Summer in the South, or for that matter, beyond our southern borders, is full of irony for cooks. The bounty of produce inspires us at the very moment that the heat and humidity kill off any interest in being in front of a hot stove. The compensation is, of course, that summer is when the ingredients need the least amount of help from the cook. Indeed, they often don’t need any help at all.
There’s not much one can do to improve on a good peach or tomato that has been allowed to ripen to peak flavor on its tree or vine. If you doubt that, then you’ve never plucked one of either, given it a wipe or rinse and bitten into it on the spot and reveled in the flavor as the juice runs down your chin.
You might call it lazy, but there’s wisdom in knowing when to leave things alone.
There are exceptions, of course, when a long list of ingredients is not only warranted but necessary. In general, however, the more complex the recipe, especially in warm weather, the more I wonder who the author is trying to impress or, more likely, what they’re trying to hide.
Not knowing when to stop isn’t usually a hallmark of creative genius, but a dead giveaway that the cook is either inexperienced, insecure or just showing off. Or all of the above.