Summer Garden Salad

As summer winds down this week, I am coming to terms with the end of another warm season. The leaves are just starting to change and soon we will be seeking the warming comfort of stews, homemade bread and soups. Summer always passes too quickly, with so many exciting obligations, cottages, vacations, pools to be enjoyed! I never get as much time to blog as I plan!

I wanted to spend this last week celebrating our garden. This year we had a huge garden. It was a lot of work but we have been harvesting the benefits for months now. By far the star of our garden this year was the beautiful tomato. We planted, in total, 67 plants. Yes, a tad excessive. But we have had fun trying all of the new heirloom varieties. I can say that I have eaten tomatoes, in some form, at almost all meals for about two months now and I am still craving them. I think I could live on tomatoes like these, daily, for the rest of my life! So, many of the recipes this week have that theme (perhaps I will call it an homage to the tomato).

My first recipe, however, is created from a mixture of many of the vegetables in our garden. All of the veggies, herbs and lettuce used in this salad come from the garden (save and except for the pine nuts). This is an easy summer classic garden salad. I make it regularly throughout the season. It is an excellent way to celebrate the harvest, add whatever you have fresh on hand!

Summer Garden Salad

3 or 4 large handfuls of lettuce (I used arugula and Boston bib)

1 bunch of french breakfast radishes, sliced thinly

large handful of mixed herbs (I used chives, basil, mint, oregano and parsley)

large handful of fresh mixed grape tomatoes, halved 

garden cucumber, sliced thin

small handful of toasted pine nuts

Dressing:

 

Salt 

Pepper

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Dijon Mustard

White Balsamic Vinegar

Quinoa Salad

What a beautiful way to start the Week! I am in love with all of the fresh flavours of this salad, the crunchy pine nuts, the creamy beans, the chewy quinoa and the crisp veggies combined with the smokiness of the grilled zucchini and the tart citrus dressing! The best part? Don't tell anyone ... it's super healthy!   

QUINOA SALAD

1/2 cup dried quinoa, rinsed 

2 medium zucchini 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped 

1 cup English cucumber, de-seeded and chopped 

1/2 medium yellow sweet pepper, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts 

1/2 cup navy beans

1/4 cup fresh dill

Juice and zest of one lemon 

juice of one lime

1-2 T olive oil 

salt and pepper

How to Cook Quinoa: There is some debate about the proper ratio to use when cooking quinoa. I usually use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to liquid. For the above recipe I combine 1 cup of water mixed with half of the lemon juice and all of the the lemon zest as well as a bit of salt and pepper. I usually cook my quinoa in my rice maker, but if you don't have a rice maker you can also bring the quinoa and water to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Then, remove the quinoa from the heat and let stand, covered for ten to fifteen minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve!

 Cut zucchini into long strips, lengthwise. Grill over a grill pan. Let cool.  Chop into bite sized pieces.

Toast pine nuts until browned. Let cool. 

Combine cooked quinoa, chopped vegetables, pine nuts, beans, fresh dill,
remaining lemon juice, lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss to combine. 

Serve! 

~ Serves 4 as a side salad / 2 as a dinner salad ~

The Ultimate Burger & Ceasar Salad

I have been on a search this summer, to find the ultimate burger recipe. I think this one is pretty close! I think it is always better to grind your own meat. We used top sirloin. Whatever cut you choose, you must ensure that there is enough fat included, otherwise the burger will be dry and mealy. Most of the research that I have found suggests a 15-20% ratio of fat to meat. If you are using a leaner cut of meat (like turkey), I would suggest adding some bacon to the mix, in order to up the fat ratio, so as to ensure a juicy burger!

I think a good burger needs no other accompaniment than an equally fantastic salad. Growing up in my house, salad almost always meant Caesar salad. This version (my mother's) is very garlicy, so I wouldn't suggest it prior to a first date or even if you have a job interview in the next week. But if you are happily in love (or happily single) and well employed, this salad is well worth the day or two of keeping your distance.

Ultimate Burger

~ makes 6 well sized burgers ~

2 lbs top sirloin beef, ground
1 egg

1/4 cup dry or fresh bread crumbs

1 T Dijon mustard

3 garlic cloves, chopped fine

4 drops liquid smoke

1/4 cup fresh Greek oregano (or rosemary), chopped fine

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

salt and ground pepper

fresh kaiser rolls

Combine all ingredients and form into six equal burgers.
Grill to medium.
Serve on kaiser rolls with sauce (recipe below)

Sauce:

1/2 cup mayo

large handful basil leaves, chopped fine

1 T lemon juice

1 T Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

Combine and serve!

Colleen's Caesar Salad

2 egg yolks

1 T lemon juice

8 shakes worcestershire sauce

2 t anchovy paste

2 T red wine vinegar

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 T Dijon mustard or 2 t dried mustard

salt and pepper

1/2 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large head romaine lettuce

1/4 red onion, chopped into rings

1 cup croutons

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Combine first eight ingredients with a hand blender.

Slowly add olive oil, while blending, until desired consistency is reached (should be very creamy).

Toss dressing with lettuce, onions croutons and cheese.

Grilled Vegetable Panzanella

This late spring / early summer salad demands the freshest ingredients. The salad is so simple yet it is bursting with flavours. On a warm night when I don't want to cook in the house, I will grill up some fish or meat and accompany it with this salad. If you toast the bread on the grill outside, you can cook the entire meal without using your oven!

Grilled Vegetable Panzanella
1/4 loaf crusty day old bread, cubed
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 sweet pepper, cut into thirds, seeds removed
3 large leeks, white parts only
1 large bunch asparagus, tough ends removed
1 large bunch basil, chopped
zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss bread with olive oil and toast until dry.
Combine tomatoes and bread in a large bowl.
Cut leeks in half, lengthwise.
Combine leeks, pepper and asparagus and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Grill leeks, pepper and asparagus until vegetables are soft. Remove blackened skin from peppers. Chop all vegetables roughly, and toss with bread, tomatoes and basil.
Combine lemon juice, zest, vinegar and olive oil in a separate bowl. Pour half of dressing over salad and toss to combine. Add more dressing, as needed, until salad is dressed to your liking. Adjust seasonings.

Beef Satay with Mango Mint Salad

I love refreshing, tangy, crunchy mango salad. This version was taught to me during a recent mother-daughter Thai cooking lesson at the Calphalon Culinary Center in Toronto. It's an easy summer-time (or any-time) dinner salad. It's also great for guests as the salad can be assembled and the satays marinated and skewered the day before, (just make sure to keep the salad dressing separate and add just before serving). Just grill the satay and you're ready to relax!

You are welcome substitute lamb/chicken/shrimp/scallops etc. for the beef. Don't worry if you don't have all of the ingredients for the salad, just combine what you have on hand and don't stress. You can substitute green apples or papaya for the mango if you like.

This recipe is fantastic served with an ice cold Hoegaarden.
serves 4

Beef Satay:
1 lb beef sirloin or tenderloin, cut into 16 even strips
3 cloves garlic
1 2" piece lemongrass, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro/mint, chopped fine
1 t cracked black pepper
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 T brown sugar or honey
1 T soy sauce
juice of 1 lime/ 1 T tamarind pulp
1 T sesame oil
2 T vegetable oil

combine ingredients, marinate beef for at least 15 minutes or overnight. skewer onto soaked wooden skewers and grill (1-2 minutes per side) over med-high heat.


Mango Mint Salad

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar or honey
1 T sesame oil
2 T vegetable oil
2 T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
juice and zest from 2 limes
2 T mint/cilantro

Salad:
1 Mango, peeled, pit removed, julienne
1/8 Napa cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup carrot, peeled and julienne (or shred)
1/2 cup English cucumber, seeded, julienne
1/2 daikon radish, peeled, julienne (optional)
1/2 cup red onion, julienne
2 T basil/mint leaves, chiffonade
2 T peanuts, roasted and chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients for vinaigrette and set aside. Mix together all salad ingredients. Toss with as much vinaigrette as you like. Serve with satay.

Marinated Anchovies

Fresh anchovy fillets, marinated in lemon, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and sea salt.

I discovered how easy it was to make my own marinated anchovies on a recent trip to the Amalfi coast. We stayed in a small village called Praiano, and became well acquainted with the local fish monger, who provided us with these beautiful little fishes.

Ingredients

one kilo (two pounds) fresh anchovies, cleaned
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 4 large lemons
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 T sea salt
handful fresh lemon leaves or fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Wash and dry anchovies and set aside in a large shallow bottomed bowl. Combine the next four ingredients and pour over anchovies. Leave to marinate overnight in fridge. Serve garnished with fresh parsley or lemon leaves, with hearty Italian bread for dipping in the beautiful oil.