Gourmet summer dishes on the cheap

Looking for something mouthwatering to serve guests at your next party?

Barbecue royalty Elizabeth Karmel, executive chef and owner of Hill Country Barbecue in New York and Washington, D.C., recently teamed up with the folks at Gourmet Grilling to do just that.

But how does she do on a budget of $40? Karmel took on the "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge from "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," and as such, made a locally-sourced, three-course summer meal for four - and tried to do it on our stingy budget.

Karmel was also automatically tossed into our "How Low Can You Go?" ring - the "Shoestring" chef whose ingredients total is lowest will be invited back to whip up the feast for our year-end holiday extravaganza - and spend whatever he or she wants!

Check out Karmel's tasty take on some summer favorites:

Menu:

Red Pepper corn relish
Creamy green beans
Sweet and spicy ribs
Brown sugar berry cobbler

RECIPES:

Red Pepper Corn Relish

Makes 4 quarts, Active time: 1 hour, Start to finish: 2 days (includes pickling)

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ears corn, shucked
• 1 quart distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoons celery seed
• 1 tablespoons mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
• 4 Turkish or 2 California bay leaves
• 3 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups finely chopped celery
• Special equipment:
• 4 (1-quart) heatproof jars with lids

METHOD:

Plunge corn into an 8-to 10-quart nonreactive pot of boiling water. When water returns to a boil, transfer corn with tongs to a large colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Cut kernels off cobs, discarding cobs.

Bring vinegar, water, sugar, spices, bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in same pot, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Add corn, peppers, onion, and celery and simmer, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not drain.

Spoon corn relish and brine into jars, making sure 1 bay leaf (or half bay leaf) is in each jar. Cool, uncovered, in refrigerator 1 hour. Cover with lids and chill at least 2 days to pickle vegetables and for flavors to develop.

Cooks' note: Relish keeps, chilled, 1 month.

Creamy Green Beans

Serves 10, Active time: 35 min, Start to finish: 35 min

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon drained bottled horseradish
• 1/4 cup chopped chives plus more for sprinkling

METHOD:

Cook beans in a 6-to 8-quart pot of well-salted boiling water, uncovered, until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry.

Stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then toss with beans. Just before serving, sprinkle with additional chives.

Cooks' note: Beans can be cooked and dressed 4 hours ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature and toss again. Sprinkle with chives.

Sweet and Spicy Ribs

A cumin chipotle rub adds a base note to these succulent ribs, the perfect counterpoint to the ginger-soy barbecue sauce. Utensils are superfluous - by all means, eat with your hands.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon paprika (not hot)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 (2-pounds) racks baby back ribs
• 3 cups barbecue mop (see below recipe)

METHOD:

Whisk together brown sugar, spices, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl.

Line an 18-by-13-by-1-inch heavy-duty backing sheet with a double layer of foil, then oil foil.

Arrange ribs in pan and rub all over with spice mixture. Marinate, meaty sides up, covered and chilled, 2 1/2 hours.

Bring ribs to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Cover pan tightly with foil; bake 1 1/4 hours. Remove foil.

Prepare grill for cooking over indirect heat with medium-hot charcoal.

Lightly oil grill rack, then transfer ribs to area of rack with no coals underneath (or above shut-off burner), reserving pan juices, and cook, covered with lid, basting generously with pan juices and barbecue mop and turning over and rotating ribs every 10 minutes (over indirect heat), until tender and browned, 30 to 40 minutes total. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Serve with remaining barbecue mop.

For more of Karmel's recipes, go to Page 2.

Barbecue Mop

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 6 finely chopped garlic gloves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoons black pepper

METHOD:

Cook the onion, garlic cloves, and ginger in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.

Add the ketchup, cider vinegar, soy sauce, water, dark brown sugar, salt, and black pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Blend sauce in 2 or 3 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Set aside 1 cup sauce for serving with ribs.

Makes 3 cups; active time: 30 min; start to finish: 40 min.

Brown Sugar Berry Cobbler

Does any desert scream summer like a cobbler? This one gains complexity from a jumble of different berries and extra depth from dark brown sugar.

Serves 6, Active time: 15 min, Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 to 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar (depending on sweetness of berries), divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 3/4 pounds mixed berries (strawberries trimmed and halved)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (3-quart capacity).

Stir together 3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add berries and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to baking dish and bake until just bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps of butter. Add milk and stir until the dough just comes together.

Remove baking dish from oven and drop 12 mounds of dough onto hot berries, spacing them evenly apart. Mix together remaining teaspoon brown sugar and granulated sugar and sprinkle all over dough. Bake the cobbler until topping is golden and feather-light, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool until warm, about 30 minutes.

So, how did Karmel do in our "How Low Can You Go" competition?

Her ingredients cost a grand total of $36.43.

Our Leaders Board so far this year:

1.Marco Canora $36.33
Hearth

2. Christopher Cipollone $36.42
Tenpenny at The Gotham Hotel

3. Elizabeth Karmel $36.43
Hill Country Barbecue