Salads

Salad with Strawberry, Pineapple and Avocado
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Salad with Strawberry, Pineapple and Avocado

Salad with Strawberry, Pineapple and Avocado

So its lunch time and every day I bring a salad for lunch. Usually on Sundays make one huge base salad and store in a container that you can give CPR to the top and it pushes the air out of it.freshvac

I don’t put in things like cucumbers or other things that tend to spoil quickly just the base salad. Then in the morning I grab a bunch put it in my container and add my condiments if you will. saladshakerThe condiments are things cukes, tomato, whatever I had left over from dinner last night.  My handy little container has a compartment for dressing which for me is just plain ole 18 year old balsamic vinegar.

 

Ingredients

  • Base salad
  • Organic Strawberries cut in chunks
  • Fresh pineapple cut into chunks
  • ½ avocado slices
  • Cumber cut into chunks
  • Cherry tomatoes
  •  18 year old Balsamic Vinegar (you could add oil but why dilute the vinegar.)

 

How

Place all in your handy take to work container along with an orange and banana maybe some celery or carrot sticks.

Release vinegar, shake or toss and eat!

100_1596

 

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4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

WebMD Feature

 

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Have you had your salad today? Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt — and one of the simplest, experts say.

 

Eating salads is a super-convenient way to work in a couple of servings of vegetables and/or fruit. Green salads are on the menu of almost every restaurant. You can even buy a side salad (with Romaine lettuce, carrots and tomatoes, available with fat-free or reduced-calorie salad dressing) for a buck at many fast food chains these days. And you can make a green salad at home in 5 minutes, armed with a bag of pre-washed salad greens, a few carrots or other veggies, and a bottle of light salad dressing.

 

Not only that, but salads are cool, crunchy, and fun to eat (lots of textures, colors, and flavors). Most people enjoy eating salads–even kids! You can customize them to include the fruits and vegetables that appeal to you the most, and whichever ones you have on hand.

 

Here are four health reasons to reach for a salad today:

 

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber

It’s hard to believe that something we can’t even digest can be so good for us! Eating a high-fiber diet can help lower cholesterol levels and prevent constipation.

Read more…

Not only that, says Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan, eating more fiber can help you feel fuller, eat less, and ultimately lose weight.

 avacoda about

Avocado Health Benefits: The World’s Most Perfect Food?

It has achieved this distinction because many nutritionists claim it not only contains everything a person needs to survive — but it has also been found to contribute to the prevention and control of Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions.

The avocado (Persea gratissima or P. americana) originated in Puebla, Mexico and its earliest use dates back to 10,000 years B.C. Since AD 900, the avocado tree has been cultivated and grown in Central and South America. In the 19th century, the avocado made its entry into California, and has since become a very successful commercial crop. Ninety-five percent (95%) of U.S. avocados are gown in Southern California.

The avocado, also called the alligator pear, is a high-fiber, sodium- and cholesterol-free food that provides nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, is rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as omega-3 fatty acids), vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate) — as well as potassium.

Read more here

Endive, Radicchio, Fennel, and Watercress Salad
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Endive, Radicchio, Fennel, and Watercress Salad

Lyn reminds me that I forgot to mention the salad and also the Wholefoods Cranberry multigrain rolls we had at our Eastover feast. Laurel once made a similar roll but they are much better perhaps someday I will get the recipe but we were there and convenience sometimes rules. We recently decided that Wholefoods bakery is not so good again convenience sometimes rules. I rarely bake to exact a science for me. Although I usually say ½ cup or 2 Tbsp. of this I am guessing for others sake I am really a handful of this a pinch of that kind of guy. Anyway…….

Eastover Surf and Turf BBQ Rub Salmon, Grill NY Strip Steak, Roasted potatoes, carrot root, turnips and carrots, Fennel salad and asparagus.

Eastover Surf and Turf BBQ Rub Salmon, Grill NY Strip Steak, Roasted potatoes, Celery root, turnips and carrots, Fennel salad and asparagus.

Ingredients:

  • 4 endive, thickly sliced on the diagonal

BelgianEndive

  • 1 large bulb fresh fennel, fronds removed and bulb very thinly sliced

fennel

  • 1 bunch watercress, stems removed

watercress

  • 1/2 Head of Radicchio sliced crosswise thinly

radichio

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Zest of one Meyer lemon
  • Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

How:

In a bowl, combine the endive, fennel, radicchio, watercress and Meyer lemon zest then toss gently to mix.

add Myer lemon zest

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Add half of the dressing and toss gently to coat thoroughly. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately..

toss

THE HISTORY OF  WATERCRESS

watercress about 1

From http://www.watercress.com/history.aspx

Watercress is the most ancient of   green vegetables known to man and its use can be traced back to the Persians,   Greeks and Romans. In fact, a famous Persian chronicler advised Persians to   feed cress to their children to improve bodily growth. He also strongly   recommended its use to the Greek and Persians soldiers of that time.Although these eminent rulers knew   nothing of such matters as mineral content and vitamins, they did observe   that their soldiers were in better condition when this plant was made part of   their daily diet. The Romans, too, looked with favor upon Watercress as a   salad. The common method of preparation in those days was with oil and vinegar.   It was also served with pepper, cumin seed and lentiscus…leaves of the mastic   tree.

When Hippocrates founded the first   hospital on the Island of Kos around 400 BC, he grew wild watercress in the   natural springs and used it to treat blood disorders.

It is reported that Nicholas   Messier first grew watercress in Erfurt, Germany, in the middle of the 16th   century. English cultivation started in early 1800, when a farmer near London   began to give cress attention as a product of Agriculture to be used in salads.   It was not long before its popularity spread and it became increasingly   difficult to meet the rather sudden increase in demand for watercress.

The herbalist John Gerard extolled   watercress as an anti-scorbutic (remedy for scurvy) as early as 1636. No doubt   in those days it was far easier to come by than oranges – a foreign   extravagance.

According to the book ‘James Cook   and the Conquest of Scurvy’, Captain James Cook was able to circumnavigate   the globe three times, due in part, to his use of watercress in his sailors   diets. And watercress is recorded as being on the menu for the vary first   Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and the American Indians.

Wherever Watercress has been   reported in history, it has been common to eat the crisp green sprigs out of   hand, combined with other tender greens in salads and as a garnish on hot and cold dishes. In addition,   certain nationalities have made a particular watercress use famous in their   country.

For instance, the French are noted   for delicious thick soup made of potatoes and watercress, Potage Cressionniere.   This is usually served hot, though it is delicious served cold.

The English, of course, are   responsible for popularizing the watercress sandwiches. These are now practically standard service, appearing at   daily family teas and high teas alike. The Italians, too, did their bit by   adding shortcut sprigs of Watercress to their minestrone and other satisfying   and hearty vegetable soups. The Chinese have long used watercress sprays in their egg drop,   wonton and of course watercress soup.

Here in America, B&W   Watercress, Inc. has not only made watercress available easily, but we also   developed interesting recipes for using Watercress. These include: watercress   salad, soups and sandwiches, dips, entrees and of course the vegetable   dishes.

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watercress2

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Hard Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

crispin_ciders

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup hard apple cider
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice (about ½ orange)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (used our 18 year old)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

How

Bring cider, juice and honey to a boil in a small saucepan.

Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.

Pour into a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add shallots, vinegar, Dijon salt and pepper stir with a whisk. Gradually add the olive oil stirring constantly with a whisk.

Set aside.

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Caramelized Acorn Squash Salad with Crispy Shallots.
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Caramelized Acorn Squash Salad with Crispy Shallots.

The first time I had something similar to this they served with herb goat cheese on a bed of arugula. We had on hand crumbled feta, cut up oranges, pumpkin seeds, served on a bed of mixed greens. In fact it was at Stonewall Kitchen cooking class and they made a salad very similar this is my adaptation using what we had on hand. Here is a good site to read about varieties of winter squash. There were 2 of us and this made one fine meal, I even skipped dessert that night which for some reason this last year I have become a dessert person so strange to me.

acorn-squash

I apologize I was so into cooking that I forgot to take a picture in the pan while cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Acorn squash or any thin skinned winter squash – the thin skin allows you to eat it when cooked.
  • ¼- ½  cup hard apple cider – could use regular cider
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

100_1401

How:

Cut off the ends of the squash and scoop out the seed

Cut into ½ inch think rings.

Combine the sugar, salt, pepper and butter in a large bowl. Add the squash and coat.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and place the squash in a single layer. Add apple cider to pan. Allow squash to cook and apple cider to reduce until squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While pan roasting, turn the squash with a spatula to be sure it browns evenly.

Things I might try next time –

  • I think next time I might melt the combination making it easier to coat the squash.
  • My pan was a little too small so I ended up using half rings to fit.
  • Cooking in batches to retain the circles
  • I might try roasting and flipping a few times next time

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Hard Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup hard apple cider
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice (about ½ orange)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (used our 18 year old)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

How

Bring cider, juice and honey to a boil in a small saucepan.

Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.

Pour into a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add shallots, vinegar, Dijon salt and pepper stir with a whisk. Gradually add the olive oil stirring constantly with a whisk. Set aside.

Crispy Shallots

Ingredients

  • 1-2 shallots shaved into rings, used our new mandolin
  • I cup rice flour – gluten free which browns more quickly
  • Canal oil as needed.

How

Heat canola oil in a small sauté pan. Toss shallots in rice flour, shaking off excess. Fry rings until crispy and lightly golden. Remove from oil and season with salt. Drain on paper towel. To be honest the first batch burnt, the second was not quite crispy enough, and the next batch was perfect. Sound like a familiar story to you? I used the 2nd and third batch tossed the first. Learned you got to watch them cause they turn real quick.

Caramelized Acorn Squash Salad with Crispy Shallots.

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Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
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Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

For my birthday my wife gave us a cooking class at Stonewall Kitchen which was great had a really good time which started with Pina Coladas on the beach but those are both another story for another time.

This post is about my love of Balsamic Vinegar.

Hanging with the chef

Hanging with the chef

A few years back we discovered eighteen year old balsamic vinegar at LeRoux Kitchen in Portland Maine. You can drink this stuff it’s just so good. They are online but also have stores at Martha’s Vineyard, MA and Portsmouth, NH so where Stonewall Kitchen is in York Maine we decided to stay just a few minutes away in Portsmouth NH on the river. Portsmouth has a nice walking downtown with small shops and a lot of restaurants it has the feel of a college town with a touch of tourism to me.

View from the room PortsmouthNorthChurch_lg Portsmouth Downtown

Anyway, armed with our 5 empty bottles we clinked our way to the store and had them refilled. All set for a few months now. Which brings me to the point of this post Vinaigrette dressings they can be simple or complicated but once you get in the habit of making your own fresh you will not go back to the off the shelf bottle. Ok maybe in a pinch.

I mostly wing it but here are a few that I have made or tried. Oh before I forget they are not just for salads so experiment and see. Let me know some of your favorites.

How: They all prepare similarly so

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Nice little gadget!

Nice little gadget! I snuffed at first.

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

Note: With a good quality balsamic you may not need to add a sweetener that depends on your tooth as the saying goes.

My version of someone’s house dressing

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard – Trader Joe’s add a kick
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced finely if you like a stronger garlic flavor
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Another twist

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed or minced if you like a stronger garlic flavor

Yet another twist

  • 1/4 cup red wine (any variety)
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons fruit jam or 2 teaspoons jelly
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Options:

  • Try a teaspoon of lemon juice
  • Honey
  • Add some grated cheese
  • Chopped cilantro or mint or oregano or…..

 Maple vinaigrette dressing (Cooks.com)

  • 2 oz balsamic vinegar
  • 2 oz malt vinegar
  • 2 oz rice vinegar
  • 1 clove fresh chopped garlic
  • 3 teaspoons stone ground mustard
  • 9 oz olive oil
  • 4 oz maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon cilantro

How:

Add garlic and vinegars together and let sit overnight to infuse flavors. Strain. (Garlic pieces may be left in for stronger garlic taste.)

Blend oil, vinegars and mustard until mixture is well emulsified. Stir in maple syrup. Add cilantro, pepper and oregano (to taste). Stir and shake well prior to serving.

May substitute vinegar favorites, berry syrups for maple and substitute or add favorite spices to taste. Oil/vinegar ratio may also be adjusted to taste.

 Basil Vinaigrette (simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 shallot, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup roughly chopped basil leaves

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

How:

1 Place the salt, sugar, mustard, shallot and basil in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Scrape the sides of the blender down with a spatula. Add the vinegar and pulse again.

2 Turn the blender on low and take off the cap in the center of the blender’s lid. Slowly pour in the olive oil. It may sputter a little out of the open cap, so hold you hand over it to minimize splashing.

3 When the olive oil is incorporated, turn off the blender and scrape the sides down one more time. Cover and purée everything for 1-2 minutes.

Store covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Oils|Vinegars Subcategory images

White and Dark balsamic Vinegar

I was told at the class that the difference is the dark is cooked but here is another opinion that backs that up …to say it’s just the color is a little too simple…balsamic vinegar is made from white grapes and are fermented over decades…they take some out after a year and cook it under pressure to maintain its clearness, and that is the white balsamic….the other as I said is left to ferment for years and that’s the dark. Me again..I should add that now a days the grocery stores have a way to speed up the process

I believe with the good stuff that each year stated the vinegar is processed in another barrel.

balsamic_battery

About Balsamic Vinegar here is an interesting article

Because balsamic vinegar is one of olive oil’s natural companions, we thought it might be useful to discuss in some detail this complex product, especially since prices can fluctuate even more wildly than olive oil (between a $3.00 pint and a $50.00 ounce).

The highest art of vinegar (aceto in Italian) making in Italy is known as Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale (ABT).  Sadly, the reputation of this exceptional product has been bastardized by low-grade products bearing the same name and which only ever so faintly resemble the real thing.  There are, however, two bits of good news.  First, it is quite simple to recognize a ‘real’ ABT.  It will be always be sold in one of two distinct bottle types (the difference being that of the two competing DOC’s, Modena and Reggio Emilia, both strictly controlled by respective ‘Consorzios’1). Second, you do not always need the best balsamico for every dish and, in fact, that might be ill-advised even if you could afford it. Read more

Tex-Mex Muffaletta
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Tex-Mex Muffaletta

This is a recipe that Lyn and I found in some magazine years and years ago, although it has been a little while since I made she brought it up after I told her what my Super Bowl game day recipe was going to be. This is a good one for a help yourself party or event.

We’ve Stuffed our version of this traditional New Orleans sandwich with deli thin slice smoked chicken and Monterey Jack Cheese combined with as Lyn and I call it a the sandwich with the corn salad.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
  • 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbs. grated lime zest
  • 2 clove garlic minced
  • 1 ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 6 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 yellow, red and or green pepper diced (nice to mix colors)
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 larger tomato diced
  • 6 scallions chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
  • 1 round loaf crusty bread, 9” in diameter, 1 ¾ lbs
  • 1 Lb. deli-sliced smoked chicken breast, divided into 3 equal piles (can use turkey if you want)
  • 8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese. Shredded about 2 cups divided into 3 equal piles

How

Salad

In a bowl mix the first 9 ingredients and then whisk in oil. Add the next 5 ingredients. Set aside

Sandwich

Slice top 1/3 from the bread and set the top aside.

Pull out center leaving ½” thick shell.

Spread 1/3 of pepper mixture on bottom, top with 1/3 of chicken and 1/3 of cheese.

Repeat layers with remaining pepper mixture, chicken and cheese.

Replace bread top

Warp with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours. Server sliced in wedges

This takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare not counting the 8 hour frig time that is.

Serve with some chips and GRONKACAMOLE, Pig Skins  and Beer what else!!

How to put together

slice

QUICK TIP

Use leftover bread from this sandwich to make croutons, bread crumbs or panzanella (Italian bread salad).

Cut top third of bread off and remove all leaving 1/2" cust

Cut top third of bread off and remove all leaving 1/2″ cust

layer with 1/3 corn salad, then 1/3 turkey then cheese continue finishing with corn salad

layer with 1/3 corn salad, then 1/3 turkey then cheese continue finishing with corn salad

replace the top

replace the top

wrap with plactic wrap tightly and refrigerate 8 hours

wrap with plactic wrap tightly and refrigerate 8 hours

remove wrap

remove wrap

Slice

Slice

Serve

Serve

Layers are nice presentation

Layers are nice presentation

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Muffaletta
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Muffaletta

While working for Twentieth Century Fox I spent 2 years in New Orleans. Went from 169 to 189 lbs, learn to suck-dat-head pinch-dat-tail (crawfish) learn that “y’all” is singular just like “you guys” is in the Northeast and most especially how to slow down and enjoy.  Here is a New Orleans original – the Muffaletta – is a deliciously melodious collaboration of cured meat, provolone cheese, olive salad and sesame seeded, white fluffy bread that is the sandwich’s namesake. Thank Sicily for the round sesame bread but the ingenious sandwich is a New Orleans invention. In 1906, Central Grocery, right in the French Quarter, developed the sandwich and has been the muffaletta headquarters ever since.  This is where Lyn and I discovered it on one of our Sunday morning ritual to the French Quarter for chicory coffee and beignets, the Sunday paper and a trip to the Zoo with a picnic lunch. We tried one for our picnic and it was soon added to the ritual. People stood in line on a daily basis for the sandwich, as well as the in-house made olive salad (a pickled concoction of olive, celery, carrot, cauliflower, olive oil and Italian spices). I wonder if it is still there. Make this New Orleans original sandwich at home with Chef Emeril’s recipe. It’s a great game day sandwich.

Muffaletta

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounces pimento-stuffed olives (1 cup), sliced, plus 2 tablespoons of liquid from the jar
  • 6 ounces chopped giardiniera (pickled Italian vegetables) (1 cup), plus 1 tablespoon of liquid from the jar
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers, plus 2 teaspoons of liquid from the jar
  • 3 ounces pitted Calamata olives (1/2 cup), sliced
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Pinch of dried thyme
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large loaf seeded Italian bread (about 1 1/4 pounds), split width wise  – halfway between top and bottom
  • 1/4 pound sliced fresh mozzarella
  • 6 ounces sliced capocollo or prosciutto
  • 1/4 pound sliced Genoa salami
  • 1/4 pound sliced mortadella
  • 1/4 pound sliced mild provolone cheese
  • Pepperoncini, for serving

How:

In a medium bowl, stir the pimento-stuffed olives with the giardiniera, capers and their respective liquids. Add the Calamata olives, garlic, shallot, oregano, parsley, thyme and crushed red pepper. Stir in the olive oil and let the mixture stand for 1 hour.

Olive Salad

Open the Italian bread on a work surface. Spoon the olive salad on both sides of the bread and spread evenly. Arrange the mozzarella slices on the bottom half of the bread, then top with the capocollo, Genoa salami and mortadella. Arrange the provolone cheese on the top half of the bread, covering the olive salad completely.

Building the sandwhich

Fire Roasted Smoked tomatoes – Soup, Salsa, Pizza
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Fire Roasted Smoked tomatoes – Soup, Salsa, Pizza

I love the smell of smoking chips I swear I would turn on the grill and smoke some chips, sit on the deck and take it in.  When smoking I imagine the neighborhood up wind of me being instantly jealous as they exit their houses taking in the sweat smell of hickory or mesquite chips drifting past their nose. Smoking is a relaxing hobby it means that the mood has shifted to low and slow sit back enjoy a beer and good company, occasionally  getting up to adjust a vent or add more coals and chips. Hours of kicking back and waiting.

The other day we made of first trip the Kelly’s for some native corn and they had Roma tomatoes by the box.  Instantly to the tune of what do you do with a drunken sailor, my mind started singing and thinking. SO an hour later I had my first batch of roasted tomato basil soup on the stove, a batch of cucumber, tomato basil salad in the fridge and some fire roasted smoked tomatoes on the grill, which led to salsa and jar of smoke tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. Roma tomatoes slice in half length wise.
  • ¼ Olive Oil
  • Finely chopped fresh rosemary, oregano and basil, salt and pepper
  • Soaked wood chips

How

Place the halved tomatoes in large bowl add the oil and herbs, salt and pepper, mix to coat. Place cut on aluminum foil covered BBQ tray

Place wood chips in smoking tray, supposable aluminum tray, or make tinfoil pouch

Put chips in BBQ and heat to high about 15 minutes the chips should be smoking

Place tray of tomatoes and grill about 35-45 minutes until you think are done.

Salsa

Combine chipped smoked tomato, 1 scullion, some chopped red bell pepper, pinch of hot red pepper flakes and some oil let flavors come together. You can add whatever you want to this basically what’s in the fridge.

Gluten free Smoked tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and goat cheese pizza.

Chop some tomatoes and spread on UDI’s gluten free pizza crust, place broccoli and spinach and top with globs of goat cheese. Heat at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Roasted Corn Salad
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Roasted Corn Salad

First let me say that you are not held to any but the corn in this recipe what I add is different almost every time this time fresh peas.

  

I love this time of year you can almost see the corn starting in Florida making its way up the coast. When I was younger one of my many summer jobs running the produce department (so I thought) at Paul’s Market a local grocery store in North Falmouth, Ma I learned a lot about corn among other things. I even got to meet an up and coming Barbra Waters, picked out her produce on more than one day. I used to give the overripe peaches to the old lady next door who came back with ice cream for all the workers. Did you know a room temperature watermelon and a straight piece of straw from a broom could tell you how ripe the melon was? Yep balance the middle of the straw in the middle of the watermelon and for some reason the more it twisted and turned the riper the melon. I used to swear by it and it appeared to be a true lesson my boss taught me. Being a local market we bought local when available and one of my fondest memories were the trips to buy corn. We would wander out in the field pick an ear and eat it when we both liked what we tasted we would indicate give us these two rows. Then load up the van and back to the store. I did not talk much in the car then, nothing has changed, and that used to drive Paul crazy on our trips to the farms or dump. Where did that come from?

 

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp. diced chipotle chili seeded or not, plus 1 Tbsp. adobe sauce
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ½ tsp. honey
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Above make the vinaigrette

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4-6 ears of corn
  • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro chopped (plus you can put some leaves aside for garnish)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved or quarter depending on size
  • ½ cup peeled and fine chopped apple
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • Peas from about 20 pea pods
  • ½ medium red pepper fine chop
  • I have used about ¼ cup of radishes chopped or jicama

How

Husk the corn rub with a little olive oil and place on grill turn occasionally until charred about 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle remove the kernels in your favorite manner. I like to place on a small bowel or cup upside down in a bowl rest the stem side of corn on it and run a knife down the side so the kernels fall into bowl. Break apart and clumps of kernels with your fingers, they do not all have to be separate.

Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together lime and orange juice, chipotle chili, adobe sauce, 1 tsp. salt, garlic, honey, and ¼ cup olive oil until smooth and set aside.

Add the rest of the ingredients to corn combine then re-whisk (is that a word?) the vinaigrette combine and garnish with cilantro leave you had put aside.

Serve at room temperature. I like the smoky flavor the charred corn give the dish.

This makes a great topper for salads or sloppy sandwiches.

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