Crisp Cucumber & Cherry Tomato Salad
This cool side is tossed with spring onions, a medley of herbs and our blood orange-white balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
1 slicing cucumber, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
½ cup spring onion, thinly-sliced into rounds
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Farm & Larder white balsamic-blood orange vinaigrette
Fresh cracked pepper
Method:
1. Toss cucumber pieces, cherry tomato halves and sweet onion slices in a large bowl along with fresh herbs.
2. Drizzle with about ½ cup of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste, and combine all ingredients, allowing to sit for a few minutes for flavor to meld. Season with fresh cracked pepper as desired.
Cherry Tomato, Cucumber & Mint Salad
This low-maintenance salad is light and bright—perfect for a picnic!
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup minced shallots
¼ cup finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper
Method:
1. In a colander set over a bowl, toss the cucumbers with the salt and let stand for 1 hour. Rinse the cucumbers and pat dry.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the shallots, mint, lemon juice and zest and a generous pinch of pepper. Add the cucumbers and tomatoes, toss to coat and refrigerate for a few hours. Stir the salad just before serving.
Spanish Lentils with Greek Sausage & Sweet Peppers
Slow-simmered with garlic, onion and a hint of paprika, these rich beans pair beautifully with sausage and peppers.
Ingredients:
1½ cups lentil beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon each fresh chopped parsley and savory
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
2 cups waters or chicken broth
3-4 links Greek sausage
1 pound small sweet peppers, halved, seeded and cut lengthwise
1-2 spring onions, thinkly sliced (if desired)
Method:
1. Soak lentils in a pot of cold water for an hour prior to cooking. Drain and rinse.
2. Heat olive oil in large stock pot on low heat, add onion, paprika and garlic. Sauté until onion begins to look translucent and garlic browns a little. Add water or chicken broth and lentils, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until lentils are just cooked, not mushy, about 40-45 minutes. Remove from heat and add in fresh herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook sausages in a half inch of water until done and
remove. Discard cooking water. In the same skillet, add peppers and onions along with a drizzle of olive oil and turn heat up to high. Sauté peppers and onions, until peppers and onions just begin to blister and char. Add sausage, turning down heat, and continue cooking until the sausages are browned. Slice sausages diagonally in large slices to serve.
4. To serve, ladle helpings of lentils into bowls and top with sausage and pepper mixture, garnishing with additional parsley if desired.
Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber & Coriander
This tabbouleh-inspired salad is fresh and light thanks to an infusion of summer produce and herbs.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half and quarters if large
1 large cucumber, seeds removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 small shallots, minced
½ cup green coriander leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine quinoa, 2 cups water and a large pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 7 minutes. Shut off heat and let rest until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until thoroughly chilled. Let drain for 10 minutes.
2. While quinoa cooks, combine tomatoes and cucumbers in a colander. Season with salt and toss to coat. Let drain in sink until ready to combine with quinoa.
3. In a large bowl, toss drained quinoa, drained tomatoes and cucumbers, shallots, parsley, mint, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or for best flavor, let rest overnight in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Salad can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Summer Squash Ribbons with Lemon & Mint
This adaptation from a beloved Alice Waters recipe is seasoned with just the right amount of fragrant basil and zesty lemon.
Ingredients:
2-3 summer squash, such as Crookneck or Patty Pan
¼ bunch basil
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Slice the summer squash into thin strips, about 1/8 inch thick. (A mandolin makes this easier, but you can also use a vegetable peeler.)
2. Stack the basil leaves, and cut them thinly crosswise.
3. Layer the squash slices into a shallow dish. Sprinkle each layer with salt, pepper, basil, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. Let sit for at least 10 minutes and serve.
Chilled Tomato & Peach Soup
This creamy, cold soup is bursting with spicy appeal.
Ingredients:
4 heirloom tomatoes, quartered
2 donut peaches, pitted and quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
¾ cup heavy cream
4 teaspoons sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper, or, to taste
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a large stockpot, sweat garlic and shallots with olive oil over medium-low heat until fragrant and translucent. Add in peaches, tomatoes, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes and peaches break down, about 15 minutes, using the back of a wooden spoon to help mash them up.
2. Remove from heat and remove thyme. Working in batches, purée soup in batches until smooth. Transfer soup back to pot by straining through a fine mesh strainer.
3. Bring heat back to medium-low and add cream, sugar and cayenne pepper. Check for seasoning and adjust cream, sugar or cayenne levels as desired. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Then, remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to the fridge. Serve cold, with chopped fresh herbs over top.
Pasta Salad with Smoked Salmon & Summer Greens
Tossed with a fresh lemon-dill vinaigrette, this pasta salad exudes the light, refreshing flavors of the season.
Ingredients:
1 pound Lagana Foods campanelle pasta
1 package Loki Fish Company smoked salmon, flaked into bite-size pieces
4 cups mixed summer greens, such as Mizuna and baby lettuces
Lemon-dill vinaigrette (see recipe)
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
2 teaspoons freshly-chopped mint
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Over medium-high heat, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive to avoid noodles sticking together. Let cool to room temperature, tossing occasionally.
2. Put pasta into a large mixing bowl, tossing with lemon-dill vinaigrette to coat, reserving about 2 tablespoons. Then add smoked salmon and parsley and gently toss.
3. On a large serving platter, arrange greens, then top with pasta salad and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh mint.
Grilled Bread with Basil Pesto
A wonderful appetizer to serve with this week’s pasta supper!
Ingredients:
2 cups basil leaves
½ cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ cup grated Grana-style cheese
½ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
Pain au Levain bread, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and salt. Process until the ingredients are roughly chopped. With the processor running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil until you have a chunky pesto. Set aside.
2. Heat the grill. Lightly brush each slice of bread with olive oil on both sides. Grill the slices a minute or two per side until they are crusty and have charred grill marks but are still soft in the middle. Spread each slice with a generous helping of pesto.
Roasted Beet Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Served over a bed of baby lettuce, this tarragon-kissed salad brings out the lovely flavors of fresh beets.
Ingredients:
1 bunch beets, greens trimmed and saved for another use
½ Walla Walla sweet onion, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh thyme, picked
1 bunch fresh tarragon, picked and chopped
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
â…“ cup champagne vinegar
3 shallots, minced
1 cup canola oil
1 pound mixed baby lettuce greens
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the champagne vinegar, shallots, a pinch salt, canola oil, pepper and tarragon in a glass jar and shake vigorously to blend. Set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry.
2. Place beets in a separate small baking dish. Sprinkle thyme, olive onion, white wine vinegar and oil over the pan. Toss to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a layer of plastic wrap, then top with a layer of foil. Roast for 35 minutes. When cool, peel the beets and cut them into quarters.
3. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and toss with some of the dressing. Divide the greens between 6 chilled plates. Add roasted beets to each plate and drizzle with more of the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
Peach Galette
Sprinkled with a dusting of cinnamon sugar, this fresh tart is sure to please.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder galette dough, chilled
4 ripe peaches
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Peel, halve and pit the peaches and slice into ¼-inch thick pieces. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Decoratively arrange the peach slices over the pastry to within an inch of the edge. Drizzle the honey over fruit, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and dot with the pieces of butter. Fold the pastry edge up and over the peaches to create a 1-inch border.
3. Bake the galette for about 45 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp and the peaches are tender. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the galette cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.