Salads

A Summer Tomato Salad That Is a Feast for Your Eyes – June
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A Summer Tomato Salad That Is a Feast for Your Eyes – June

We were invited to a summer house party in the foothills of California over the weekend. In addition to having a wonderful time, I was able to score some early tomatoes from this, much warmer, area. It won’t be tomato season on the coast until late August or even September.

I got the idea for the salad from the book Salad Freak, one of my favorite cookbooks. It’s by Jess Damuck, who used to work for Martha Stewart.

The garden is overrun with nasturtiums, and they are a lovely accent to red and yellow tomatoes.

Nasturtiums

 

Tomato, nasturtium, and arugula salad

Tomato, nasturtium, and arugula salad

I don’t have a real recipe.

Simply cut up a variety of tomatoes, several colors and varieties if you have them. Cut some into wedges, some sliced. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Arrange them on a platter or plate, top with some colorful nasturtiums and arugula. Then sprinkle with salt crystals, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add a few drops of balsamic glaze.

That’s all there is to it. Tres simple.

Tomato and Nasturtium Salad

Tomato and Nasturtium Salad

I can think of several variations. What about adding watermelon, maybe some crumbled feta, pickled red onion?

 

 

June – Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt
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June – Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

This is the other salad I served to my book club friends.

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Full of herbs and edible flowers, this salad was beautiful. It is meant to be eaten the day it is made, as it didn’t keep well and wasn’t particularly good the following day. The recipe came from another book by Hetty McKinnon, Family. All her books are overflowing with wonderful vegetarian meals for sharing with friends and family. This dish is particularly beautiful with all the herbs and edible flowers used as a garnish. Her recipe was written using quinoa, I substituted brown rice. However, after making it this once, I think it would be even more flavorful with farro or freekeh. It would also give a nice textural element, toothiness (is that a word?) was missing. That’s how I intend to make it next time.

The pea yogurt sauce is a nice touch. Leave it out or use a nut yogurt instead if you are going dairy free or vegan.

The flowers, herbs, and peas came from my garden. The recipe calls for peas but I used a mixture of blanched and slivered snow and snap peas. They came from the garden in Fort Bragg. I supplemented them with some frozen petit pois. You could (as the recipe was written) use all frozen peas.

Short peas growing in a raised bed, these are a mix of snap and snow peas

Short peas growing in a raised bed, these are a mix of snap and snow peas

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt (serves 4)

Ingredients: 

  • Salad –
    • 1 cauliflower head, cut into large florets
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 cup of quinoa or another grain, rinsed
    • 2 cups of vegetable stock or coconut water or water
    • 2 cups of peas
    • 1 cup of microgreens
    • 1/4 cup of mint leaves
    • Garnish of edible flowers
    • salt and pepper
  • Mint-Pea Yogurt
    • 1/2 cup frozen peas
    • 1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
    • 1 cup of Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
  2. Place the cauliflower florets on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 25-30 minutes until tender and turning golden. Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add your grain of choice to a saucepan with the vegetable stock, coconut water, or plain water. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until done. Remove from the heat and cool for 5-10 minutes before draining. Fluff with a fork and squeeze the lemon over, then drizzle with olive oil.
  4. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the peas (including the ones for the sauce) for 1 minute, drain and rinse under cool running water until cold. Set aside.
  5. For the mint-pea yogurt sauce – combine the mint, 1/2 cup of the blanched peas, and the yogurt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the olive oil, syrup or honey, and season with salt and pepper. Blend again until combined. Pour into a jar and chill.
  6. When ready to assemble the salad combine the cauliflower, grain, and peas. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the microgreens and edible flowers.
  7. Serve the yogurt sauce on the side.

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

 

June – Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentils and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts
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June – Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentils and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

I made this salad for my Oakland book club. It was my turn to host dinner. They are a wonderful group of women, and cooking for them is a challenge I look forward to each year. My turn only comes around once a year and I spend quite a bit of time doing research. The food has to be, first, delicious. And also gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian. Over the past few years, this has gotten easier. Cookbooks and online recipe forums have proliferated. It’s just a matter of finding the right one. This salad hit it out of the park. It was even yummy the next day for lunch with a scoop of cottage cheese. Leftovers would also make a wonderful base for a soup.

The recipe came from the book Community by Hetty McKinnon.

Buffet line

Buffet Line

 

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

For the sweet potatoes and salad

  • 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 cup of dried brown lentils or 2-1/2 cups of cooked
  • 1 cup of soft herbs, chopped (use whatever you have such as parsley, mint, tarragon, chives, dill, and/or cilantro). I used a mix of chopped parsley, mint, chives, and cilantro.
  • 2 cups of baby arugula
  • 1/2 cup of shaved parmesan

For the sweet vinaigrette

  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the honey-roasted walnuts

  • 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon of dried chili flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 2 cups of walnuts

Method:

  1. Roast the sweet potatoes.
    1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and ground spices. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to coat the potatoes with the spices.
    3. Spread the potatoes on one sheet pan and roast for about 30 minutes until they are tender and starting to brown.
  2. Prepare the walnuts.
    1. Combine the honey with the chili flakes, turmeric, salt, and enough water to make a thick paste. (I did this in the same bowl I used for the sweet potatoes.)
    2. Coat the walnuts with the paste and spread on the second baking sheet.
    3. Roast for 10-12 minutes until the walnuts are crunchy and almost dry. They will crisp as they cool. Watch them carefully as they will burn quickly. They may still be a bit sticky which is fine.
  3. Make the sweet vinaigrette.
    1. Whisk together all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Prepare the lentils.
    1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the lentils, and simmer over medium heat until they are tender but not falling apart. Use the directions on your package for timing. Drain.
    2. While the lentils are still warm, stir through the vinaigrette.
  5. Assemble the salad in a large bowl or on a platter. Combine half the herbs with the arugula, sweet potato, and lentils. Season well.
  6. To serve, scatter over the remaining herbs, the walnuts, and shaved parmesan.

Serve the salad at room temperature. It can be made ahead up to step 5. Bring it to room temperature before serving and add the herbs, walnuts, and parmesan.

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Quinn thought she should have a taste.

Quinn - Can I have a bite?

Quinn – Can I have a bite?

View from the Oakland condo of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County at sunset.

Mt. Tamalpais

Mt. Tamalpais

March – Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, Calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta salad
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March – Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, Calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta salad

Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta

Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, Calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta

This recipe came from the cookbook vegetarian salad for dinner by Jeanne Kelley. In her recipe she uses whole wheat pasta, which would be a good alternative. I wanted to make the salad gluten free and had brown rice penne in the pantry. Serve this salad at room temperature, it’s vegan, gluten and dairy free as written. For extra protein a bit of crumbled feta ups the flavor but is not necessary.

I often roast cauliflower but forget that broccoli is also delicious roasted, especially when there are some crispy bits. Roasting sweetens the broccoli, combining it with preserved lemons and Calabrian chiles ups the the salty and tangy notes.

Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, Calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta

Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, Calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta

Ingredients: (serves 4)

  • 2 to 2-1/2 pounds of broccoli (about 2 bunches)
  • 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces of dried penne or small macaroni, any kind (about 2 cups)
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated on a microplane or crushed through a garlic press
  • 3 tablespoons of chopped preserved lemon (rind only)
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of minced Calabrian chiles
  • Optional: 6 ounces of crumbled fresh feta cheese

Method:

  1. Position your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
  2. Cover 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
  3. Cut the broccoli into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. Place the cut broccoli in a large bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss with your hands to mix well and coat with oil. Divide the broccoli between the pans. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
  4. Roast until tender browned with some crisp edges. This took about 20 minutes, I switched the locations of the pans after 10. Cool.
  5. Boil the pasta in rapidly boiling salted water until tender but firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl (I used the same one that contained the broccoli in step 3).
  6. Immediately add the garlic and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss well to coat the pasta. Add the broccoli, preserved lemon and lemon juice.
  7. Add the Calabrian chiles gradually until you have the desired heat.
  8. Add the optional feta if using.
Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, Calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta

Roasted broccoli, preserved lemon, Calabrian chile, and brown rice pasta

Serve at room temperature.

January – Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
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January – Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

During the warmer summer months I gorge on sun ripened tomatoes from hot inland gardens. Once winter starts, I avoid the tasteless and long traveled ones available in the grocery store. Instead, my passion runs to Brussels sprouts. Roasted until bronzed with a few charred leaves, they are sweet and don’t resemble the over cooked boiled ones served in school cafeterias. I frequently snack on the crisp dark brown outer leaves that are loose on the sheet pan.

Most vegetables in the Brassica family profit from being roasted. It’s certainly my favorite way to cook them, or most any vegetable. Simply cut them into 1-inch pieces, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Then roast (cut side down) in a 425 degree oven, maybe turning once although not required, until done to your liking with edges that are brown and starting to carmelize. This usually only takes 30 to 40 minutes, hands free. Your time is then available for anything else you plan to serve.

But raw, thinly sliced Brussels sprouts are also delicious. Even better, a salad using them can be made ahead and is frequently even better the following day. A food processor with the thin slicing blade makes short work of it or you can use a sharp knife. Trader Joe’s sells pre-sliced sprouts although they are not quite as thin as I like them. They do work well in a stir fry though.

 

Brussels sprout salad

Brussels sprout salad

What’s in there? I see dried cranberries, chopped dates, pine nuts, and fresh goat cheese in addition to the shaved sprouts. Toasted walnuts would also be excellent in this salad. Although it’s difficult to see in the picture, there are also roasted outer leaves of the sprouts to add a toasty note.

This recipe originally came from the blog Love & Lemons, you will find the link here. They use grated parmesan instead of fresh goat cheese, and the dates are my own addition.

If you would like to add the roasted outer leaves, just peel them off before shaving the sprouts. Toss them with a little olive oil and salt on a parchment lined sheet pan, and roast at 425 degrees F. for about 25-30 minutes until crisp and brown. Add them at the very last minute to the salad.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups shaved Brussels sprouts
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries
  • 4 diced dates
  • 1/2 cup of crumbled fresh goat cheese
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

  1. Toss the sprouts, pine nuts, cranberries and dates together.
  2. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and toss again.
  3. Taste for salt and pepper.
  4. Crumble in the goat cheese.
  5. optional roasted outer leaves should go in just before serving

The salad can be made ahead through step 3.

Shaved Brussels sprout salad

Shaved Brussels sprout salad