It feels like it’s one bazillion degrees out. So I refuse to cook today. I will, however, gladly eat a salad with chicken, veggies, and almonds, topped with a Honey-Dijon Dressing. Yes, yes I will.
You can use your favorite summer veggies. I’m using what I have on hand (and what I think will taste good). This salad is great in the wintertime too, with broccoli and cauliflower instead of tomatoes and bell peppers. If it were a few months earlier we’d be using sugar snap peas and sprouts.
I used leftover chicken. It makes this salad a synch to make. But, cooking up a chicken breast or two isn’t all that difficult, so don’t let a lack of leftovers deter you.
You could omit the chicken and add some crispy tofu, or tempeh. Do what works for you, with the ingredients that you have in your kitchen!
This can be a main dish, or it would be great alongside a chicken that’s been roasted and brushed with some of the dressing. Ooh, or you could grill it and then brush with dressing… I’m gonna have to try that some time… it sounds really good!
You know, that sweet summer corn that’s one of the most wonderful things that you could ever eat.
I’m not kidding.
I wait for this corn all year long… I wait for a lot of things all year long. That’s how it is with seasonal eating. By choosing to get our food from a local, sustainable source, we choose to (for the most part) wait until summer for things like fresh corn, tomatoes, and stone fruit. I’m cool with buying things frozen or canned (I can’t wait aaaaaall year for some tomatoes – I need to be able to eat Spaghetti and Meatballs, you know?!). But, I much prefer fresh, if possible.
So yeah, this week’s episode kinda screams summer freshness. It yells that you should barbecue some sausage or chicken to go along with it. It hollers that if you need to, it’s ok to just eat the corn straight off the cob, no cooking needed. It’s gonna make a mess anyways, so at least pick up the kernels that you’ve scattered all over the counter in the midst of slicing the corn off the cob, and gobble them up. Yes, gobble.
Do you find it necessary to act like a typewriter when eating corn on the cob, complete with a ding at the end of the “row”? Just me? Ok.
I used quinoa for this salad. Rice would also be acceptable (wait, do people make cold rice salads??), so would pasta. But I like quinoa because it’s got a bit more protein and it’s just different and really fun to eat (says me).
Fresh veggies are loaded in. Corn, green beans, red onion, tomatoes, summer squash, and fresh herbs. If you have other favorites, feel free to make a swap. I’m all about using what I have. No need to go and buy something if you’ve got a perfectly acceptable replacement in the fridge!
If you’re like a good friend on mine, and you don’t prefer some veggies totally raw, welcome to the world of roasted veggies. Start with larger pieces, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then bake at 350F for 10-20 minutes, or until they’re as crispy as you’d like. Let them cool, chop or dice, and toss with the salad. You could also par cook them (which means partially cook) by boiling for a minute or two. Then don’t discard the water, there’s lots of goodness left in there! Use it to boil some pasta or make a veggie stock (take some of the veggies that are left in your produce drawers from last week, you know, the ones that look a little sad… give ’em a good scrub, chop into large pieces, and cook cook cook away).
I used some leftover chicken. It was originally roasted in the Crock Pot, taken off the bones, then frozen. You could also cook a chicken breast like I did for a recipe that I made last year. Whatever works for you. I just like to be creative with leftovers.
You could also add beans. I’ve done this before. It’s good. I just didn’t have any cooked, so I didn’t do it this time. If you wanted to go vegetarian, I’d omit the chicken and add the beans. Pinto or white beans would be yummy, even chick peas would be great.
This makes a lot of salad. It’s perfect for your Canada Day or 4th of July BBQ, for a simple dinner at home, or a picnic on the beach. Although on second thought, I’m picturing a windy day and crunching on sand along with fresh veggies and I think I don’t like my idea anymore… let’s change it to a picnic on some grass, lounging on a cute quilt, with your favorite someone. There. That’s better. Bring along some lemonade or maybe some sparkling wine, some Italian Date Subs, olives and pickles, some salt and vinegar chips (these have been my favorite since I was a kid), and some fresh fruit and then you’re all set.
Perfect for a picnic or a BBQ, this is a light yet hearty salad, with plenty of delicious summer veggies.
Ingredients
2 C uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
4 C stock or water
4 ears of corn, kernels sliced off the cob
2 small summer squash, diced
1 C green beans, diced
1/4 to 1/2 C red onion, diced or minced
5 small tomatoes, diced
1 C chicken, cooked and chopped
Dressing: 1 T lemon juice
1/2 to 1 T apple cider vinegar
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 T maple syrup
1 t dijon mustard
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
pinch cayenne
2 T fresh basil, chopped
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 t fresh oregano, chopped
1 t fresh chives, chopped
3/4 C olive oil
Instructions
In a medium pot combine quinoa and stock/water. Stir. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients except olive oil. Whisk and slowly stream in olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Combine half the dressing with the quinoa. Refrigerate while you prepare the veggies.
Combine quinoa with remaining dressing, chicken, and veggies. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cool completely.
Serve as larger portions for a main dish, or smaller portions along with something grilled and delicious as a side.
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Here are some of the ways that I’m planning to use the contents of this week’s Abundant Harvest Organics box (along with a few other ideas that I think would be fun).
I can’t stop thinking about tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes that are in season right now. I can’t wait to get my hands on them.
Fresh tomatoes seem to require simple ingredients. Yummy bread, good quality olive oil, cracked pepper, salt, garden grown basil, garlic… Do you know where I’m going with this?
Bruschetta.
My variation of an Italian classic.
You could dress it up and make it your own by adding things like some roasted ham, olives, or mozzarella. You could make the tomatoes, garlic, and oil into a bit of a salad to be put on top of toasted bread. You could chop it all up and make a Panzanella Salad… ‘Cause isn’t it more fun to put your own spin on things that you cook?
If you don’t agree, I’m happy to do the playing for you.
Here’s my spin…
Heirloom tomatoes. Wedges. Garlic. Olive oil. Salt and pepper. Roasted.
Heirloom tomatoes. Wedges. Garlic. Olive oil. Salt and pepper. Raw.
Bread. Sliced. Toasted.
Combine them. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
Simple.
Serve it with some roasted chicken (hot or cold) and a glass of red wine or Italian soda…
Happy summer eating! This would be great for a picnic or an upcoming 4th of July or Canada day celebration. And friends, it’s hot, so I’m avoiding using the oven and am using my countertop convection oven instead (meaning a toaster will work just fine).
You know how else I want to use these tomatoes? With fresh pasta. The rest of the ingredients should be the same. Simple. Olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and tomato.
Let these amazing and fresh ingredients really shine.
Last modified on 2013-07-03 00:54:20 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
3 medium or 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 head Garlic (1-2 cloves removed and left raw), top sliced off
1 T plus 1/2 t Olive oil, divided
Salt
Pepper
4 slices bread
Basil, cut in a chiffonade (ribbons)
Instructions
Drizzle head of garlic with 1/2 t olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350F.
Toss half of the tomatoes with 1/2 T olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Place on garlic baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Place bread in oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly crispy and toasty.
Remove garlic and tomatoes from oven to cool slightly.
Mash garlic.
Rub the raw clove of garlic on the toasted bread. Top with mashed garlic. Top with alternating slices of raw and roasted tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil.
Chili is good any time of the year. So are crispy, oven roasted potatoes.
So let’s combine the two.
Ok? Ok.
Here’s how it’ll go down around here… Monday = Summer Chili for dinner. Tuesday = Top Crispy Potatoes with warmed leftover Summer Chili and cheese. Bake until cheese is melty. Eat. Say Mmmmm.
Last modified on 2020-10-06 16:13:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese
Recipe Type: Main, Leftovers, Potatoes
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, cut in chunks
1/2 T olive oil
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t smoked paprika
pinch cayenne
pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
pinch red pepper flakes
Summer Chili, for topping
1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 C cherry (or regular) tomatoes, chopped, for topping
Greek yogurt (or sour cream), for topping (opt.)
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Toss potatoes with olive oil and seasonings. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at for 30-45 minutes (depending on type of potato), flipping once, partway through, if desired.
Divide potatoes into two piles. Top with chili and then cheese. Bake 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Serve topped with tomatoes and yogurt or sour cream.
I don’t love the heat. But, one thing that I’m reminded of without fail, every year, is that I love love love hearts and giggles love summer fruits and vegetables.
Move over cabbage and beets. There’s a new tomato in town. (What? Nobody knows.)
I’ve planted a garden for the past five years. Each year I start early. I’m so excited to get those seeds into the ground that sometimes I start in January (it’s hard not to when the warm winter weather is playing tricks on me). The little plants peek through the ground, shiver a little, and then stay the same size for what seems like months and months. And then summer hits and the plants seem to mature overnight. Oh yeah, I remember each year, they like the heat. So for this reason (and possibly this reason only), I too will occasionally say that I like the heat. Because I love what it produces.
My little garden doesn’t yield all that much. Mostly, it’s fun and kinda therapeutic to play in the dirt and see what will grow. Thankfully we have our weekly Abundant Harvest Organics box to feed us, and my garden just adds a few things here and there (right now, mostly herbs – I’ve got basil, parsley, oregano, and chives that are growing happily).
This little salad is full of veggies and bread. Mmmm bread. I toasted it up, rubbed some garlic on it, ate a lot of it, and then topped it with some oil and vinegar dressed veggies.
You could use other herbs and veggies if you have favorites that I didn’t use. You could omit the green beans and add more tomatoes. You could use basil instead of tarragon. You could add chicken, bacon, steak…
Oh great, now I’m hungry again.
Whatever you use, this is a great summer meal that can be made in no time at all. If you leave the bread separate from the veggies and dressing, you could take it along on a picnic. Or you could just eat it at your desk while you write a blog post, frantically stuffing as much into your mouth as fast as your can, for fear that you will never eat anything this delicious again… oh wait, that was just me.
Does it count as a salad if there’s no lettuce? I think so. Combine some day old bread with fresh summer veggies, and you’ve got dinner!
Ingredients
1 loaf bread, sliced (will end up with about 7-8 C when it’s chopped)
olive oil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 C summer squash, grated
1 carrot (1 C), grated
1 C green beans, cut into 1″ pieces
2 T red onion (opt.), chopped
1/2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 C tomato, chopped
1 C parmesan cheese, grated
Dressing: 1/2 to 1 T fresh tarragon, chopped
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 t chives, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced or minced
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 C olive oil (or more – to taste)
Instructions
Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly toasty. Rub each slice with the clove of garlic. Cut into chunks.
Whisk dressing ingredients together. Toss with veggies and cheese.
Right before serving toss veggie mixture with bread. OR place some bread on a plate and top with veggie mixture.