Summer is here! I don’t welcome the heat, but love summer produce. It is nice to enjoy our local bounty in season. Nothing quite like a summer tomato.
Gaytan Family Farm
Red Potatoes
Cabbage
Heirloom Tomato
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Celery
Eggplant
Broccoli
Rainbow Carrots
Cucmber - Pickling
Huerta del Valle
Leeks
Tarsadia Organic Farm
Watermelon
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A survival strategy for excessive heat is sandwiches. A good loaf of bread, some inside layers, condiments, and leafy greens make memorable meals.
Insides:
Grilled veggies, such as zucchini, sliced lengthwise; eggplant brushed with garlic flavored olive oil; red or yellow peppers.
Raw veggies, such as tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, spinach, basil, and red onion.
Cheese:
Pepper jack, mozzarella, cheddar, or spreadable herb cheese.
Condiments:
Your favorite salad dressing, such as Italian, Caesar, or Ranch, pesto, chopped olives, mustard, mayonnaise, butter or a substitute.
Leafy greens:
Sprouts, lettuces, basil, cilantro or arugula.
Play with combinations:
Tomatoes, red peppers, fresh or from a jar, onion, eggplant and top with basil and mozzarella. Good with Italian dressing.
Raw zucchini slices, red or yellow peppers, red onion, sprouts, cucumber, tomato slices, and a leafy green make a crunchy, cool sandwich. This would be good with Caesar or Italian dressing.
Endlessly variable, just add some meat, a few veggies and a slice of cheese and grill. I especially like tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich.
I would love to hear about your favorites!
Green Bean and Potato Salad
from AmericanLamb.com
Ingredients
1/2 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, halved
2 pounds small red new potatoes, larger potatoes halved
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, lemon juice and zest, dill, chives, salt, pepper and tomatoes; set aside.
In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add beans; cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; add to bowl with dressing. Add potatoes to already simmering water; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes; add to bowl. Toss to coat.
Toss Potato Green Bean Salad and serve. This would be a nice picnic dish, or side dish.
When it really gets hot, keep this recipe in mind. Cold soup is refreshing and welcome. This recipe is from Cuba.
Avocado & Green Apple Gazpacho
From Food 52. Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 ripe Hass avocados
2 tart apples such as Granny Smiths, peeled, cored, and cut
1 red bell pepper, cored, deseeded, and cut into quarters
6 ounces cucumber
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 baby shallots, peeled and cut in half
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 ½ cups cold water
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Small handful red grapes, halved, for garnish
Directions
1. Place the avocado, apple, bell pepper, cucumber, garlic, shallots, cumin and water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Scrape the mixture out into a bowl and then stir through apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Transfer to a container and refrigerate for 2 hours for the gazpacho to chill and for the flavors to come together.
3. When you are ready to serve, remove from the fridge, taste and adjust the seasoning. You may need a little more salt or lemon, so add it to your taste. Pour into small bowls or clear glasses and garnish with a few slices of halved grapes, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and an extra grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Here is another cold, refreshing soup. Very simple!
Cucumber Gazpacho
Williams Sonoma
In a blender, puree peeled and seeded English cucumber, garlic, red onion, avocado, olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro.
Thin with vegetable stock as desired and season with salt and pepper.
Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid's Spicy Cucumber Salad
From Food 52. Adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium European cucumbers
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
5 Thai dried chilis, or 3 for milder heat
½ jalapeño, minced
7 Sichuan peppercorns
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup packed torn cilantro leaves
Directions
1. Peel the cucumber, leaving some thin strips of peel on if you wish, for a decorative effect. Cut lengthwise into quarters and discard the seeds.
2. Use the flat side of a cleaver or large knife to bash the cucumber pieces several times. Cut the pieces lengthwise into thinner strips, then cut crosswise into 2-inch lengths. Place in a medium bowl.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar and sugar. Pour over the cucumber, mix well, and set aside.
4. Place a wok or skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Toss in the dried chilis, jalapeño, and peppercorns and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds. Pour this over the cucumbers. Sprinkle on the salt and mix well.
5. Mound the salad in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle on the cilantro leaves and serve immediately. Note: The traditional way to make this uses 3 tablespoons of oil, giving a well-oiled texture that may be undesirable. If you wish, try both and see which you prefer.
This recipe calls for semi-pearled grains because they cook more quickly and have a roughened-up texture that helps them soak up the dressing. Browning them first deepens their flavor.
Grain Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
From Bon Appetit. Serves 8.
Ingredients
2 cups semi-pearled farro or spelt
Kosher salt
⅓ cup pine nuts
3 medium Persian cucumbers, peeled, cut into ¾" pieces
3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon (or more)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups torn basil leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook farro in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown and toasted (it should start to smell like popcorn and some grains may pop), about 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and pour in cold water to cover grains by 1"; throw in a healthy handful of salt. Set pot over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam occasionally from surface, until grains are tender but still have some bite, 25–35 minutes. Drain and transfer farro to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, toast pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
Add pine nuts, cucumbers, both kinds of tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, oil, and vinegar to bowl with farro and toss everything together to combine. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
Top salad with basil just before serving.
Dilled green beans are a wonderful treat to have on hand. They are pretty quick to put together, the hard part is waiting 48 hours to eat.
How to Make Dilly Beans
From The Kitchn. Makes 2 pints.
Ingredients
1 pound green, or yellow string beans
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 fresh dill sprigs
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon
kosher salt or 2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 wide-mouth quart or 2 wide-mouth pint jars with lids
Directions
1. Prepare the jars: Wash the jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside to dry or dry completely by hand.
2. Prepare the beans: Rinse the beans under cool running water and drain well. Trim the stem ends from the beans and halve them if using 2 pint-sized jars. Leave them whole if using a quart jar.
3. Add the spices to the jars: Place the garlic, red pepper flakes, and mustard seeds in the jar(s).
4. Pack the green beans into the jars: Place the jar on its side. Place the sprigs of dill down first, then stack the beans in the jar, orienting them so that they will stand up straight when the jar stands upright. Pack the jar as tightly as possible. A full pound will fit in one-quart jar, or you can divide the beans into 2 pint jars.
5. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open
Storage: These pickles are not canned and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. If you process and can the jars, they can be stored at room temperature unopened.