Roasted Beet & Carrot Dip
This vibrant spread is delicious slathered on toasted bread or crackers.
Ingredients:
4-6 baby beets, trimmed and peeled
6 carrots, trimmed and peeled
1 medium-sized head of garlic, with the end cut off
3 tablespoons plus ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Quarter the beets and halve the carrots, then toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, and slide into the oven. Roast 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and edges are a light golden brown, flipping vegetables halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, set out a 10-inch rectangle of foil. Set the head of garlic in the center, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap the foil packet tightly around the garlic, set in a small ovenproof baking dish, and roast for about 15 minutes, or until cloves are soft and cooked through. Carefully open the foil packet, and set garlic aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the soft cloves out of the papery skin and set aside.
3. Place the roasted beets, carrots, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until broken down a bit. Then, with the food processor running, drizzle in the ½ cup olive oil, honey and a large pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed. Top dip with minced parsley and serve at room temperature.
Marinated Persian Cucumber Salad
Super simple and healthy, this salad is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
2 Persian cucumbers
1 red onion
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Peel the cucumbers and then half lengthwise before thinly slicing. Then, peel and thinly slice the onion and place in a bowl with the cucumber.
2. Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and oil in a bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the cucumber and onion mixture and toss well to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1-2 hours before serving cold or at room temperature.
Fresh Corn Salad
Crisp, crunchy and spicy, this side salad is even better the second day!
Ingredients:
3 cups corn kernels, cut from husks
1 heirloom tomato, seeded and diced, or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
2 sweet peppers, seeded and diced
1 Anaheim chile pepper, seeded and diced
½ Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine corn, tomato, peppers, Anaheim chili, sweet onion and garlic in a small mixing bowl.
2. Toss in the garlic and parsley and combine, then drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Variation: Try adding in 1 cup of this week’s canned Italian borlotti beans!
Baked Eggs with Heirloom Tomatoes
Juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs and a touch of cream lend rich appeal to this dish.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heirloom tomatoes, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 eggs
4 teaspoons heavy cream
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Grana-style cheese (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Generously butter four ½-cup ramekins.
2. In a bowl, stir together the tomatoes, basil, parsley, plus salt and pepper. Divide evenly among the prepared ramekins. Cut the 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and divide among the ramekins, sprinkling the pieces evenly over the tomato mixture. Break an egg into each ramekin. Season with more salt and pepper as needed. Drizzle each egg with 1 teaspoon of the cream. Arrange the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Bake until the egg whites are opaque and the yolks have firm edges and are soft in the center, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each serving with cheese, if using. Serve immediately.
Asparagus with Salt and Pepper Whipped Cream
Topped with decadent cream, this simple side dish is just delicious.
Ingredients:
1½-2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and peeled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Method:
- Preheat oven to 250º. Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water, or steam, until just tender. Place the drained asparagus in a shallow serving dish, and keep it warm in the oven.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter with ¼ cup heavy cream over low heat. Stir and pour over the asparagus; return the asparagus to the oven.
- Beat the remaining ¾ cup cream with the salt and pepper until soft peaks form. Spoon over the hot asparagus. Serve immediately.
Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter & Lemon
The sweet, nutty brown butter here lends a beautiful finishing touch.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch radishes
1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 450°. Brush a large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but ½ inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in a medium bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.
- Melt butter in a heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of coarse kosher salt to the skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.
- Transfer roasted radishes to a serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.
Endive Frisée Salad with Plums & Hazelnuts
Later in the fall, this salad is equally amazing with slices of crisp apple or juicy pear.
Ingredients:
1 medium head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
2 plums, pitted and cut into thin slices
¼ cup hazelnut oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk the hazelnut oil with the red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the radicchio and frisée and toss until coated. Add the apricots slices, goat cheese and hazelnuts, season the salad with salt and pepper, toss gently and serve.
Blistered Shishito Peppers
These flavorful peppers make for a wonderful pre-dinner nibble!
8 ounces (3 heaping cups) Shishito peppers
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Lemon wedge, optional
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
Method:
1. Rinse and pat the peppers dry on a clean tea towel. Transfer the peppers to a medium bowl, drizzle in the oil, and toss until the peppers are evenly coated. Set aside.
2. Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat until it’s hot enough that a drop of water sizzles and evaporates quickly on contact. Add the peppers and let them cook, stirring every minute or so (not too often), until they are tender with charred spots, about 8 to 12 minutes.
3. Transfer the peppers to a serving plate. Spritz with a lemon wedge, if desired. Sprinkle with salt, to taste (don’t skimp). Serve with a little bowl on the side for the pepper stems.
Carrots Marinated with Garlic & Oregano
This room-temperature dish packs in the flavor and makes for a lovely side dish.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks or thin diagonal slices
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
1 cup olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil, adding 1 tablespoon salt. Add carrots and cook until just crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Drain carrots and add to marinade, letting sit in fridge overnight. When ready to serve, return to room temperature and adjust seasonings if needed. Transfer to serving platter and top with parsley.
Summer Stone Fruit & Heirloom Tomato Salad with Raspberry-Honey Vinaigrette
This bright and lively salad is perfect for a hot summer’s day.
Ingredients:
2 heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
1 cup Sungold cherry tomatoes
2 ripe but firm nectarines, cut into wedges
2 ripe but firm peaches, cut into wedges
1/4 red onion, thinly diced
â…“ cup feta, crumbled
Fresh basil and mint leaves
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
For the vinaigrette:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup raspberry wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1-2 teaspoons honey
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Arrange the tomatoes, peaches, nectarines and red onions on a large platter.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the salad ingredients with the vinaigrette and lightly toss to coat. Top with feta, basil and mint, and then season generously with salt and pepper.