Fresh Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
4 pounds vine-ripened red and/or orange tomatoes (about 5 medium)
1/2 medium onion (preferably white)
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
4 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Quarter and seed tomatoes. Dice the tomatoes and transfer to a bowl. Finely chop onion and chop cilantro. Stir chiles, onion, cilantro, and garlic into tomatoes with lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Feel free to add your favorite embellishments: sweet peppers, corn, black beans, fruit, melons or chipotle chiles!
Cold Cucumber Soup
Ingredients:
5 cucumbers
1/2 cup chopped parsley
6 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 quart buttermilk
1 pint yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Peel cucumbers and cut them in half, scraping out seeds. Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and let them stand 30 minutes. Drain excess water.
Chop the cucumbers coarsely and put the pieces in the blender along with scallions, dill, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt. Blend at high speed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill well before serving.
Rosemary Grilled Squash
Ingredients:
Lots of Zephyr, Magda, Patty-Pan or Zucchini squash, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
Extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh rosemary sprigs, including woody stems if possible.
Directions:
Prepare your charcoal grill. Toss squash with plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh rosemary leaves. Put rosemary sprigs directly on medium-hot coals and wait 2 minutes. Place rack of grill 4 to 6 inches above coals. Cook squash slices no longer than 15 minutes, using a grill rack if necessary, turning slices every 5 minutes.
Grill until al dente.
Arugula and Pear Salad
Ingredients
1/2 cup walnut halves
5 to 6 cups arugula, cleaned and dried
1 Bosc or Anjou pear, thinly sliced
1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Gorgonzola (get a piece that will crumble easily for you) or blue cheese crumbles
Directions
Toast nuts in small pan over medium heat until fragrant. Cool. Combine arugula and pear in a salad bowl, add nuts, then dress the salad with lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper. Top salad with lots of blue cheese crumbles.
Mushroom and Kale toss
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 portobello or shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon
1/2 cup dry red wine
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add mushrooms and cook until dark and tender. Add kale and turn with tongs to wilt. Season the mixture of mushrooms and greens with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add wine and stir. Reduce heat to low and cook greens 5 minutes longer then serve.
Pac Choi and Turnip Slaw
Ingredients
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bunch pac choi, thinly sliced
1 bunch turnips, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, shredded
½ onion, thinly sliced
Directions
Whisk vinegar, oil, sugar, mustard and salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add to sliced vegetables; toss to coat with the dressing.
Pan Roasted Turnips
Ingredients
1 bunch turnips, cleaned and quartered
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon paprika
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Season turnips with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat butter until starting to brown. Add turnips and toss to coat well. Sauté until light golden brown, about 8 to 9 minutes. Add paprika and toss to coat. Add vinegar and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes, then remove from heat and serve.
Spicy Swiss Chard
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped into thin strips
Splash white wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt
Directions
In a large skillet over high heat, add oil, red pepper flakes and garlic and toast the garlic until golden brown. Add chard and toss quickly. Stir in a splash of white wine. Cook and toss until liquid evaporates and chard is wilted. Add the sugar, season with salt and serve.
Steamed Asian Greens
Ingredients
1 bunch Asian greens, such as Pac Choi, Tatsoi, Komatsuna or Mizuna, coarsely chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
salt to taste
Directions
Saute onions until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Now add vegetables to pan and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add enough water to the pan to touch all of the greens but not submerge them. Cover and steam vegetables for about 5 minutes or until they are just tender. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, oil, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds in a small bowl. Put the cooked greens onto a serving platter, drizzle the dressing over them, and toss well to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
