Summertime Snacks

Now 125 years old, the Ladies’ Village Improvement Society of East Hampton has made a mission of keeping the town in tip-top shape. What better way to celebrate a job well done than a cookbook chock-full of favorite East End recipes?

Photograph by Doug Young

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from Loaves & Fishes (Sagaponack)

Ingredients:

• 3 c. fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and halved (Strawberries will hold up better during cooking if you rinse and refrigerate them beforehand, with their hulls intact. Hull and halve them just before you prepare the filling).
• 4 c. (3 to 4 stalks) fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2“ slices
• 1 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 T heavy cream
• Whipped cream, crème fraîche, or ice cream for serving

Directions:

Prepare pastry for a double-crust pie (recipe follows).

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl and add all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the cinnamon, and the cornstarch. Toss ingredients together until well blended and set aside.

Divide pastry dough into two slightly uneven portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece into a 12-inch circle, transfer to a 9-inch pie plate (preferably glass), and add the fruit filling. Roll the second piece of dough into a circle, lay it over the filling, seal and crimp the edges, and cut a few decorative slits into the crust with a paring knife or scissors. (Alternative: Cut the pastry into strips and weave them into a lattice pattern.) In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream and brush on the crust, then sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar on top. Bake in the oven 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche, or ice cream.

Double-Crust Pastry Ingredients:

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 c. ice water

Double-Crust Pastry Directions:

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to combine, then add the butter and pulse until the mixture is uniformly crumbly. In a measuring cup, combine the lemon juice with the ice water and pour about half the mixture into the work bowl, then pulse briefly. Add the remaining liquid and pulse a few times, until the dough begins to come together. (Add a little more water if needed.) Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Photograph by Doug Young

Southside Cocktail from Devon Yacht Club (Amagansett)

Ingredients

• 2 oz. simple syrup (recipe follows)
• 4 oz. white rum
• 2 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
• Mint sprigs and lime wedges for garnish

Directions:

In a blender, whirl together the simple syrup, the rum, and the citrus juices with a cup of ice cubes, then pour into 2 stemmed cocktail glasses and garnish with the mint and lime wedges. (Alternatively, you can shake the ingredients and ice together in a cocktail shaker and strain the mixture into 2 stemmed cocktail glasses.) Yield: 2 drinks.

Simple Syrup Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. water

Simple Syrup Directions:

In a small saucepan, mix the sugar and water and bring to a simmer. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar has just dissolved and the liquid is clear. Transfer to a jar or other lidded container, cover, and refrigerate. Syrup keeps about a month. Yield: 1/2 cup.

Photograph by Doug Young

Recipes and photographs excerpted from The Ladies’ Village Improvement Society Cookbook: Eating and Entertaining in East Hampton (Rizzoli), © 2020 by Florence Fabricant. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

The print version of this article appeared with the headline: Ladies Who Lunch.