This orzo salad is always a hit; feel free to swap your favorite summer produce in!
Ingredients:
1 cup orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 cup canned Corona beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
¼ cup each orange and red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups arugula greens
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3.tablespoons chives, snipped
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup currants, plumped in hot water and drained
Dressing:
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and garlic, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the cooked orzo and beans with the dressing. Let cool.
2. Add the remaining salad ingredients, tossing lightly to distribute evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This can be prepped up to a day in advance, though wait to add the arugula until just before serving.)
A great side for this week’s Southern-inspired fare.
Ingredients:
6-8 medium-sized German Butterball potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
½ cup thinly sliced green onion
¼ cup chopped sweet pickles
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup mayonnaise
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; refrigerate in a large bowl until cold.
2. Add eggs, onions and pickles; toss well. Stir in mustard, celery seed and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Refrigerate until serving.
Cherries! Zucchini! Fava Beans! Yes, summer—and some of its most treasured crops—truly has arrived here in the Northwest. Accented by other seasonal favorites such as sugar snap peas, English cucumbers, radicchio and Swiss chard, plus rhubarb and Cara Cara oranges, this fresh lineup is fit for your table all week long, also including Gruyère cheese bread, housemade herbed cream cheese and edible flowers to add color and spice to your summer salads. Enjoy!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
How-To: Prep Fava Beans
Our quick guide to peeling and prepping fresh fava beans!
Fava Bean Dip
This simple, fresh dip enhances the inherent nutty flavor of fresh fava beans.
Grilled Cherry Salsa
This flavorful condiment is excellent on top of pork tenderloin, or served with grilled bread and our herbed cream cheese!
Garden Greens with Chopped Eggs
This fresh salad is a lovely use for beautiful summer greens.
Zucchini Ribbons with Lemon & Basil
This incredibly fresh side from Alice Waters’ Art of Simple Food II is seasoned with just the right amount of fragrant basil and zesty lemon.
Snap Peas with Lemon-Chili Breadcrumbs
Tossed with lemon-kissed breadcrumbs, this bright side makes beautiful use of fresh peas.
Rhubarb Chutney
This tangy condiment from Martha Stewart Living is delicious spread on toasted Gruyère cheese bread.
These spicy beans pair wonderfully with your favorite meat or vegetable hot off the grill.
Ingredients:
1 pound Pinquito beans, or other dried bean of your choice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, preferably 1 green and 1 orange or red (for color), seeded and diced
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Set them aside and let them soak for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans, and then place them in a large pot. Add the garlic, bell peppers and the onions. Cover them with about an inch of water.
3. Next add the chili powder and cumin, plus a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans until tender, about 2 hours. Check the liquid level about halfway through the cooking process; if you’d prefer the beans to be less soupy, you can ladle off about a third of the cooking liquid.
Variation: For extra depth of flavor, add chopped chorizo sausage into the pot at the same time as the garlic, onions and peppers.
