Growing up in the midwest, I hated potato salad. It’s true. The staple side dish gracing every BBQ was the bane of my outdoor dining existence. It occurred at some point in when I hatched a distaste for mayonnaise.

I believe this decision formulated shortly after I made myself a tuna fish sandwich: In attempts to get the fishy tuna flavor out of my sandwich, I mixed in close to 2 cups of mayonnaise (into a single-serving can of tuna). It didn’t help, and I ended up discarding the sandwich, two bites of which gave me a horrible stomach ache. (Who would have thought with all that mayonnaise?)

Next, mayonnaise-heavy potato salad popped into my vision at every deli counter. There is something about prepared deli counter salads that has always told me to stay away. Is it the resemblance to the lunch line at school? Or perhaps the display that gives everything a brownish-blue hue and make nothing appear to be refrigerated?

Let us pinpoint these moments as the beginning of my mayonnaise banishment.

Obviously, this dislike of mayonnaise, living in the midwest, brings me to my hatred of potato salad. Because we all know midwest potato salad and mayonnaise go hand-in-hand.

It was not until college that I tried potato salad again. My good friend A made me her family’s Lebanese Potato Salad, which she described as simply adding the Lebanese basic seasonings: garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Light, simple and totally delicious, it awakened me to a whole new world of looking at potatoes: Did you know potatoes don’t need to be mashed with butter or fried and dipped in ketchup to taste good?

My preferred method of cooking potatoes now is making a potato salad using the Lebanese trio (trio because in my book, an herb, salt and pepper are given). Sometimes I spice it up with some hot chili flakes, sometimes I add other vegetables to bulk it up, as in this case. You cannot go wrong when you work with these basic, yet deliciously pure ingredients.

Please note: I have recently found new appreciation for mayonnaise. While I still do not use it in a tuna sandwich, I can understand its place in a vinegar-based coleslaw (just a little fat, not saturated in mayonnaise). I also admit that I recently made my own mayonnaise and highly suggest a homemade version over anything store bought. (Further, I prefer homemade because I know I will actually finish it– the smallest bottle of store bought mayonnaise has gone bad in my refrigerator. With a shelf life over one year, you do not want to know what rancid mayonnaise smells like.)

Potato Salad with Corn and Green Beans
Serving size= 6-8. Cook time=  15 minutes. Prep time=  10 minutes.
1 pound potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size (I prefer the texture of new potatoes in potato salad because they hold shape and texture)
1 cup corn, sliced from cob  fresh (or canned)
1 cup green beans, cleaned and halved
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt/ pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, until soft when pricked with a fork. While potatoes are cooking, place fresh corn, green beans, olive oil and garlic in the serving bowl. When potatoes finish cooking, drain, but do not rinse with water. Place hot potatoes in the serving bowl and toss. The residual heat will steam the corn and beans, leaving the beans snappy (if you prefer beans more done you can steam them for 30 seconds before you add them to the hot potatoes). Finish by tossing with the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, at room temp, or cold.

An important garden lesson: you cannot stop a cucumber plant from going crazy– Actually, you cannot stop any vining plant from clinging and climbing wherever it sees fit. But let’s talk cucumbers.

I planted an heirloom variety known as lemon cucumber. Lemon because the resulting fruit is fairly lemon shaped and ripen from light green to a bright lemon yellow. When I checked on the plant two Fridays ago there were a number of flowers waiting to burst with fruit. I left for a week to visit D in upstate New York terrified I would miss out on a massive cucumber harvest. (Seriously, I had three different dreams about lost or unattended garden bounty.)

While upstate, I purchased a beautiful 3-gallon ceramic crock pot from a lovely antique dealer– really a gift for all those cucumbers ready to spring to life. When D and I returned Sunday we headed to the garden for our first massive harvest: corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and ever more basil.

We’re overflowing with cucumbers now and decided to take action. Garden cucumbers head to the crock for brining and CSA cucumbers get crock treatment or turned into the great little snack you see pictured above. I’ll provide a picture of the brined cucumbers once the pickles are (hopefully) tasty and ready for the camera.

Until then, satisfy your cucumber (and tomato) bounty with this fresh and easy snack. I used a hearty cranberry-walnut bread as the base. Any other good bread will do, or go without bread, using the cucumber as a base. Top with any fresh herb and voila, a tasty garden treat.

Cucumber Bites
Serving Size= 5 piece. Prep time= 5 minutes.
5 small slices, or 2 larger slices cut small of cranberry-walnut bread
1 cucumber, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 vine ripe tomato, sliced 1/2-inch thick
salt/ pepper to taste
5 slices, 1/4-inch thick, feta
fresh thyme for garnish (parsley, chives, parsley or cilantro will work too)
lemon spritz (optional)

Method: Toast bread until golden. Layer bread with cucumber and tomato. Season with salt and pepper then top with feta and a sprinkle of herbs. Add a spritz of lemon over top for some added zip.

Dare I say I’ve gone strawberry crazy?

I am quite happy to inform folks that I have bushels of strawberries in my possession. I excitedly contemplated all the delicious things to make: wine, jam, ice cream, scones, lemonade… As I thought, I realized I was quickly eating through my stash. So sweet in their natural state, I started thinking, Applying them to a dish would be sacrilegious! (They do much better in my belly unadulterated.)

The more sensible part of me methodically began pulling stems and lining the berries on a baking sheet to freeze, then bag for a future use (as there was no way all could be eaten before spoiling). As I lined a cookie sheet with strawberries I realized how nicely uniform so many of them were. In fact, they appeared to be a perfect little army dressed for strawberry battle in some distant fruit land– perhaps protecting Strawberry Shortcake (the cartoon or the dessert)? Each berry was outfitted with a gnome-like cap. (How adorable.)

As I admired my infantry, the Giant of Terror in the Land of Berries approached. Oooo, strawberries! D exclaimed as his colossal hand reached into my helpless army patch and snatched up soldiers. One after another he ate my freshly stemmed friends. “Stop eating my strawberry army!”

“Uhhhh… Your what?”

“Nothing… They’re just my strawberry army. You can’t eat them, eat these.” I shoved over the random piling of discarded strawberries sprawled on the counter, not perfect enough to join my forces.

So now sits a bag of berries marked “not for giants” awaiting recipes in the freezer. If I can rein myself in they will be saved for a blistery day in late December. While I ponder future berry times I’ll whip up an occasional strawberry smoothie: 2 parts frozen berries, 1 part heavy cream. It is the purest and sweetest milk shake I ever had.

Strawberry Smoothie
Serves 2
1.5 cups fresh frozen strawberries
3/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)

Method: Place ll ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add more heavy cream to thin out if necessary.

If you can still find some fresh berries this late in the season a favorite application was in salad. You may add or subtract from any of these ingredients.

Strawberry Salad
Serves 4-6
1 head romaine, or similar crisp lettuce, washed and separated
1 handful arugula, washed
1 bulb kohlrabi*, sliced into matchstick size cuttings
1 bunch fresh herbs (thyme, basil, parsley work well), loosely chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas, washed and stemmed
4 ounces goat cheese or fresh ricotta, crumbled
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Method: Toss all prepped ingredients and serve with dressing on the side.
*Kohlrabi is an odd looking vegetable, but worth a try (it’s very high in vitamin C). The flavor is similar to cabbage, but crossed with the crispness of a perfect apple. It is a great addition raw to coleslaw or salad. Just cut off the stalk and slice (I don’t even peel mine).

Mustard Vinaigrette
This dressing will keep so make enough and store in a small glass container. Season to preferred acidic taste.
1 part whole grain mustard (Dijon makes an excellent one)
1 part lemon juice
1 part olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Method: Add all ingredients to a jar and shake just before applying to salad. (This dressing is great over fish like halibut or salmon.)

NOTE: This strawberry salad recipe was entered into Healthy Cooking’s recipe event, because hey, what’s more healthy than fresh ingredients? No substitutes needed!

(Don’t forget! You have until Friday to enter the Cool Beans Giveaway! Leave a bean-related comment in the post for your chance to win a 3-pack of Cool Beans. Beans are a delicious and healthy snack! Deadline is 3PM, March 7)

Is it too early to think about summer? Too early to write dreamily about foodstuffs like fresh corn? Let us take a moment out of our hectic lives, meetings, winter gloom, and think about sweet July corn (non-GM, of course). Close your eyes and meditate: Ohmmmmm Cornnnnn.

The above soup, was in fact, made this past summer. It is a corn chowder, and while I speak of other chowders, I thought it was appropriate to post. While the bitter winds of winter blast through us, we can take a deep breath and think of summertime corn (D’s favorite).

Most people think clam chowders are the only true variety [an aside: New England is the true chowder!]. A chowder is traditionally a salt pork based soup. Meaning? Bring on the bacon! Traditionally, it is also a thickened soup base, whether it’s by crushed crackers and milk, flour, or another means, is your decision.

I make this corn chowder every summer when it is available for bargain prices (we’re talking farmstand, 12 ears for $2.00 prices). I eat it cold, though when it is fresh and slightly warm it is hard to resist. On a cold day like today, it would make a soothing warm soup.

So while I dream of summer, maybe I’ll have to purchase some frozen corn and make a batch of this soup. I suggest you do the same. With it’s vibrant colors we can wash the winter away.

Note: I thicken this soup base with buttermilk. While I despised, caught, and promptly disposed of my mothers attempts to pass buttermilk off as regular milk as a child, (a warning to all you mothers hiding foods from your children! I still can’t drink the stuff) it makes a wonderful soup base. The slightly sour nature cuts the sweet corn perfectly. You can find another version of this soup with seafood here.

Corn Chowder
6-8 servings. Prep time= 30 minutes. Cook time= 30 minutes.
2 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, cut into thin slices
4 ears of fresh corn (or 1 16oz bag frozen), removed from stalk, keep ears
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 carrot sticks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 quart buttermilk
salt/ pepper to taste
fresh parsley (cilantro or chives would be nice too)

1) Prep ingredients. To remove corn kernels from stalk, hold ears vertical, resting one end on a cutting board, holding the top. Use a sharp knife and slice downwards, as close to the stalk as possible. Work your way around the ear until all kernels are removed. You can slice the bottom half, flip the ear and slice the top half to avoid fingers.
2) In a stock pot over medium high heat, fry bacon. Once browned, remove bacon bits and set aside. Add onion and saute 3-5 minutes. Add 3/4 of the corn, the stripped ears, celery, potatoes, carrots and stock. Cover and bring to a boil.
3) Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, 20 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Turn heat off and stir in remaining corn, buttermilk, bacon and salt and pepper to taste (add salt at the end because the bacon will add a lot of salt). Serve warm or cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Top with parsley.

I realize this salad sounds all too simple. It is a variation of the classic Greek Salad that has become all too common in our restaurant going (or home) lives. Just below the “house salad” we now often find the “Greek salad.”

The downfall I find with the Greek salad is it leaves me wanting more. The cucumbers fail to fill me and there are only so many tomatoes I can eat before the acid hits my stomach and turns me the wrong way. I realize many folks have their own versions of this clasic salad, but this is my simple take on it (rather, one of many simple takes on it).

I made this a few weeks ago when I was alone. D often objects to eating salad as a mid-day meal, complaining the energy doesn’t last. I was so captivated by this salad I decided to try it out on D the following day. I knew he would love it, but would it fill him for a day running around?
The result… You bet so. Not only was D satiated until dinner, he even made several exclamations about the flavor combinations (which are really nothing so unique).

The trick is in the bread. Homemade croutons are a must. For this salad I used old sourdough bread cut into “fingers,” brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and pepper and toasted until golden. They are great to pick up and munch on between bites, or used to scoop up leftover cheese and olive oil. They work in any salad and act as a tasty filler.

This salad might sadly be the last viewing of fresh local tomatoes. If you hurry, your local market might still have some end-of-season tomatoes left, but they are fading fast.

Greek Adaptation Salad
Serving Size= 2 persons. Prep time= 10 min. Cook time=3 minutes.
2 slices old sourdough bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup green beans, picked and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 ripe tomato, sliced into 8 wedges
1/4 cup crumbled feta
Kalamata olives
Salt/ Pepper
Parsley

1) Brush sourdough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice into 1 inch thick strips and toast until golden.
2) Blanch green beans in boiling water, 30 second to 1 minute, until darkened. Dredge in ice water.
3) Gently toss green beans with sliced tomato, chopped red pepper, crumbled feta, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper.
4) Sprinkle with parsley and top with Kalamata olives. Arrange croutons around salad or sprinkled over top.
NOTE: Want to make this even more of a meal? Add 1 can washed and drained butter beans!

It’s been a crazy week here at Just Braise. In the midst of some freelance writing on deadline, I filled a friend’s shoes and helped cater a restaurant opening for 200 people. I have never catered an event before (other than my own parties of no more than 25 people) and thought this might be a good experience. Plus, I would get to work with some trained chefs.

Key words are “restaurant opening” with a restaurant (including kitchen) that was not workable until 5 PM the evening before the event. We had to set up and organize not only the kitchen, but the walk-in refrigerator, and dry storage all the night before the event. All prep and cooking for those 200 folks happened day of the event. It was a haphazard day, but we pulled through– with a few menu items nixed, a successful event none the less.

Due to a day a recuperation this post will remain short.

I made this salad the other week with the leftover wild salmon from the Gnocchi with Green Bean Pesto. I even had a little of that delicious pesto left and threw it on top as a dressing. In my mind, this salad is so similar to the Nicoise Salade made almost one month ago, but looks and tastes entirely different. Really, in comparison, these two salads are totally different. Perhaps it is the vivid colorings of both that make it seem so similar? Maybe it is because both use such brightly hued fish.

The salad is a brilliant reminder of a summer departed. At least in the Northeast, one can still find most of these ingredients locally (which equals extra tastiness).

Note: I mentioned previously that I often boil, blanch and prep items when I bring them home, even if I do not know what I will make with them. The work may take an hour or so, but the effort is worth it. With pre-prep I was able to throw this salad together in just minutes– proving you can have a delicious meal even when pressed for time.

While this salad is a great use of leftovers, you can easily make this salad without the green bean pesto. Just toss the salad with olive oil, salt and pepper or your favorite dressing. (My favorite homemade dressing has a base of dijon mustard, tahini and olive oil. Add to that roasted garlic, anchovies and fresh garlic, lemon juice, or anything else you can think of and it’s delicious).

Salmon Pesto Salad (Remember Summer Salad)
Serving Size= 2 people. Active time= 10 minutes.
2 salmon steaks (already prepared or a quick 2 minute sear each side w/ salt and pepper)
3-4 cups loosely packed arugula
1 red pepper
3-4 new potatoes (already boiled or slice into quarters and boil 10 min)
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
green bean pesto (see Gnocchi w/ Green Bean Pesto)

1) Boil potatoes if not already cooked. Sear salmon if not already cooked.
2) Char red pepper in a skillet set over high heat. Rotate to cook 3-4 sides until blackened, 2-3 minutes each side. Remove stem, core and seeds and chop.
3) Wash arugula and cherry tomatoes.
4) Arrange salad. Place arugula in serving bowl. Add tomatoes, red peppers, potatoes. Set salmon over and top with a scoop of green bean pesto (or favorite salad dressing), salt and pepper.
Optional: Top this salad with chopped walnuts or pecans or blue cheese.

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Here lies another gnocchi creation to contemplate the many forms of this versatile dumpling. Thinking about this dish, and seeing its image up there, makes me hungry for it all over again. But let’s get to the heart of the matter.

So D and I made gnocchi. I tricked him into whole wheat flour and he was none the wiser. I tricked him into milk instead of cream and he slurped it up regardless.

This dish was another in a long line where my sanity was questioned by D, yet was happily lapped up at the end of the night.

As you can see, the gnocchi has turned a slightly off gray-brown. I had no idea that whole wheat pasta, when exposed to air, would discolor. (Have others had this experience and how do you solve it?) The flavor is fine, I assure you, but it was no fun opening the refrigerator the morning after a gnocchi-licious meal only to find my whole wheat army awaiting the boiling pot cloaked in a sorrowful shade. How they rebelled for not being eaten!

No worries I thought. I’ll say I added a little octopus ink! So if anyone asks, just say there is octopus ink in the pasta. Brilliant. I was even going to add it to the recipe, but realized if anyone tried to make their octopus ink pasta and it didn’t work heads might roll. (I’ve never bought octopus ink but think it would be hard to get and expensive.)

So what would go nicely with my “octopus ink” pasta? Why another sea creature of course. Nothing like fish to bring out the fishy quality of octopus ink, right? And what better than the brilliant shade of salmon?

At the fish monger, D and I picked up a fabulous 2 pound fillet (there is more salmon dishes in the line up). As we walked home I thought of other ways to brighten up my sad gnocchi. And what goes with a salmon shade better than a brilliant spring green? We had green beans left in the fridge, but I thought tossing some green beans along with the salmon would be too boring. A pesto would be much more interesting. And voila, this dish was born.

This dish truly is as delicious as it looks. The hearty gnocchi make marvelous spoons for the thick, creamy pesto. Everything was offset perfectly by the sweet salmon. Even better, this meal (since gnocchi were leftover) took all of 8 minutes to throw together. There is nothing like brilliance (of color and flavor) at the blink of an eye.

Better still, you can make this pesto with frozen peas, shelled edamame, romano beans, white beans, etc. No gnocchi? Use fettucini (or almost any other pasta). Hate pasta? Spread some olive oil, salt and pepper on bread and toast it. Can’t stand salmon? Try mahimahi.

Whatever you do try this dish. Make it for friends. They will be wowed by the amazing flavors and you will be thankful it hardly took any time.

Gnocchi w/ Green Bean Pesto & Salt/ Pepper Salmon
Serving size= 4 persons. Prep time= 3 minutes. Cook time= 8 minutes.
2 pound fillet of wild Alaskan salmon (an eco-friendly choice!)
1/2 pound green beans, cleaned and picked over
2 tablespoons Parmesan
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup loosely packed basil
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt/ pepper to taste
1 pound gnocchi

1) Blanch green beans for 1 minute in boiling water. Place in blender with Parmesan, garlic, basil and olive oil. Puree, taste, salt and pepper to taste. (The pesto will be very thick and creamy, and will still have small bits of green bean. If you desire a smoother pesto, add more olive oil, 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or tahini to smooth it out.)
2) Boil water for gnocchi. Heat a skillet on medium-high for the salmon. Once gnocchi goes into the boiling water, salt and pepper salmon fillet and brush a thin layer of oil onto the skillet. Place salmon on hot skillet skin side up. Cook 2-3 minutes, flip, cook 2-3 minutes more, depending on desired doneness.
3) Drain gnocchi and place in serving bowls. Slice salmon into serving pieces, place over gnocchi. Add scoop of green bean pesto.

We have been eating a lot of salads this summer. Mostly because it is an easy solution to our weekly vegetable drop, but really because it gets us in and out of the kitchen in record time. And as long as I can cover vegetables in a blanket of protein, D is happy.

My favorite protein in salad is fish. Salmon, tuna, monkfish, you name it, I can probably find a salad solution for it. Because of this, it is difficult for me to walk past the fish monger without stopping in. He must know this, and places all the calamari, clams and shrimp in the front window for me to spy on. Inside is the real gold mine. Wild salmon, lobster tanks, oysters, crabs, pompano, and the catch of the day line the shelves. I can walk up to each fish, sniff, eye and poke at it, then declare it mine.

Tuna is what catches my eye more often than not. It might be its arresting pink hue. It might be that I tease the fish monger about sushi grade tuna just to hear him laugh and say, “You kiddin’? You can’t get any fresher than this!” So I bring it home time and again, wrapped in paper and await mealtime.

This past week, how lucky we were to receive the proper fixings for a classic Salade Nicoise. It is one of my favorites because it is a hearty and playful salad where almost anything goes once you have the basics. D loves it because he can correct my French accent while I practice my pronunciation.

But I think the true love in this salad is the color display. How can you pass up something that looks this fresh?! I say go out and buy that tuna steak now. You will not be disappointed.

The biggest risk you have when cooking tuna steak is drying it out by overcooking. Tuna needs a scant 30-60 seconds per side over hot heat. Remember, this limited cook time leaves the center of the cut rare. As always, when dealing with any sort of protein, buy the freshest cut possible.

To cut down on prep time I slice and boil my vegetables when I bring them home, storing them in the fridge for quick prep or an easy snack. It makes assembling a salad like this a real breeze. It may be some work day 1, but there is nothing like being able to reach into the fridge and have everything done and ready to go. Here are a few tips, some used in this salad. All of these should be stored in sealed, air tight containers.

- Quarter potatoes, boil until soft. Storage time: about 1 week. Pancakes, salads, home fries.
- Trim and blanch green beans, 2 minutes. Storage time: about 3 days. Dip, salads, snack.
- Char red peppers in skillet. Storage time: about 5 days. Sandwiches, omelette, dips.
- Trim and boil beets until soft. Store in reserved liquid, 1 week. Sandwiches, salads.
- Peels and cut carrots. Store in water (change every 2 days), 2 weeks. Snack, soup, salads.
- Wash and cut celery. Store in water (change every 2 days), 2 weeks. Snack, soup, salads.
- Cut corn from cob, saute with butter 2 minutes. Storage time: about 1 week. Salad, soup, omelette.
- Boil and peel eggs. Storage time: about 5 days. Use in sandwiches, salads.

But let’s get back to the salad and this “fusion” I mention. I marinated the tuna steaks in a soy sauce-ginger-lime mixture, coated them with sesame and seared them. This presented a fabulous citrus snap to the salad. I tied the sesame theme into a tahini-based salad dressing (tahini is sesame seed paste). Together the tastes blended smoothly into the whole and create a fabulous play on a traditional salad.

Salade Nicoise
Serving size= 2. Cook time= 3 minutes. Prep time= 15 minutes.
For the Marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lime plus zest
1 glove garlic, crushed
1- 1 inch piece ginger, minced
1/2 cup sesame seeds, set aside on a flat plate

For the Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
10 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red cider vinegar
3 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
salt/ pepper to taste

For the Salad:
3-4 new potatoes, quartered and boiled until soft
1 tomato, sliced in 8 wedges
2 soft boiled eggs
small handful green beans, blanched
1 small head red lettuce (optional)
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon capers
1- 1 lb fresh tuna steak

1) Prepare the marinade. Mix soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, zest, ginger and garlic in a bowl. Set tuna in mixture and marinade while continuing. Set the sesame seeds on a plate, aside.
2) Prepare the dressing. In a small skillet, heat the garlic with the anchovy fillet. No oil is needed as the fish has enough. Heat until garlic turns translucent and anchovies break down. Once ready, place in a bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients until well incorporated. Set aside. Turn tuna steak over in marinade.
3) Wash and prep the vegetables for the salad and assemble.
4) Begin warming a skillet with about 1 tablespoon peanut oil on medium high heat. Remove tuna from marinade and pat dry slightly. Place on plate with sesame seeds and push down slightly so sesame seeds adhere to steak. Flip and press again. Place in pan once hot, cook 30-45 seconds, flip and cook for 30-45 more seconds. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Assemble over salad.

Note: This recipe makes extra dressing. Refrigerate and use it at a later date. It will keep about 1 week. Just bring to room temperature and mix well before use.

Here’s an absurdly simple salad. So perfect it deserves an equally petite post so as not to obscure it. I became dangerously addicted to it the other week, tucking my knees up, with bowl between, to block D’s attempts at getting any. Was it the the honey-like tomato jewels? The seemingly familiar flavor combination that begs for another bite? The rich nuttiness of the olive oil?

You will have to judge for yourself.

Make this before tomato season leaves us for the summer. (I have already wallowed in fears of the fleeting tomatoes to D, don’t get me started.)

It is a play on the classic tomato-mozzarella-basil combination we are too familiar and tired of. This salad has a bit more Mediterranean tang to it (the tang lies in the cheese). I dream of making it with the raw milk ricotta I had in Indiana this summer…

Tomato Ricotta Salad
Serving Size= 2. Active time= 5 minutes.
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata (ricotta salata is the firmer, dried and salted ricotta)
1 teaspoon dried mint (2 springs fresh mint, leaves only, may also be used)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt/ pepper to taste

1) Place tomatoes in serving bowl. Top with ricotta, mint, olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve.

It doesn’t get much easier or more delicious than that.

D and I have received, dare I say, too many tomatoes from our local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Don’t get me wrong, they are probably the best tomatoes I have ever had. And no joke, every time one is sliced into D makes some comment about how amazing they are– like I didn’t hear it the first 30 tomatoes we sliced into the deep sweet skins. They really are amazing, but it’s too much for two people to eat.

The first week was fabulous. 10 tomatoes, all over 2 pounds. I gave one to my father who made some comment about the “pumpkin” I had given him a few days later. I brought a batch of gazpacho over to a party of 12 people (where everyone made some comment about how sweet it was), but 2 pound tomatoes go pretty far and I was still left with 7 tomatoes (that’s 14 pounds!). But we trucked on through leaving only 2 tomatoes over for the next week…

…When we received another 8, plus a pint of cherry tomatoes. That brought our tomatoes back to 10. Tomato salads galore: tomato with basil, tomato with mozzerella and basil, tomato with riccata, fresh tomato sauce, pizza with thinly sliced tomato, guacomole, sandwiches, tomato fritattas. We still had 1 left when we received our next shipment…

7 more plus 2 quarts of cherry tomatoes (total now 8 plus 2 quarts). I gave 2 to my brother’s girlfriend. She was going on and on about how horrible tomatoes were in New York City. Well, you’re not buying from the greenmarket, huh? She told me she missed the tomatoes her parents grew in Saint Louis. I gave her 2 tomatoes. She said she hadn’t smelled anything so good since her childhood.

It’s amazing an amazing feeling when you can give a gift so simple like tomatoes and have people calling you for days telling you how fabulous they were. We must really be neglected in New York City.

The dish above celebrates the sweet powerhouse of this summer’s tomatoes. I was looking for a dish to use those slightly past due tomatoes. You know the ones, a little too soft to eat, but you don’t want to throw them out. It was a hit, and took minutes, perfect for these days that are fading fast (with plenty of heat). I think of this dish as a Middle Eastern-Italian-South American fusion, but all summer.

Note: Quinoa (keen-wa) is a grain that is high in protein (surprise) and of course, fiber. It is originally from South America. It’s flavor is close to couscous, but a little wheatier in flavor (though it is gluten-free). It comes in light brown and red.

Quinoa w/ Summer Vegetables
Serving Size= 2. Active Time= 5 minutes. Inactive Time= 10 min.
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 shallots, skinned and quartered
1 ear corn, sliced from stalk
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup fresh basil, tightly packed and loosely chopped
olive oil
Parmesan cheese to taste
salt/ pepper to taste

1) Bring a sauce pot to a boil. Cook quinoa according to package directions (usually 2 parts water, 1 part grain). Quinoa takes about 10 minutes to cook. (While water is coming to a boil prepare veggies.)
2) Turn on oven’s broiler. In an oven safe pan, put tomatoes, corn and shallots. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place under broiler for about 10 min. Check after 5 minutes, stir. Vegetables should be blackened once done.
3) Once done, mix vegetables with quinoa. Stir in basil and top with Parmesan.

Note: Add chicken or beef to this dish to make it a main course! This dish is great warm or cold.