Delicious, home-cooked meals in a holiday home

We are in the thick of summer, and if we’re lucky, we might get a break from the routine and head for the beach or the hills.

For many, that means renting a vacation home – with an unfamiliar kitchen.

At home, you probably have a variety of cooking utensils, a meaningful collection of herbs and spices, and the ability to select just the right pan for your dish. But as you step into your Airbnb or short-term rental, you’re suddenly left wondering where to even put your groceries.

Here are some tips to help you whip up something delicious.

BRING SOME ESSENTIALS OF YOUR OWN

Before you go, consider packing a minimalist kitchen survival kit. It doesn’t have to be much: A sharp knife, a cutting board, salt and pepper, seasoning and whatever grocery staples you know you’ll need to get started.

USE THE VACATION RENTAL’S FEATURES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Think about dishes that can stretch ingredients, and about welcome substitutions. A big grain salad – made with rice, quinoa or couscous – is endlessly customisable and can be served cold or at room temperature.

Start with things that don’t require an oven. A stovetop pasta tossed with sautéed garlic and olive oil is always a win. Add red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan if you have it.

Grills are often available and can be a vacation cook’s best friend – as long as you’ve got an ample supply of the right fuel for it. Grill up simply seasoned chicken or steaks for dinner and very intentionally make extra – those leftovers will be perfect sliced and used for sandwiches, quesadillas, salads or wraps. Extra grilled corn might become a corn soup or a corn salad, or something to add to a stir-fry.

Think about brushing some slices of country bread with olive oil, sprinkling with flaky salt and toasting them lightly on the grill. Top with fresh sliced or chopped tomatoes with some basil, or turn them into whatever type of bruschetta you can whip up from your farm stand haul. Think caponata, sautéed chard, or maybe a heap of sliced grilled peppers with some fresh goat cheese.

Salads are always on the docket. Again, easy to improvise with market ingredients. But this is your vacation, and you should feel free to play. Try a melon and cucumber salad with a bit of feta and a squeeze of lime juice, or a chopped vegetable salad bolstered with protein-packed chickpeas.

THINK CREATIVELY AND ACCEPT IMPERFECTION

As you come to the end of your trip and you need to use things up, get creative. That nub of leftover cheese will be great chopped up and added to scrambled eggs or a frittata.

Cook what feels manageable, what makes use of the ingredients at hand, and what gives you more time outside with your people. Yes, you might be chopping vegetables with a serrated steak knife. Yes, there might be a little sand in the pasta salad as you serve it up on the beach. That’s OK.

Some of the best vacation meals come from embracing the fact that you’re cooking without your usual tools and supplies. That’s half the fun.

PEACH AND PLUM YOGHURT SMOOTHIE

For their versatility and simplicity, smoothies can make for a vacation staple.

This is your smoothie template. Swap around fruits, yoghurt flavours, sweeteners and see if you can find a NutriBullet in the back of the cabinet. Also, if you plan ahead, you might freeze your fruit for a thicker smoothie or just add some ice. If you’ve got some fresh mint, toss that in, too.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (8 ounces) vanilla Greek yoghurt

• 1 cup (8 ounces) peach yoghurt

• 1 tablespoon honey or agave, or to taste

• 2 cups cubed, peeled peaches

• 2 cups cubed, peeled plums

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the vanilla yoghurt, peach yoghurt, honey, peaches and plums in a blender. Blend well.

2. Pour into glasses and serve.

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com