Fresh End of Summer Salads

Fall is in the air, and I'm sure I am getting the last of the summer fruits and vegetables. I'm not ready. If I stomp my feet and shake my fist at the sky, will the warm sun and long days come back? Don't get me wrong, I do love autumn with it's changing leaves, football, crisp morning air, and cinnamon added to so many dishes. But I'm just not ready yet. So here are two summer salads that I think look like sunshine on a plate.

First, Golden Beet & Tomato Salad. I know some of you think you don't like beets and maybe you really don't. But please don't judge them by the canned pickled things you've eaten at grandma's house.

Sunshine on a platter.

Ingredients:

• Golden beets (I had like 8 small ones)
• Tomatoes - preferably Roma (I used 5-6)
• 3-5 Roasted Garlic cloves, depending upon how much you like garlic
• Chèvre, about 1/4 - 1/3 cup
• Vinaigrette (I used a honey mustard one with tarragon in it, but any kind will do)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Scrub beets and trim off greens. (Save greens for another use - they are tasty.) Place beets on foil on a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap foil around beets. Bake for 30 - 60 minutes until a fork or knife can easily be inserted (like a baked potato.) I know this is a big range of baking time, but it really will depend upon the size of your beets. Unwrap and let cool. Peel with a knife; the skin will come right off now. Slice beets.

Slice tomatoes, and place slices on plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, flip, and let sit another 15 minutes. You can skip this or shorten time, but it helps keep the salad from getting watery. 

On a platter, layer beets and tomatoes with a partial overlap in a ring shape. I put a couple beet slices together because my beets were quite small. Put any extra slices in the middle. Cut up roasted garlic and sprinkle on top. Crumble chèvre (you could also use feta) and sprinkle on top. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve cold or at room temperature. 

The second salad really is just a way to dress up mellon. It doesn't even have a title. It is based on a lovely side dish my friend Karen made for me that had honeydew and cucumber chunks with a similar topping, only mixed altogether. So refreshing. I don't know what the mellon I used is called. My CSA list just said "mellon." The flesh looks like cantaloupe, but the exterior was different and it was sweeter. However, this would work with any mellon.

Here is the mellon cut in half

Ingredients to serve one person:

• 1 cup diced mellon
• 1-2 tbsp plain, non-fat greek yogurt (or whatever yogurt you want)
• Drizzle of honey (maybe a teaspoon or so?)
• Sprinkling of crushed or minced mint (Crushed if dried and minced if fresh)

Directions:

Placed mellon in a bowl. Dollop the yogurt on top. Drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with mint. Eat.

Sum, sum, summertime!

I'm holding on to the last moments of summer with these sunny salads. I hope what is on your table in this moment will help you keep that warm summer glow going, too.

Tomato Soup for Grown Ups: Roasted & Spicy

I had 11 tomatoes. 11. Yes, 11. When one is the only person in the house eating tomatoes, that is a lot. I made salsa with the last batch and caprese salad with the one before that. And we were expecting a gray day. Therefore, my excuse for end of August soup.

I love grilled cheese and tomato soup. Even Campbell's soup with grilled cheese made with plastic cheese on Wonder Bread. But this... this is something... special... and zippy.

Ingredients:

• 10 (or so) tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small onion cut into about 1/2 in. pieces (or half of a large one, duh)
• 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, and quartered
• 5-7 stems cutting celery (aka smallage) - optional. You could also use celery stalk with leaves.
• Oil, preferably extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 28 oz canned tomatoes with juice (or more fresh tomatoes if your cup runneth over)
• 1 - 1.5  cup red wine
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper - optional

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425. Add tomatoes, onion, jalapeño peppers, and celery to a rimmed baking sheet, roasting pan, or stoneware pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Add red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Shake or toss to coat. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, shaking pan twice. You could also add garlic cloves when roasting, if you like. I didn't this time, but probably would have if I had some on hand.

It should look like this and make your mouth water when done roasting.

Let cool for a bit so it doesn't explode when you blend it. It doesn't need to be cold or even clear down to room temperature, but you should be able to handle it. Put all, including juices, into blender or food processor and blend until pretty smooth. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender or food processor. It won't look like Campbell's, mind you, but pretty smooth. Pour into large saucepan or stock pot. Add canned tomatoes to blender or food processor and do the same with those. Add to stock pot. Add wine, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Stir to bring together. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and let flavors come together for at least 10 minutes - and up to 30. You could add milk or cream too if you wanted to make it creamier. It was rich and creamy enough as is for me.

Here is what it looks like just after you add everything.

If you like, top your soup with greek yogurt/sour cream and/or pesto. I used both and it was yummy.

I had mine with a baguette spread with chèvre, then topped with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and parmesan cheeses and broiled until melted and a green salad topped with a delicious sweet onion/tomato dressing from a local farm called Thistledown. Use your imagination. Your childhood favorites can be even better with fresh veggies and some spice. 

Full meal deal.

This is what is on my table at the moment. And I'm pretty sure it will be on my table in several Fall moments. I hope what is on your table is just as comforting and nourishing. 

Miraculous Risotto

If you think risotto is too time consuming, fear not, gentle reader. I won't disappoint you with something complicated and time consuming. I bring you the miraculous one pot wonder (and a great way to use some leftovers) that is my version of risotto. Honestly, I've put all manner of leftover veggies and proteins in this recipe. Below is really just a guideline.

Latest risotto and hungry hungry hippo as dinner companion. 

Basic ingredients:

• 5 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken are usually my choices)
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine (I did a sweeter wine once with apple chicken sausage and dates)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. lemon juice (sometimes I forget this part, but it is especially nice with spring veggies and shrimp)
• salt and pepper to taste

Add ins:

• Proteins: any kind of bean, chicken, shrimp, scrambled egg, sausage... probably other choices. 
• Veggies. My favorites are: caramelized onions, asparagus, peas, celery, summer squash - but really anything will work. 
• Flavor enhancers: fresh and/or dried herbs that go with your choices of proteins and veggies, dried currants/raisins/chopped dates if you want some sweetness, chopped nuts, garlic (roasted or regular).

Basic directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine broth and water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat.

Add butter to dutch oven (or heavy, large sauce pan) on medium heat. Once melted, add rice to the pan, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the grains just begin to be translucent at the edges - about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed about 2-3 minutes. Stir 5 cups of hot broth mixture into the rice. YOUR CONSTANT STIRRING IS NOW COMPLETE. DO A HAPPY DANCE. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just al dente, 15-20 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. (Okay, sometimes I only stir once - and last time I forgot to stir at all.)

Remove lid and add 3/4 cup hot broth mixture and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmesan. Add lemon juice. Remove pot from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. 

Add in directions:

Most of the add ins should be added toward the end. Asparagus can be added to the hot broth mixture to cook for about 5 minutes or so to soften. Peas can be added just before the Parmesan. (Last time, I used mixed frozen veggies - gasp! - and added at that time.) Leftover chicken can be added at that point too. Heat up or keep over heat on stove until heated through. If using shrimp, add to top of risotto before adding last 3/4 cup of broth mixture, replace cover and steam until pink and cooked through. If you add onion or garlic, add extra butter or olive oil before adding rice and cook, then add rice and continue as rest of recipe. Veggies like carrots need to be steamed or added at beginning to cook through. I used smallage in this last batch. (Not to be confused with shrinkage. Kind of a wild celery that looks like parsley. Also called cutting celery. ) I cooked with garlic in butter before adding rice. If you have leftover veggies, just add them at the end and heat through before adding cheese. Fresh herbs and dried fruit should be added with the 3/4 cup of broth at the end. Dried herbs can be added earlier - when you add the 5 cups. Nuts I'd add at the end. Beans add when you put in the 5 cups of broth mixture. Or if you forget, heat up and add at the end. No big deal.

Get the idea? Just add leftover stuff at the end and heat before adding the cheese. If you don't have Parmesan, use whatever cheese you have. You can even poach chicken in the broth mixture, then remove and shred. Seriously, clean out your fridge and everyone will think you slaved for hours. 

Sometimes in the moment I need to clean out my fridge because a fresh batch of veggies is on its way. An absolutely incredible woman I know called this fridge frolic. Repurpose your leftovers and frolic in the this moment.