamed vegetables to enrich our side dish with flavor. The green sauce, prepared in any version, is also good for spreading on slices of bread or homemade croutons.
Guacamole sauce
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Preparing guacamole at home is very simple. All you need is some ripe avocados. It is a very versatile sauce, which you can prepare in numerous variations starting from the original recipe.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold soup made with raw vegetables (in some cases cooked vegetables are also used). It is a typical Spanish dish, especially appreciated in Andalusia. Sometimes it is served accompanied by ice cubes. Beyond the original recipe, there are numerous variations, which involve the use of different vegetables and various aromatic herbs.
Russian salad
The simplest and tastiest Russian salad is simply prepared with peas, carrots and potatoes cut into cubes and homemade mayonnaise, but there are really many variations. Discover them here and amaze your guests.
First courses for Ferragosto
Rice salad
A dish that cannot be missed on the summer table. It is very versatile in preparation and you can easily vary the ingredients with which to season this dish both according to your tastes and what you have available. You can choose to season your rice salad with cooked or raw vegetables, with homemade sauces, aromatic herbs, spices, legumes, dried fruit and seeds.
Cereal salads
Are you looking for alternatives to the classic summer rice salad? Then the time has come to discover the varied world of cereals (and pseudo-cereals, as quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth are usually considered). Cereals are interchangeable in every recipe, depending on your tastes, which is why many types of cereal salad can be prepared.
Tomatoes stuffed with cereals
Quinoa, millet, spelled will help you prepare tasty dishes. These are appetizing alternatives to the classic tomatoes stuffed with rice. Choose the recipes that are closest to your tastes and try them.
Couscous
A classic of North African cuisine, couscous has a delicate flavor that is easy to combine with different ingredients for each season, with particular reference to vegetables. You can enrich it with legumes, seeds, dried fruit, spices and aromatic herbs. The only limit? Your imagination.
Panzanella
Fresh, simple and perfect for the hottest days, panzanella is one of the ideal dishes to bring to the table on August 15th. It is a traditional peasant recipe that also allows you to recover leftover bread, transforming it into a tasty and colorful summer dish. It can be prepared in advance and served cold, so it is also perfect for picnics, beach lunches and trips out of town.
Cold pasta
Among the great classics of the mid-August lunch, cold pasta cannot be missing. Easy to customize and convenient to prepare a few hours in advance, it can be enriched with summer vegetables, aromatic herbs, olives, legumes and homemade condiments. It is a practical solution especially when eating outdoors or preparing a dish to transport to the home of friends and relatives.
Vegetarian and vegan second courses for Ferragosto
Courgette meatballs
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Courgette meatballs are a tasty idea to serve as a second course, appetizer or finger food during a mid-August buffet. They can also be offered in a vegetarian or completely vegetable version and are particularly convenient if you have many guests, because they can be prepared in advance and also served at room temperature.
Seitan skewers
For the second course, seitan lends itself perfectly to the preparation of excellent skewers, to be cooked on the grill. Slice the seitan into cubes and alternate it with tofu and seasonal vegetables, as well as mushrooms and olives.
“Omelette” with courgettes without eggs
If you don’t want to use eggs because your guests don’t eat them, or simply if you want to surprise them with a different dish, try this variation of an omelette with courgettes, but without eggs. You won’t regret it.
Summer side dishes for mid-August lunch
Potato salad
It is very simple to prepare a vegetarian or vegan potato salad at home, to be enriched with seasonal and garden products, such as classic green beans, but also onions, aromatic herbs, fresh fruit and homemade sauces. Here are many recipes for the mid-August menu.
Eggplant caponata
Eggplant caponata is another perfect dish for a summer menu and can be served both as an appetizer and as a side dish. One of its advantages is that it can be prepared in advance and enjoyed at room temperature, a characteristic that makes it particularly suitable for mid-August lunch. A great classic of Sicilian cuisine to enhance one of the protagonist vegetables of the summer.
Fruit to serve on August 15th
Fruit skewers
If you are looking for new ideas for serving fresh fruit you could opt for fruit skewers. Here is a collection of ten recipes for preparing and serving them.
Peaches in syrup
If you have a peach tree in your garden, thanks to this recipe you can enjoy them even out of season and, above all, preserve them without any waste. But in mid-August you can serve peaches in syrup at the table, a nice fresh dish for the end of the meal.
Fruit gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold soup based on mostly raw, but sometimes also cooked, vegetables, typical of Spain and in particular of Andalusia. Compared to the traditional recipe, based on tomatoes and peppers, there are numerous variations for preparing gazpacho, including fruit gazpacho, to be served at the end of the meal as a dessert or snack. Here’s how to prepare it.
Fresh and oven-free mid-August desserts
Cakes without oven
To prepare a good cake, baking in the oven is not always necessary. Especially in summer you can prepare desserts and cakes without cooking or oven to serve as a snack or dessert. Some no-bake cakes are truly spectacular. You will get fantastic decorations if you make them carefully and thus amaze your guests thanks to the creativity and taste of an unusual cake.
Read: Raw food cakes: 10 no-cook recipes
Melon frost
A typical dessert of Sicilian cuisine, the “mellone” gelo is simple and quick to prepare. It can be garnished with jasmine, chocolate and cinnamon.
Ice cream without an ice cream maker
There are numerous ways and recipes for preparing ice cream without an ice cream maker. In fact, some small tricks are enough to make preparation easier, such as freezing the fruit already cut into slices before using it as an ingredient to blend to prepare homemade ice cream.
Popsicles
Lemon, yogurt, banana and much more. Have fun with these recipes. You can serve them not only at the end of the mid-August lunch but also in the afternoon, as a refreshing snack.
Chocolate salami
Chocolate salami is a truly delicious dessert and very fun to prepare. Children and others will like it. You can follow the original recipe for chocolate salami – also known as sweet salami – or vary it according to your tastes and food choices.
Sorbet
And finally, the sorbet. Here’s how to prepare it at home with or without an ice cream maker, simply using your freezer and a blender or kitchen mixer. Choose the recipe you like best and get to work.
SORBET: 5 DIY RECIPES
A rich selection of dishes, from which you can draw for your mid-August menu. But be careful not to overdo it. Even if they are all delicious, choose the ones you are sure to consume, avoiding waste and too many leftovers.
