Summer is here! The heat may be unpleasant, but the produce is not. I try to remind myself how lucky we are to have such great tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, peaches, and more. Salads and sandwiches can be extra special with the bounty.
Gaytan Family Farm
Beets
Asparagus
Bell Pepper
Cantaloupe
Sweet Corn
Cabbage
Fox Farm
Patty Pan Squash
Basil
Assorted Zucchini
R&B Farms
Red Slcing Tomatoes
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Summer Salad with Grilled Peaches, Corn and Spicy Cashew Dressing
From In the Veggie Kitchen. Serves 6.
Ingredients
1/2 pound green beans trimmed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 ripe peaches medium firm, pitted and quartered
unrefined coconut oil for brushing peaches and corn
6-7 ounces baby romaine, butter lettuce or mixed greens
3 ears corn husked and silks removed
4 green onions thinly sliced
1 avocado large, cubed
1/3 cup sweet and spicy pecans
Spicy Cashew Dressing
1/4 cup raw cashews soaked in water for 1-4 hours (depending on the strength of your blender), and drained
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons pure Grade A maple syrup or mild raw honey
1 garlic clove medium
1/2 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
black pepper to taste
pinch cayenne
Instructions
Prepare a large bowl with ice water (an ice bath.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and kosher salt. As soon as the last bean hits the water, set your timer for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, drain and immediately plunge the beans into the ice water. Allow to sit in the water for about 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Chop into bite size pieces and set aside.
Heat a grill to medium/medium high heat, about 400 degrees. Alternatively, you can use a cast iron grill pan. Brush peaches and corn lightly with oil. Grill until peaches and corn have light grill marks, turning occasionally. This should only take a minute or two on each side. Set aside to cool, then slice peaches crosswise into thirds or fourths and cut the corn kernels off the cob.
Place mixed greens in a bowl. Add green beans, corn and green onions, drizzle dressing to lightly coat and toss. Arrange on a platter and top with peaches, avocado and pecans. Drizzle with some additional dressing and serve. Extra dressing can stay in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Spicy Cashew Dressing
To make dressing, place all ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. This will take a little longer in a food processor. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing will thicken as it sits, especially if refrigerated overnight.
I am sure most of us have eaten basil, pine nut and Parmesan pesto many times, but I found a formula for making others variety. A great way to change flavors.
Pesto
Get the formula down. Pesto has five components: herb, acid (typically lemon juice), cheese, toasted nuts and oil to blend everything together. Once you know the method, you can make endless combinations:
Cilantro Pesto
This is a creamier spread reminding me of salsa verde.
1 c cilantro + ¼ c queso fresco + ¼ c toasted pumpkin seeds + 2 tbsp lime juice + ¼ c extra-virgin olive oil + salt, to taste
In a food processor or blender, add the cilantro, queso fresco, pumpkin seeds and lime juice. Pulse until the mixture is roughly chopped, then with the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the mixture becomes smooth. Season with salt and serve.
This very French flavored pesto is good on cold pasta or roast chicken.
Tarragon Pesto
1 c tarragon + ¼ c Gruyère + ¼ c toasted hazelnuts + 2 tbsp lemon juice + ¼ c extra-virgin olive oil + salt, to taste
In a food processor or blender, add the tarragon, Gruyère, hazelnuts and lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture is roughly chopped, then with the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the mixture becomes smooth. Season with salt and serve.
Basil, pine nut pesto makes a great potato salad, with green beans. Steam your potatoes, Yukon Gold or red, and green beans. Dress with pesto thinned with a little olive oil and a light tasting vinegar, such as champagne. You can add green onion, chopped, whole pine nuts, and some shaved Parmesan cheese.
Mexican Street Corn Salad with Avocado
From cookingclassy.com. About 5 servings.
Ingredients
4 ears fresh corn, husked and kernels cut from cob (3 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt
1/3 cup chopped red or green onion (if using red run under water and drain to remove harsh bite)
1/3 cup slightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 oz. Cotija cheese, finely crumbled
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (light or regular)
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, divided
1/2 tsp. chili powder, then more to taste (I used part ancho chili powder part regular)
1 1/2 medium avocados (semi-firm but ripe) peeled, cored and chopped small
Directions
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add corn, season with salt to taste and toss, then let cook, tossing only occasionally (about every 2 minutes) until corn is well charred all over (about 6 - 10 minutes total). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Adapted from Serious Eats.
Add corn to a medium bowl along with, onions, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, 3/4 of the Cotija, mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp lime juice and chili powder and toss. Pour remaining 1/2 Tbsp lime juice over diced avocados then add to bowl with corn mixture and gently toss. Top with remaining Cotija and additional chili powder to taste.
Tomato Salad with Corn, Summer Squash and Roasted Onions
From Food 52. Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 medium onions (use new onions if you can find them)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
1 yellow summer squash
2 small ears corn, blanched
1 scallion, finely chopped (or use fresh green onion tops if you have them)
2 cups Sungold tomatoes (or other small, sweet tomatoes)
Coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
10 large basil leaves
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and slice the onions into 1/2-inch rings, and then arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the onions with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt, and smush everything around to coat the onions on both sides. Roast them for about 40 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until they're brown and soft. Let the onions cool and then roughly chop them. Set aside.
Dice the squash (aim for 1/4 inch) and put it in a large bowl; you should have about a cup. Strip the kernels from the ears of corn and add them to the bowl with the squash. Finely chop the scallion and add to the bowl. Halve the tomatoes (or quarter them if they're bigger than a cherry) and add them to the bowl. Add the chopped roasted onions, a tablespoon of olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Stir everything together gently.
In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the honey; whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some more salt and pepper. Stir about two-thirds of the dressing into the salad, taste, adding more if you like. Roughly chop the basil, stir it into the salad and serve.
Corn and Zucchini Salad with Chives
From The Kitchn. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 small zucchini, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ears sweet corn, kernels shaved off
1 cup minced chives
1/2 cup chopped mint, plus sprigs to garnish
Directions
Place the diced zucchini in a colander or small bowl and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil and the butter. When the butter foams up, add the corn kernels and cook, stirring frequently, until they are tender — about 5 minutes.
Drain any excess water off the zucchini and add to the skillet, along with the chives and mint. Sauté just until the zucchini is barely tender — about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately while hot, or at room temperature.
Sandwiches
One of my summertime favorites is a sandwich with good whole grain bread and lots of tomatoes. With really good tomatoes, you can stop there. A little mayonnaise, and maybe a little salt and done.
Sometimes I will add cheese, either a slice or spreadable, cucumbers, zucchini, sliced lengthwise, red or yellow peppers, either fresh or from a jar, and lettuce or sprouts. Grilled zucchini or eggplant is also good.
The tomatoes are really the most important ingredient. Toasting the bread adds a nice crunch. You can use pocket bread or a sandwich wrap too.
Another summer favorite.
Open-Face Tomato, Pesto and Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
Sliced sourdough bread
Pesto
Thick heirloom tomato slices
Cheese slice for melting on top. You can use provolone or a zestier cheese such as Swiss
Grated Parmesan for sprinkling on top
Directions
Toast the bread. Spread with pesto, add tomato slices, then a slice of cheese.
Top off your creation with Parmesan and small dots of pesto. Put under a broiler or a toaster oven until cheese is melted.