In A Nutshell

This recipe is adapted from Saveur magazine; it makes great use of summer fruit. I won’t give amounts for the salad ingredients— just make however much you need or want. Peaches, sliced Plums, sliced Arugula Sliced red onion (you can marinate these in a small amount of dressing if you want to take out the bite) Feta or Goat cheese crumbles Anything else you fancy: almonds, beets, dried cherries etc. Dressing : 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 t salt freshly ground pepper 1 t honey 1 t Dijon mustard chopped cilantro (optional) 1/2 cup EVOO Whisk together and drizzle a bit over the salad. 

This recipe comes from Fine Cooking Magazine and is supposed to be served as a wrap with butter lettuce, but the grocery store did not have butter lettuce so I made it into a salad instead-- which I think was a good call. 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean red chile-bean sauce-- it's delicious!) 2 T sesame oil 2 T soy sauce 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T rice vinegar spring lettuce or butter lettuce kimchee sliced scallions grated carrots Mix the marinade ingredients and pour half over the steak; I like to let this marinade overnight. Grill the steak for 3-4 minutes per side and slice thinly. Serve atop the lettuce and scatter the other ingredients over and around the steak and pass the remaining marinade to use as dressing to taste. Alternatively you can keep all the ingredients separate and let people make their own lettuce wraps using butter lettuce.

This is an absolutely fabulous salad! I set it up like a Cobb salad with the pita chips lining the bottom of the bowl because it just looks so beautiful like this. You can toss it right before eating. Obviously good tomatoes and cukes are the key. Adapted from Food & Wine. Greek Vinaigrette : 3 T red wine vinegar 1 minced garlic clove 1 t Dijon mustard 1 t chopped fresh oregano 1/2 t lemon zest 8 T extra-virgin olive oil For the Salad : grilled chicken, sliced  (this is my go-to recipe) diced tomatoes diced cucumber (seeded and peeled) diced red bell pepper sliced peperoncini diced feta pitted kalamata olives thinly sliced radishes salted pita chips, broken up with your hand Line the bottom of the bowl with some broken pita chips and arrange the remaining ingredients in the prettiest fashion. Drizzle with some of the dressing and then serve the dressing on the side as well.

Chickpeas are one of my favorite foods; I love them in most everything and also straight out of the can! This recipe is adapted from Food & Wine magazine. Because there are so few ingredients in this salad, it is important to have good quality tomatoes (preferably from the garden or your mom's garden!). 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed (I think Goya are the best) 1 cup of diced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup diced cucumber (seeded) 1/2 red onion, small diced 2 T EVOO 1 T veg oil 2 T fresh lemon juice 1 t ground cumin 1/8 t cayenne pepper (or more, to taste) In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, oils and spices along with a generous pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Add the diced onion and let it mellow in the dressing for about 10 minutes (I prepare the remaining ingredients during this time). Add the everything else and stir. SO SO easy! 

Another delicious recipe from Food & Wine magazine; I modified and simplified this slightly. 1 1/2 lbs haricots verts or regular green beans, trimmed and halved 1 1/2 lbs small fingerling or new potatoes 1 cup chickpeas 1 large garlic clove 1/4 cup pine nuts 2 oz. finely grated Grana Padano (about 3/4 cup) 1 oz. finely grated Pecorino Romano 1/2 cup plus 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 1 large bunch basil leaves 4 T lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Fill a large bowl with ice; bring a large pot of salted water to boil and blanch the basil for about 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water- remove and pat dry. Add the green beans to the water and boil for about 4-6 minutes, depending upon how thick your green beans are. Transfer to the ice water to cool- remove and pat dry. Add the potatoes to the water and boil until tender (the recipe says 10-12 minutes but mine took about 20 plus minutes); drain and let cool completely. Meanwhile, in a food pr...

This is adapted from Fine Cooking magazine. It is delightfully fresh; I served it with blue cheese burgers and it was the perfect foil to that rich main course. 1/4 cup chopped red onion 3 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage 1 pink grapefruit, segmented 1 rib of celery sliced 1/4 cup coarsely grated carrot 1 small red pepper, small-diced 2 T grapeseed oil 1 1/2 T seasoned rice vinegar 2 t lemon or lime juice 1/2 small jalapeno, finely diced 1 t sugar salted pepitas (optional) Put the grapefruit and red onion in a large bowl while you are prepping the remaining ingredients. Add the cabbage, celery, carrot, jalapeno and red pepper; season with salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing ingredients and toss over the salad. Sprinkle pepitas over the top if desired (I forgot to do this).

There are a lot of variations of this salad; I don't have an exact recipe.... just kind of wing-it! cubed watermelon cubed cucumber (take those wretched seeds out first) diced red onion cubed feta (I like to cut this myself so that the pieces stay in discreet squares) chopped cilantro salt and pepper extra-virgin olive oil lime juice to taste (not much, maybe one or two limes juiced) In a separate small bowl, soak the onion in the lime juice while preparing the rest of the salad. In layers add the watermelon first, cucumber the red onion, chopped cilantro and feta on top. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle some EVOO over the whole thing (not a lot), pour the lime juice over and toss only when about to serve. It's a beauty of a salad.

This salad is refreshing and delicious-- adapted from Food and Wine. The taste hinges on good garden tomatoes and fresh, ripe peaches. 1 1/2 T red wine vinegar 2 T EVOO 1/4 t coriander kosher salt and pepper 2 peaches or nectarines 2 medium tomatoes 2 T chopped red onion crumbled feta chopped cilantro 1 cup broken pita chips (I prefer Trader Joe's) Combine vinegar, EVOO, coriander, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chopped red onion and let it marinate while you are preparing the remainder of the salad. Slice the peaches and chop the tomatoes. Add to the onions along with the cilantro; right before serving, gently stir in the pita chips and top with feta crumbles.

I only ever make this salad for the holidays (and only if my niece Abby is coming, who once as a child told me she loved the salad and is now under a lifetime obligation to continue loving it!). It's creamy and fattening and good and I can't get enough of it... it's very dangerous for the waistline! This should be made the day you are planning to serve it. 3-4 lbs green grapes 8 oz. cream cheese, well-softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 t vanilla 8 oz. sour cream Mix all the ingredients together until well-blended (except the grapes) in a large bowl and stir in the grapes. Top with: 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans

I had never eaten persimmons before and discovered that they are rather delightful though a little strange because they are reminiscent of tomatoes in texture and appearance. This is a delicious flavor combination-- I will have to remember to use the crisp prosciutto in other recipes as well. Unlike most salads, this is quite good the next day as well (although if you plan to make enough for multiple days, only add hazelnuts and prosciutto to what you are using right away). Adapted from Epicurious.com 3 oz. prosciutto 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped 1/4 cup plus 2 T fresh lime juice 1 t Dijon mustard 1 T finely chopped shallot 1 t honey 1 small garlic clove, pressed 1 t salt freshly ground pepper 3/4 cup EVOO 2 bunches of kale, stemmed and thinly sliced 2 Fuyu persimmons, halved and thinly sliced goat cheese crumbles Preheat oven to 350º. Lay out prosciutto in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisp, around 20 minutes or so. Let it completely c...

This is from Barefoot Contessa Parties ; it's really the best Caesar salad ever. You can sub in kale on occasion for a change of pace. The dressing is so lemony and delicious that you'll never want to buy a bottle from the store again! For the dressing : 1 organic egg yolk, at room temp. 2 t Dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, pressed 8 anchovy fillets (optional- I leave this out) 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 t kosher salt freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 cups olive oil (do not use extra-virgin olive oil or it will separate) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan In a food processor, place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until smooth (ish). With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the tube and process until thick. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse a few times. For the salad : chopped romaine lettuce roasted cherry tomatoes (drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper and roast at 450º for 20 minutes) cooked choppe...

This is a grain salad for olive lovers. Although I'll admit I was skeptical of the outcome, the combination of flavors is very good- don't leave out the walnuts-- they really make the salad! This recipe hinges on using your absolute favorite olives in the world (in my case, the spicy olives from the Whole Foods olive bar). I did not have golden raisins, so I can't in good faith vouch for that particular ingredient but I would guess that they would enhance the salad even further. Adapted from Food and Wine magazine. 1 1/4 cups farro, cooked according to package directions and cooled 1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped olives of your choice 4 scallions, chopped chopped chives 2 T golden raisins 1/2 t crushed red pepper 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 T lemon juice 1 T honey salt and pepper shaved Pecorino cheese, for serving (I forgot to do this) Combine the EVOO, CRP, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the remaini...

After some binge-eating at a Mexican restaurant the night before, I decided that a nice yet satisfying salad would be just the thing for the next evening's meal. The recipe is adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook ; she uses fresh grilled tuna-- I know it's low-brow but I like canned tuna better.... If you don't feel like grilling the potatoes, you can easily get by with merely boiling them. I won't give proportions here- just make how much you want or need. For the Salad : green beans, cooked in salted water for 4-6 minutes (depending upon how al dente you want them) hard boiled eggs sliced tomatoes tuna, fresh or canned arugula nicoise olives potato-scallion salad (recipe follows) champagne vinaigrette (recipe follows) flaked sea salt freshly ground pepper Arrange the salad as pictured above with the arugula as a base below the potatoes; drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with flaked sea salt and fresh pepper. For the Potato Salad ...

Delicious and healthy.... what more can I say? I used tangerine balsamic vinegar from The Olive Tap; if you can't find an orange balsamic vinegar, use regular and add grated zest from either an orange or a tangerine or clementine. 4 cups very finely chopped kale 1 small red onion, halved and sliced thinly dried cherries orange or clementine segments shredded parmesan cheese chopped toasted hazelnuts 1/4 cup tangerine balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil hearty pinch of salt freshly ground pepper 1/2 t honey 1/2 t dijon mustard Mix vinegar, EVOO, salt, pepper, honey and dijon in a large bowl with a whisk. Add the red onion and let it macerate while you are preparing the remaining ingredients. Add everything else except the cheese and the hazelnuts; let sit for about 20 minutes to soften. Add the nuts and cheese right before serving.

This is adapted from Rachel Ray magazine. It's a beautiful salad- best served the day it's made. 1 medium red cabbage, shredded or cut very very thin (I used the mandoline for this) 1 large beet (raw), peeled and shredded (I used the food processor for this) 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries 3 T EVOO 3 T balsamic vinegar 1 T cherry jam (I used Smucker's homestyle Cranberry-Cherry jam) 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 t kosher salt pepper Whisk the EVOO, jam, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Add the beet, dried cherries and cabbage and mix well. Garnish with the walnuts and parsley right before serving. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Let stand about 15 minutes before serving.

I absolutely LOVE green zebra tomatoes- the chipmunks seem to prefer my red tomatoes so I've had an abundance of these green ones. Normally I would put a bit of basil leaf between the slices but there was a monsoon-like rain yesterday so I skipped going outside to pick basil. tomatoes of different colors (definitely include the green zebra) sliced fresh mozzarella, preferably buffalo top quality extra-virgin olive oil fresh pepper Maldon sea salt Layer and drizzle.

This is very fresh, very good with garden tomatoes and garden cucumbers (thanks Mom!). Comes from Rachel Ray magazine. 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 1/4 cup lemon juice 3 T EVOO 1/2 t allspice salt and pepper 1 diced and seeded cucumber 1 cup chopped garden tomatoes 1 large bunch parsley, washed well and finely chopped 5 radishes, small diced 4 green onions, sliced Cook quinoa in salted boiling water for 12 minutes; drain and cool somewhat (I'm never patient enough to wait until it's completely cool) . In a salad bowl whisk the lemon juice with the EVOO, allspice and plenty of salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients. This salad is really best eaten the day it's made.

This is another variation in the caprese salad series; it's a great starter and I feel could be eaten as a meal itself with a nice crusty bread. Very delicious and very easy. eggplant tomatoes, sliced buffalo mozzarella (available at Costco or use regular fresh mozzarella), sliced extra-virgin olive oil Maldon sea salt Using a paring knife, cut some narrow strips of skin off of the eggplant lenghtwise (to create a striped pattern). Cut into 3/4" slices and brush both sides with EVOO; sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Grill using a grill pan over high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Let cool to room temp.  Layer the eggplant, mozzarella and tomatoes and drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

There was a recent Bon Appetit issue that did a page on various "caprese" salads you could make- there are good ideas to get you thinking outside the box. This one was very easy and tasty. red peppers feta cheese extra-virgin olive oil Maldon sea salt Roast the peppers on the grill until charred; put them in a bowl and cover them until they cool. Peel the peppers and layer them on a little plate with feta cheese. Drizzle EVOO over them and some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. A little parsley would be nice on here too- I just happened to run out.

This salad is stealth delicious. The flavor combination is simple yet perfectly balanced. It is adapted from Fine Cooking. 5 oz. arugula (I also threw in a handful of baby spinach because I had only a 4 oz. bag of arugula) 2 dark plums, cut into wedges 2 T EVOO 1 1/2 T white wine vinegar good pinch of salt 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly toasted slivered almonds crumbled feta Whisk the EVOO, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Add the red onion and let it macerate for about 10-15 minutes to take the bite out of it. Add the remaining ingredients and toss.