Chickpea Nectarine Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Our Summer routine: morning walk, visit the garden, figure out what to do with the cucumbers we picked. Yesterday, we harvested 6 cucumbers, which brings our total to approximately 48 pounds for the season.

The basil is ready to harvest, which means it's time for pesto! We’re still enjoying beets, turnips, summer squash, and yesterday I picked the season's first eggplant; so ratatouille for dinner tonight. 

Most of the tomatoes are still green; although the Cherokee Purple and 4th of July are ripening, and we have some cherries, but other than that, green. We need temperatures below 85 and moderate humidity to get the ripening party started. 

Last night it was warm and humid, and I wanted something light and refreshing, so I chopped some cucumbers (of course) and nectarines, added some scallions and a can of chickpeas, and made a lime dressing. I garnished it with feta and mint - it was tasty. 

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 ripe nectarines, pitted and sliced
• 2 scallions - finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed 
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid, and shake to combine.

On a plate or in a bowl, scatter the nectarines, onions, cucumbers, and chickpeas. Fifteen minutes.

Before serving, dress the salad and top it with mint, feta, and a few grinds of black pepper. 

Enjoy!

A Bountiful Summer Harvest

After our morning walk yesterday, we headed out to the garden to see what needed to be harvested, and if you’ve been following along, you can guess it in one; cucumbers, 5 to be exact. To date, we have harvested about 41 pounds of cucumbers, and the neighbors are starting to avoid me (well, some of them). 

We’ve pulled out the last of the green beans, which ended up in tonight's salad, found a few more beets, turnips, some yellow and zucchini squash, and a lovely kohlrabi - I love Summer produce, there are so many things to enjoy!

At some point, I’ll need to harvest the basil and make pesto. The tomatoes are still slowly ripening, the eggplant is just about ready to pick, and the peppers - well, they are still ignoring me; I think I’ll skip them next year. 

I was looking for a salad recipe that wasn’t the traditional greens, tomatoes, … and I found one - but I didn’t have all the ingredients. So I made some substitutions, and added my own spin - it was delicious; Dan even said the beets in the salad were the best he’s ever had. 

Ingredients:

1½ lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2–3 inch pieces
8 - 10 baby beets 
Kosher salt (for boiling water + seasoning)
4 cups finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Crumbled feta
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400. Trim and scrub the beets. If large, cut them into a consistent size. 

Roast the beets until they are fork-tender

While the beets are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch for 2–3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add onion and green beans and toss until coated. Top with roasted beets, basil, and feta. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

It’s been one of those weeks - so much to do, so little time; hot one day, sweatshirt weather the next - who can keep up!

The garden is starting to explode; the snow peas, green beans, cucumbers, and turnips are doing well. We’ve harvested 1 tomato, with 2 more just about ready. The summer squash will most likely have 2 - 3 fruits by the end of next week, and the winter squash are climbing and flowering. 

All of the greens are doing well, the only disappointment is the zucchini (IKR - they can grow on concrete). I tried a new variety this year and I have lots of flowers but no squash - if I don’t see any in a few days I’ll try hand pollinating to see if that i the problem. 

I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge that was originally going to be used for buffalo cauliflower tacos, but I wasn’t in the mood, so I searched for something totally different, and this fit the bill. The slight char on the cauliflower paired nicely with creamy dressing, avocados, and roasted pistachios. 

Cauliflower:

• 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup packed fresh chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup packed fresh tarragon leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:

• 1/2 cup roasted pistachios 
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 avocado, diced (optional, add just before serving to prevent browning)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). 

Wash the cauliflower and cut it into bite-sized florets. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper until all florets are coated.

Spread the seasoned cauliflower florets in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and slightly browned, flipping halfway through.

While the cauliflower is roasting, combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth; add salt and pepper to taste. 

Place the cauliflower on a serving platter, pour the dressing over it (don’t use it all, you will have plenty for another salad or 2), and add the toppings. 

Enjoy!

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

I’ve been on a salad kick lately; they come together quickly, pair well with a nice piece of grilled salmon, or, like this one, make a meal on their own. 

The garden is flourishing; everything is up and growing (despite the unusual spring weather), and I see cucumbers, beans, peas, and beets in our not-too-distant future. 

Our first grandchild has arrived, and she is beautiful. She arrived in June, has a full head of hair, and we are enamored with her. Her name is Miriam (after her great-grandmother). Mom and baby are thriving.

When time and hot weather team up, it’s a good time to pull out a quick and easy salad for dinner. This high-protein shrimp salad hit the spot and paired well with a glass of white wine. 

Ingredients:

1 pound of large cooked shrimp thawed

2 cups shredded lettuce

¼ red onion diced

2 avocados sliced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil 

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon 

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Instructions:

To thaw frozen, cooked shrimp, run cold water over them for 5-10 minutes until thawed, or place frozen shrimp in a bowl, cover it, and thaw in the fridge overnight. Drain off any excess water and pat dry with paper towels.

Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper until emulsified.

Place the lettuce (or mixed greens) on a large platter and top with onion, shrimp, and avocado. Drizzle with dressing. Tuck the sliced avocados around the shrimp and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Vibrant Summer Salad

We had some friends over for dinner last week, and one of them commented that my blogging has really slacked off - it has. There is so much going on between showers, weddings, baby arrivals, and then there are the regular things: gardening, volunteering, and enjoying summer. Time really does fly. 

Needless to say, we haven’t been starving - there have been many meals cooked and consumed. One of my favorites as of late is a fruit, nut, and green salad with a nice piece of room temperature burrata in the middle - the dressing is light with a hint of sweetness; the result is delicious. 

Ingredients:

2 cups baby salad greens
2 fresh peaches, pits removed and thinly sliced
⅛ cup thinly sliced red onion
4 cups cherries, blackberries, and strawberries
¼ cup roasted salted pistachios
½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
8 oz. ball of burrata cheese
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil or Meyer lemon-infused olive oil
Balsamic glaze

Instructions:

Place a bed of salad greens on a large platter.

Thinly slice the fresh peaches. Group several slices together and fan them out slightly, arranging them in different sections over the salad greens.

Pit the cherries and slice them in half. Place small piles of cherries and blackberries around the platter. Remove the stems from the strawberries and slice them in half. Scatter the strawberries over the platter, grouping them to make a beautiful arrangement.

Sprinkle the red onions and basil leaves over the entire platter.

Drain the liquid from the burrata cheese and place the ball in the center of the peach and berry arrangement.

Sprinkle the entire salad with sea salt and black pepper. Squeeze ½ of a lemon (or more to taste) over the salad.

Drizzle the peach burrata salad with lemon olive oil and balsamic glaze.

To serve, gently tear open the ball of burrata. Scoop the peaches and other fruit onto a salad plate and pile with a scoop of the creamy burrata cheese.

Spinach and Artichoke Baked Pretzels

It’s Spring—not that you would know it, the way Mother Nature has been behaving. In the last couple of weeks, I think we’ve experienced every season.

I’m close to completing my garden layout, my seeds have been purchased, and I’m ready to plant! That will have to wait for a while. I’m working on organizing a straw bale gardening class with the help of 2 Master Gardeners. I’m looking forward to bringing a new way of gardening to more people, and it is a great way to extend the MN growing season. 

You may recall I’ve assigned myself the task of making savory pastries for the upcoming baby shower and I’ve been experimenting. There are a couple of criteria: they should be simple to make (because I have lots of other things to do), and they should be delicious. 

I found a recipe for spinach and artichoke baked pretzels using a premade pizza dough, so I thought I’d give it a try. The flavor was delicious, but they need to be consumed while still warm, so they won’t make the cut. We’re doing a brunch buffet, and once they cool dow,n they are not as tasty. 

Not to fear, there is still time to fine-tune and test more recipes. If you like spinach, artichokes, and mozzarella, give these a shot. I will warn you they are a bit putzy, so plan accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 tub of spinach artichoke dip

1 thin crust pizza dough

3 mozzarella cheese slices

1 egg

kosher salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the mozzarella cheese into thin slices 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out refrigerated thin crust pizza dough.  Using a rolling pin, gently flatten the dough to 1/4 inch.  With a knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1 1/2 inch strips.

Spoon about 1 Tbsp. artichoke mixture along the center of the strip of dough, spreading the dip along the entire length of the strip.

Place the pieces of cheese along the top of the artichoke mixture, making sure to cover the entire strip of dough and artichoke mixture with cheese.

Fold dough over and pinch together.  Gently roll the stuffed dough into a cylinder and form it into a pretzel shape.

Brush pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool  5 minutes (if you can wait that long) and enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by!