Summer Splendor Recipes
Green beans to heirloom tomatoes, zucchini to baby artichokes, the summer hits just keep coming! This box celebrates summer with a plethora of locally-grown produce—yellow Romano beans, cucumbers, and Walla Walla bunched onions, as well as crisp Cegolaine lettuces and fragrant garden herbs—all accented by imported Italian pasta, sunflower seed-kissed multigrain bread, peppery edible flowers, farm-fresh eggs and a market bouquet to grace your table. So, slice up an apricot, thumb through the recipes and enjoy these summer gems to the fullest.
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Braised Baby Artichokes
Simmered with white wine and chicken stock, these tender artichokes are melt-in-your-mouth tender. (Try spooning them over pasta with some freshly-grated Grana cheese!)
Carrots Marinated with Garlic & Oregano
This room-temperature dish packs in the flavor and makes for a lovely side dish on a warm day.
Green Bean Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Tossed with a Dijon mustard and sherry vinaigrette, these beans boast bright, zesty flavor.
Grilled Lemon-Garlic Zucchini
Brushed with a herb-kissed butter mixture, these zucchini slices pair well with grilled chicken, fish or steak.
Fennel & Lemon Relish
This crisp slaw from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food II is excellent tossed with grilled veggies.
Grilled Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
In addition to salad greens, this bright and robust dressing is wonderful tossed with pasta, or drizzled over steamed or grilled artichokes.
Heirloom Tomato & Grilled Bread Panzanella
The beauty of this summery salad is in its simplicity: Be sure to use good-quality olive oil and season generously!
Ingredients:
4 cups Pain au Levain bread, cut into large cubes
2-3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
½ cup good-quality olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
¼ cup freshly-crumbled feta or goat cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Toss the bread cubes with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Grill the bread cubes until lightly charred, turning frequently with tongs. (A grill basket works well for this if you have it; otherwise watch that you don’t lose the croutons down the grate!) Remove from the grill and reserve.
2. On a large platter, arrange the heirloom tomato slices and drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped basil, cheese and grilled bread croutons and drizzle with another swirl of olive oil and, if desired, balsamic vinegar as well.
Variation: If you can find it, this salad is amazing topped with burrata cheese instead of the crumbled soft cheese!
Roasted Beet Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette
Tossed with our housemade vinaigrette, this showpiece salad boasts beautiful color.
Ingredients:
1 bunch red beets, cleaned and trimmed
4 cups water
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly shaved crosswise, fronds reserved
4 cups loosely-packed salad greens, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
F&L blueberry vinaigrette
¼ cup queso fresco cheese, crumbled
½ cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Place beets in a large roasting pan and pour over water, red wine vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with parchment and foil. Roast until just tender, they should be easily pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Peel beets under cool water. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Toss the roasted beets, fennel, fennel fronds, and greens with about ½ cup of the dressing. Plate dressed greens. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary, garnish with the blueberries, queso fresco cheese and hazelnuts and serve.
Summer Splendor Recipes
The time is ripe—for just about everything! This week’s box features an all-star lineup of summer favorites, from cucumbers, fennel and sweet onions to a beautiful assortment of cherry and heirloom tomatoes, as well as Meyer lemons and apricots. Also included in this colorful roster: Fresh Pain au Levain bread, sweet and buttery Frescatrano olives, farm-fresh eggs and our signature cobbler crust mix to put that summer stone fruit to delicious use. Enjoy!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Greek Village Salad
This classic salad makes the best of summer heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers.
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil-Pesto Vinaigrette and Fresh Mozzarella
A beautiful twist on the classic Caprese salad!
Roasted Ratatouille Toasts
A delightful spin on the classic stew, this time slathered on toasted Pain au Levain bread as a starter!
Tomato Fritters
A favorite throughout the Mediterranean, these delightfully-crisp nibbles are a wonderful pairing for a summer salad.
Apricot Cobbler
It’s hard to beat this summery dessert—just add vanilla ice cream!
