The peak of summer produce is here. Time to enjoy simply prepared, fresh vegetables. Adding new seasonings brings something new to the table.
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Roasted Tomato Salad
From Near and Far by Heidi Swanson. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
2 pounds tomatoes (a mix of small heirlooms and cherry tomatoes), halved
2 Tbsp. plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. brown sugar or maple syrup
Fine-grain sea salt
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 large clove garlic
1 Tbsp. Harissa
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
A small head of lettuce, trimmed
Labneh or goat cheese, to serve
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F | 175°C and adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven.
In a bowl, toss about half the tomatoes gently--but well--with the 2 tbsp. olive oil, the sugar, and a couple of pinches of salt. Arrange them in a single layer, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, without stirring, until the tomatoes shrink a bit and start to caramelize around the edges, 45 to 60 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In the meantime, toast the caraway seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush. Add the garlic clove and a pinch of salt and mash into a paste. Work in the Harissa, then the lemon juice, and gradually the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil. When ready to serve, gently toss the roasted and raw tomatoes in a large bowl with about half of the Harissa oil and the lettuce. Taste and season with a bit more salt, if needed. Serve topped with a little strained yogurt and the remaining Harissa oil on the side.
This grilled steak salad is a big change from other green salads with the Thai dressing and red meat.
Thai Grilled Steak Salad
Adapted from The Kitchn. 4 servings.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds rib-eye steak
1/4 cup lime juice
2 to 4 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. red pepper
1 small head lettuce
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 carrots, cut into thin slices
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Salt
Vegetable oil
Directions
Season the steak with salt and set aside. Heat a gas or charcoal grill, or grill pan, over high heat until very hot. Brush the steak with oil and grill to desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, red pepper and sugar. Dip a piece of lettuce in the dressing and give it a taste; add more fish sauce or other ingredients to taste.
Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Roughly tear the mint and cilantro and add to the bowl. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, carrot and red onion.
Trim away any excess fat from the steak and thinly slice across the grain. Pour the accumulated juices into the lime-fish sauce dressing and mix. Drizzle 4 Tbsp. of dressing over the lettuce mixture and toss. Taste a lettuce leaf and add more dressing if needed.
Divide the salad between four plates and top each serving with the sliced steak. Drizzle a little more dressing over the steak before serving. (There will most likely be some dressing left over.)
The next recipe is a variation of classic tomato based Shakshuka. If this dish is new to you, please give it a try in either version.
Summer Squash Shakshuka with Baked Eggs
Adapted from Food Network. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 pounds summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan, etc.)
1 tbsp. Kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 medium shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 pound tomatoes, chopped
4 ounces soft goat cheese
1/4 cup loosely packed chiffonade of basil, plus more for garnish
4 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Trim the ends off the squash and grate using a box grater or a food processor with the grating attachment. Combine with 1 tablespoon salt in a colander and let drain in the sink for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In an oven-safe skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and paprika and cook, stirring, until just tender and fragrant.
Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the squash with your hands and add it to the skillet along with the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is tender and no longer releasing liquid, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in goat cheese and basil.
Smooth the mixture evenly in the skillet and make four wells using the back of a spoon. Pour 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in each well. One at a time, crack an egg into a small bowl and pour into one of the wells. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika over each egg.
Bake until egg whites are set and yolks are still soft, about 10 minutes.
Garnish with basil and serve with crusty bread.
And more zucchini…
Zucchini Slaw
From LA Times. Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients
2 pounds zucchini (about 6 small or 3 to 4 medium)
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced into 1/4 -inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup sherry vinegar, or to taste
2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
8 large basil leaves thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish
Directions
1. Trim the ends from the zucchini and cut them crosswise into 3-inch pieces. Julienne the pieces down to the core (discard the seeded core); then place the julienned strips into a large bowl.
2. Gently stir in the tomatoes and garlic, then stir in the sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, tossing to evenly coat. Taste the slaw and adjust the flavor and seasoning as desired, then stir in the basil. The slaw can be made up to this point up to 3 hours in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. This makes about 7 cups slaw.
3. Just before serving stir in the pine nuts. Serve the slaw with a few shavings of Parmigiano over each portion.
Everyone should have a good zucchini fritter recipe. This one is protein rich, and has Mediterranean flavors.
Healthier Zucchini Fritters
From PureWow.com. Serves 3-4.
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa
2 zucchini, grated
Salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 small Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 long green pepper, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Directions
Cook quinoa in 1 3/4 cups water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until quinoa has completely absorbed water. Set aside and let cool.
Place zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Wait for 10 minutes so salt can extract juices from zucchini. With clean hands, squeeze zucchini, then pat with a thin towel to soak up extra water.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add feta cheese and combine well with zucchini, onion, green pepper, dill, and cooked quinoa. Add salt and pepper to taste. Form mixture into patties.
Heat a saucepan with oil until it begins to smoke. Add patties and press each down with edge of a spatula to slightly flatten. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown.
Mix garlic and yogurt. Serve aside or atop patties.
Grilled Eggplant with Tomatoes, Basil, and Feta
From Martha Stewart. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 10 ounces), halved
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large
Directions
Generously season eggplant slices with salt. Place vertically in a colander, overlapping them. Let stand 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Liberally brush cut sides of eggplant with oil. Grill, turning once, until tender, about 4 minutes a side. Mix tomatoes, pine nuts, feta, red-pepper flakes, and oil; season with salt. Spoon over eggplant; top with basil.
Finally a perfect ratatouille recipe, made in a slow cooker. This is a large batch so good for a crowd, or it makes great leftovers.
Slow-Cooker Ratatouille
From The Kitchn. Serves 8 to 10.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini or summer squash
2 large red, green, or yellow bell peppers (about 1 pound)
1 pound tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed, until completely softened and light golden-brown, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the vegetables.
Trim the eggplant and zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes, and place in the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Trim, core, and cut the bell peppers into 1-inch dice and add to the slow cooker. Core the tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch dice, and add to the slow cooker. Finely chop the garlic and add to the slow cooker.
When the onions are ready, add the tomato paste to the pan and stir to coat the onions. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to coat all the vegetables.
Cover the slow cooker and cook until the vegetables are extremely tender, 4 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low. If you'd like to cook off some of the excess liquid in the slow cooker, cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes.
Stir in the basil and taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving if desired.
Storage: The ratatouille can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.