Perfect Summer Dinner

Crab Louis on grilled asparagus, rotisserie game hens basted with garlic butter and fresh herbs, and a beautiful rose from Tavel.

Crab Louis Dressing

1 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup diced sweet red pepper

2 scallions, minced

Grilled corn, scraped from one ear (not traditional)

Mix thoroughly and chill until ready to use.

1 pound of crab

Romaine, tomatoes, grilled asparagus, and juice of one lemon.

To assemble the salad just lay the romaine out on a salad plate and top with the asparagus, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top.

Toss the crab with the dressing and mound on top of the asparagus, add chopped tomato and garnish with chives. The addition of corn to the dressing is not traditional, but I think corn and crab have such complimentary flavors that I often combine them-especially now as the corn is fresh and local. I also garnished the salad with Nasturtium leaves and flowers-they are edible and quite welcome in a salad. The flavor reminds me of arugula and peppery watercress, and I just happened to grown them on one of my flower boxes-they also make a really striking display in a flower box.

The hens were easy, I brined them a couple of hours and threaded them on a spit and roasted them while I brushed them with a garlic-herb butter-I used Tarragon, Rosemary, and Thyme. Serve the chicken over a fresh herb salad.

I've never been a big fan of rose wines, mostly because the ones I've had have been the sweet cheap ones from California. This rose from Tavel is another story. It is fruity with strawberry and watermelon flavors, but not sweet like those sickening "White Zinfandels"-Apologies to all the white zinfandel fans. but I usually hate your wine.