I was thinking back to summers of my childhood, when all of us kids wreaked havoc at home and my mom, Neeners, was at her wits end, often looking heavenward and muttering ‘Give me Strength’. When Neeners was at this point, I got shipped off to spend the night with my grandparents and Aunt Margie, and it was always a huge treat. If I was there on a Saturday night, it meant popcorn and watching Portland wrestling. If I was an overnight guest on a Monday night, that meant that I could horn in when Margie and grandma’s friend Gladys would come for lunch on Tuesdays. Gladys worked downtown (two blocks from Margie’s house) at the hardware store. I was not a fan of Gladys. She seemed pretty snooty and never smiled. Also, she was not a fan of children and I could not understand why since I was undoubtedly charming and most likely a brilliant conversationalist at six years of age. However, Glady’s arrival meant we got to have grandma’s Salmon Salad for lunch. This was high living, and as a kid we never had such things at our own house. Looking back, I think it was just canned salmon, shredded iceberg lettuce and a whole lot of Miracle Whip all stirred together and served on nice dishes.
I have such fond memories of those visits (without Gladys) and wanted to recreate Salmon Salad in my own style. This salad is hearty enough for supper and takes advantage of all that is Summer. We’ll start with fresh salmon, and you can either grill or bake it to suit your mood. Then comes the garden bounty. I went a little bit nuts here since I am currently in major panic mode due to our garden churning out more food than we can give away, so take what you like and leave the rest, for another time. The salmon sits on a bed of rainbow chard, and is topped with fresh yellow and red beets, colorful sweet peppers, watermelon radish, purple carrots, scallions, grilled corn, fresh blackberries and steamed green beans. Add some grilled bread with garlic butter and a not-too-tart vinaigrette made with blackberry jelly. I’d like to think Margie and grandma would have enjoyed it, but even if they didn’t, they’d tell me they loved it, because that’s what aunts and grandmas do.
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We We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday party season, which usually means a potluck or two. Are you the person who always gets asked to ‘bring a salad’? …Me too. This is because I have a tendency to go hog wild over them and don’t know when to quit (don’t get me started on my venture into the hard-boiled eggs dyed with beet juice as a garnish-nobody wanted to go anywhere near that). I’m digressing…here we have what I hope you will think is a solution to the ‘bring a salad’ blues. You can put it all together at home and toss in the dressing once you arrive at your destination. This salad is as good to eat as it is pretty to look at. Crisp, red cabbage and slivered chard for the base. Next, we’ll add in some dried cranberries for a sweet-tart kick, then some pomegranate seeds for a tart and crunchy visual show stopper, then fresh blueberries for a sweet surprise. The dressing is not your typical slaw-type of dressing…we add a big dollop of blackberry jelly for color and sweet, and then a good squeeze of lemon juice to balance everything out. Sound good? Oh! Then I threw on a big old handful of roasted pumpkin seeds on top. Nothing like a salty and crunchy finish. If you bring this to your next party, be prepared to be the designated salad assignee for a long time to come.
Caprese salads are simple by definition, and usually only consist of tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella cheese and olive oil. But here’s the thing… fresh mozzarella, in spite of all of its many virtues, can be a bit of a yawner in the flavor department. In this recipe, the fresh mozzarella is given a little more personality by marinating it in olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and tons of herbs. I think you will find this to be a game changer in all things Caprese. The only thing missing here is a loaf of artisan bread and a bottle of wine…….
They say what grows together goes together, and those words couldn’t be truer than when combining these seasonal flavor powerhouses: fresh asparagus, juicy sugar snap peas, and sweet, ripe strawberries. The asparagus stalks are peeled into ribbons, and the tips are sautéed until just crisp/tender – the best of both worlds. I’ve also thrown in some roasted pumpkin seeds for crunch, and slightly sweet Double Strawberry Vinaigrette for dressing. Oh – and then there’s the blue cheese…. Good stuff, Maynard. …
What do you say we take a small time-out before the holiday food frenzy and be good to ourselves in a healthy, but delicious way? I see my friend Rebecca every few weeks, and after catching up on family stuff, we usually jump right in to recipe ideas. Rebecca is a serious Pinterest explorer, and one day she started telling me about this great massaged kale salad she was experimenting with. I just had to try the concept, to see how this attempt to tame the savage beast we know as kale could be possible. Sound weird? It’s not – really. Massaging kale that has been sprinkled with salt helps it to release moisture and also seasons it, which means improved flavor. This results in a lot less bitterness and a more tender texture, which is very helpful for those of us who can find kale to be challenging to embrace as the nutritional powerhouse that it is. We add some sweetness too – we’ll be roasting some rings of Delicata Squash to add to the top. Delicata is not only delicious, but is a dream for lazy cooks like myself. It’s so tender you can even eat the peel – no kidding! But wait…. As good as this was, the salad just needed a little something more, so you’ll find plenty of crumbled Smoked Gouda cheese. Finally, the whole thing is topped off with a Fig Balsamic Dressing for a sweet and savory kick. Now we’ve got ourselves a serious salad we can feel good about eating.
This is one of those salads that you really can make your own – it all depends on what’s crying out to you from your garden in desperate need of picking, or less dramatically – what looks really good at your local farm stand or supermarket. This one takes advantage of the best of summer – fresh green beans, steamed until just tender, sliced cherry tomatoes and grilled corn that has just begun to char and caramelize. Add a few more touches here and there, and whip together a light, creamy lemon and mustard vinaigrette, some tangy blue cheese, and you are good to go. This salad travels well and fits right in at any picnic or barbecue.
This is what I call the perfect solution for a hot summer evening. I am all sweaty and not in the mood to cook, but since I am forever in the mood to eat, let’s just throw everything on the grill. Skewer some big shrimp and slice up some hearts of romaine lettuce, grab some blackberries and your favorite Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese and croutons and you are good to go. Grilling the romaine to a slightly smoky char gives this salad a whole new identity. Use your favorite best-quality Caesar dressing to make this a nearly effortless endeavor, which is critical during this time of year. Jump right on over to the blog and I’ll show you how you can get this on the table in no time flat.