Scallion Relish
This peppy relish from Martha Stewart adds flavor to the likes of grilled salmon, chicken and even flatbreads.
Ingredients:
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, finely diced
4-6 scallions, trimmed of root and tough green ends and finely diced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons sugar
Sea salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, or cilantro
Method:
1. Place onion and scallions in a bowl of ice water; soak 20 minutes.
2. Drain the onion and scallions, squeezing in paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible; transfer to a bowl. Add sugar, vinegar, herbs, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to taste. Relish can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
Fennel & Lemon Relish
This crisp slaw from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food II is excellent tossed with grilled veggies.
Ingredients:
2 lemons
2-3 fennel bulbs
1 shallot
2-3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Using a box grater or rasp, zest both lemons, then reserve the zest and fruit.
2. Peel and finely dice the shallot. Place shallot in a small bowl with the lemon zest, juice of 1 lemon, Champagne vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and let sit for a few minutes to macerate. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for salt and acid and adjust as needed.
3. Trim the fronds and dark green stalks from the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and then into a fine dice. Toss with salt to taste and stir into the lemon-shallot mixture. Remove all the remaining peel from the unjuiced lemon and cut the segments from their membranes. Cut segments into a medium dice and gently stir them into the relish. Let relish sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Summer Slaw
This zippy coleslaw is incredibly crisp and fresh, with cabbage, cucumber and scallions.
Ingredients:
2 heads mini cabbage, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
3 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2-3 tablespoons high-quality mayonnaise
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Combine the sliced cabbage, cucumbers, almonds, sesame seeds, basil, and scallions in a large bowl. Mix together.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, ginger, and mayonnaise. Season with salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until smooth.
3. Pour most, but not all, of the dressing over the cabbage mixture, and toss until lightly coated with the dressing. Taste, and add more dressing or seasoning as desired.
Grilled Scallions with Lemon & Thyme
Topped with olives, this recipes elevates green onions from garnish to a stunning side dish.
Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and rinsed
¾ cups pitted olives, such as Picholine
1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat grill to high. Place onions on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the top then sprinkle with the pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Toss again to spread out the seasonings.
2. Grill onions until the whites are soft and the tops go brown. Remove from grill and toss with olives. Squeeze a little more lemon juice on and garnish with the thyme.
Billy Mills’ Corn Relish
This classic recipe hails from The Complete Book of Pickles and Relishes, and is a true farmhouse standby!
Ingredients:
5-6 ears fresh corn
1 ripe heirloom tomato, seeds removed
1½ cups chopped green pepper
¾ cup chopped sweet Bullhorn peppers
1 cup chopped, unpeeled cucumber
1 cup chopped sweet onion
Pickling solution:
1 cup sugar
1 pint vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
Method:
1. Wash and drain vegetables. Cut corn from the cob and scrape cob to get all the milk from the kernels.
2. Combine all vegetables in a large pot or preserving kettle. Mix the pickling liquid separately and pour over vegetables.
3. Simmer for 1 hour over medium heat, then transfer into canning jars. Seal while still warm to preserve flavor.
Sweet Corn Fritters
These perfectly-crisp fritters are sure to be a new fall favorite!
Ingredients:
3 cups freshly-shucked corn kernels
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice, such as parsley, basil and chives
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup heavy cream
Vegetable oil, for frying
Sliced scallions, for serving
Crème fraîche, for serving
Method:
1. In a large bowl, stir together the corn kernels, flour, sugar, baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir in the eggs, herbs and heavy cream until the batter is well-combined.
2. Line a plate with paper towels. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with vegetable oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, scoop 2- to 3-tablespoon mounds of the corn batter into the pan, spreading it lightly into a flat, circular shape. Cook the fritters for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip them once and cook them an additional 3 minutes until they’re golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the fritters to the paper towel-lined plate, season them immediately with salt and repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
3. Garnish the corn fritters with scallions and a generous dollop of crème fraîche.
Grilled Corn & Poblano Salad
Smoky, a little spicy and very summery, this salad with a snap to prepare.
Ingredients:
4 ears of corn, in husks
2 Poblano chiles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon hot sauce (such as Frank’s)
Sea salt
Vegetable oil (for grill)
Method:
1. Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil grate. Whisk lime juice and hot sauce in a medium bowl; season with salt. Set dressing aside.
2. Grill corn (still in husks) and chiles, turning occasionally, until corn is charred all over (husks will be nicely blackened and some of the kernels will become deeply browned in spots) and chiles are blackened in spots and crisp-tender, 10–12 minutes for corn and 8–10 minutes for chiles. Transfer to a platter and let cool slightly before shucking corn.
3. Slather corn with butter, then cut kernels from cobs into bowl with reserved dressing. Remove seeds from chiles and chop. Add to corn along with scallions. Toss to combine; season corn salad with salt.
Grated Cauliflower Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing
Tossed with a bright, zesty dressing, raw cauliflower shines in this simple salad.
Ingredients:
3 cups grated cauliflower*
½ finely diced carrot
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
â…“ cup finely diced scallions
¼ cup minced cilantro
Dressing:
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño pepper
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, ginger, jalapeño and agave nectar or honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cauliflower, carrot, red bell pepper, scallions and cilantro. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately or cover and chill under ready to serve.
*Tip: To grate the cauliflower, simply grate large sections against a box or cheese grater, or in a food processor using the grating blade.
Buttermilk Ranch Potato Salad
Tossed with a plethora of fresh herbs including cilantro, dill and chives, this potato salad is incredibly fresh-tasting.
Ingredients:
3 pounds baby red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
â…“ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
â…“ cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
â…“ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
¾ cup well-shaken buttermilk
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
â…“ cup mayonnaise
â…“ cup finely-chopped scallions (green parts only)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Black pepper
Method:
1. Place 1½ to 2 inches of water in the bottom of a large pot. Place a steamer basket in the pot and add the cut potatoes to the basket. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Cover and steam the potatoes until knife-tender, stirring once or twice to ensure the potatoes in the center are evenly cooked, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Let cool at least 30 minutes before dressing; the potatoes should be room temperature. Meanwhile, make the dressing.
3. Place the cilantro, dill, and chives in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Remove 3 tablespoons of the mixture to a small bowl and set aside for garnish.
4. Add the buttermilk, yogurt, mayonnaise, scallions, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt to the medium bowl of herbs. Season with pepper and whisk to combine. Refrigerate the dressing until the potatoes are ready.
5. Pour the buttermilk dressing onto the potatoes and fold it in gently until the potatoes are fully dressed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Scatter the reserved herb mixture on top.
Cucumber Melon Salad with Feta
A true homage to summer, this salad from The Splendid Table is cool, crisp and juicy.
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ cups ripe summer melon, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
¼ cup mint leaves, torn
1 heaping tablespoon finely-chopped scallion tops
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon high-quality olive oil
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt, roll up the pieces in a double thickness of paper towel and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Unwrap and pat dry.
2. Rub a serving bowl with the garlic. Add the cucumber, melon, mint, scallions, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of oil. Gently combine. Season to taste with more oil or vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Top with the crumbled cheese and eat immediately.