A Day For Dads

This is it: DAD's Day. He deserves it. Dad works hard, coaches tee ball, reads bedtime stories, covers mom when she has a business trip, takes over in a medical crisis and tries not to whine when it is his turn to change diapers. To his family Dad is taller than Michael Jordan and more focused than Tiger Woods. He's smoother that Mario Lemieux on ice and tougher than Mark McGuire slugging. He's kind, caring and solves all our problems. He's cute, cuddly and looks really funny in Bermuda shorts. Above all he's ours - our rock, our base, our future, our present. He's Dad. Let's give Dad what he loves best - a great Father's Day dinner.

THE STARTER
Begin with a great soup. Our Dad loves chilled soups on hot summer days. A favorite around our house is a chunky gazpacho soup that you make in the blender with fresh veggies and herbs. Some gazpachos use bread cubes to thicken - others roast the veggies for a very distinctive taste. The reality is that you can make your Dad's favorite gazpacho with any ingredients that you have on hand. Check out these recipes for a few great ideas:

Rice Gazpacho - a few grains of chewy cooked rice give texture to this tomato-based Gazpacho. Green bell peppers and cucumbers surrounded by onion, garlic and parsley add plenty of zest. Serve at lunchtime or as a late-afternoon treat in tall, chilled mugs; either way include crisp crackers or crusty fresh bread.

The secret to a great gazpacho is to chill it thoroughly before serving like this recipe for Make Ahead Gazpacho.

Traditional Gazpacho is a fresh and spicy chilled soup. Make it creamy by whisking in some sour cream right before serving. You can also garnish with chopped, cooked egg, diced onion and home baked croutons.

THE SALAD
Real men eat their veggies. A great salad full of fun ingredients fills the manly need for this portion of the menu. Here are a few suggestions for a hearty salad course.

Red Potato Salad is perfect for a Father's Day meal. Small, new potatoes need only be cut into pieces. Leave the skin on the potatoes for extra vitamins - and that mannish look.

This salad can stand on its own as a weekday meal - but we spare no calories for Dad's Day, so take a look at this colorful, piquant and filling Southwestern Pasta Salad.

A Tuna Cobb Salad may be large enough for a crowd - so invite a few of Dad's friends over to share the meal!

THE MAIN COURSE
No summer weekend or Father's Day holiday is complete without the quintessential favorite: fried chicken. Tender and juicy inside while flaky and crisp outside fried chicken is toothsome served hot or cold. Feel free to make the chicken in advance so that you have plenty of time to spend with Dad on his special day.

This recipe for Beer Battered Fried Chicken is great for a real man's special day - especially if your Dad is enjoying his favorite leisure sport - the couch potato Olympics.

If Dad is watching his calories, this delicious recipe for Oven-Fried Honey Chicken utilizes a honey crumb crust and is baked instead of fried.

How about southern fried chicken just like mama used to make? Take a look at the recipe for Louisiana Fried Chicken.

THE VEGGIE
Beans of all types and all varieties are truly Dad's dish. They add tons of fiber - which is a really good thing - and plenty of energy to keep him running. Beans are also easily spiced up to take on the fiery part of this special menu. Here are a couple of suggestions to inspire you to make Dad's favorite bean dish.

Feel free to add as much heat as Dad can take. Real men love hot sauce! Here is a recipe for Island Beans and Rice that is easily adapted for Dad.

Hickory Baked Beans is a great dish to serve at a potluck supper and a super dish to serve with Dad's favorite fried chicken.

Count them, 1, 2, 3: Green beans, garbanzos and kidney beans with the welcomed crunch of green peppers, all marinated in a simple vinaigrette in this man-pleasing Three Bean Salad.

THE DESSERT
Strawberry Shortcake exemplifies the summer dessert. In the south, it is prepared with light-as-air biscuits and hand-whipped cream. A lighter version substitutes angel food cake and whipped vanilla yogurt. Yet another version of this simple dessert piles fresh cut strawberries onto store-bought pound cake and then adds a heaping spoonful of vanilla ice cream. For a decadent twist to this soon-to-be-your-favorite dessert try Chocolate Shortcake with Strawberries and Chocolate Sauce. Bake chocolate biscuits or buy a chocolate pound cake. Marinate sliced fresh strawberries with a touch of sugar and a drop of water. Top the biscuits and strawberries with chocolate ice cream. Drizzle everything with a swirl of hot chocolate sauce made by whisking together 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 cup dark corn syrup and 1 tablespoon whipping cream in a saucepan over medium high heat until smooth and shiny. The result is a great tasting, decadent dessert that you can make in minutes and serve with a flair.

Nothing compares with the combination of fluffy shortcake biscuits, split open and steaming and loaded with sweetened fresh berries topped with clouds of whipped cream. Use strawberries, blueberries or any berry in season! Check out this recipe for traditional Strawberry Shortcake. It's sure to please Dad.

Introduce chocolate chips to your shortcakes and you have a delicious variation on this summertime favorite with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake.

There are lots of great ways that you can make this Father's Day a special one for your entire family. All it takes is a little bit of fussing, a little bit of planning, a little bit of cooking and an awful lot of LOVE. Enjoy your Dad's Day with your entire family!

For more great party ideas and some super holiday menus, check out Jorj's new cookbook At Home In The Kitchen or visit her website at www.Jorj.com. Share your favorite Dad's Day ideas with other BlueSuitMoms by sending an email to Jorj at jorj@jorj.com.

Jorj Morgan is the Director of Lifestyle Content for BlueSuitMom.com. Jorj is the author of At Home In The Kitchen, a cookbook due in spring 2001.