A yummy, simple salad I made for myself tonight.

Salad - quantities per person
1 Lebanese cucumber
8 Mini roma or 12 cherry or grape tomatoes
3/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
10z Feta cheese

Dressing
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation
Using a vegetable peeler slice the cucumber into thin, long vertical slices
Slice the tomatoes lengthways as finely as possible
Coarsely chop the mint
Finely crumble the feta
Combine in a bowl
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a cup and whisk for two minutes
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy

I have a severe craving for some sort of chicken salad. Instead of grapes I was thinking of adding strawberries and maybe some arugula.
Does anyone have ideas of what I could put in to round out the dish, as well as what I'd use to bind it? I will of course take PICTURES once it is made!

It's just a plain salad made in haste but it was so taste for me :) And cheeseboard for white dry Rcatsitely :)

It seems to be gooseberry day here in food_porn land. I bought some at our farmer's market a few weeks back, largely because I'd never seen them before (and I am willing to do plenty of things For Science when it comes to local foodstuffs.)



( Gooseberry Fool )


( Rose-Raspberry Fool )


( Salad, not a Fool )


No pics, but dinner last night was quick, easy, and quite tasty: local sweet corn on the cob with homegrown herb butter, baby red potato salad with peas and dill, organic baby romaine salad with local tomatoes and lemon balm-dill vinaigrette, and broiled wild-caught wahoo rubbed with Moroccan fish spice blend.

Been feeling like I haven't been eating right. Tossed a salad together and seared off a salmon filet and topped that with some sauteed mushrooms. Light, easy and full of flavor.

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I really wasn't even going to post this one, but then I tasted it.

I grilled the salmon with a bit of vidalia onion salsa.  The lettuce is locally grown and super fresh and crunch.  I added the last of my summer tomatoes that have been chilling on my front porch, a fresh honeycrisp apple, sweet red pepper, parmesan cheese, garlic croutons.  All topped off with a splash of balsamic vinegar and Brianna's Homestyle Poppyseed Dressing. 

Really...for me...salad perfection.  It's sort of a fuzzy photo, but my camera died after the first shot.

The benefit of working from home is that I can spend quite a bit of time on meals.  This one was unusually easy to prepare.  I do love orange food. 

I love salads--when they are well put together, they are perfect combinations of flavors, textures, colors and fragrances, all pulled together by a dressing which adds its own character without overpowering any of the disparate ingredients. Even when it is presented artfully, a good salad retains an utter simplicity that is paradoxical and yet completely natural.

That is why I am fond of this salad my daughter and I made the other day. We combined locally grown butterhead and leaf lettuces with local tart Jonathan apples, crisp and spicy local Asian pears, wild gathered musky black walnuts, pomegranate seeds and tangy-rich locally made goat cheese. We tied it all together with a very simple pomegranate vinaigrette made from pomegranate juice concentrate and buttery olive oil that we seasoned to taste with a pinch of salt and a tiny dab of honey.

It was quite sublime, and thanks to my daughter's efforts, artfully presented.

Recipe and photos here.

I ate the 1905 salad at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, FL this summer. It is absolutely delicious! I've been making my own, modified version since (there's a lot of olive oil in that dressing!).

They bring it out like this and then toss it in front of you.  I skipped the olives.
 

Served!



The recipe is here, if you're interested.

I was tired and beat up after a long workout and it's in the 90s here this afternoon, so I wanted something good and light, refreshing and cool for lunch. I made this.

1 chayote, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (sweet peppers work better, but you can go with anything you want)
1 large carrot, shredded
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, sliced into cubes
1 small can sliced black olives
1 can chunk light tuna, drained

Dressing:

2 tomatillos, quartered (make sure to peel the outer skin and wash the fruit thoroughly to get the soapy stuff off)
3 tbsp plain yogurt (I used nonfat)
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small jalapeno, diced
2-3 green onions, diced
1 tsp olive oil
Dash lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, onions, lime juice, and olive oil in food processor or blender until chopped finely and mixed. Add tomatillos and yogurt and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend for a few pulses or seconds.

Mix the chayote, bell pepper, carrots, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add tuna and avocado and olives, then pour dressing over entire mixture. Toss and serve.

You can add onions and jalapeno to the salad mixture if you want more sharp and spicy flavor, too.

Yum! Perfect for a day like this.

this was served to me at a work dinner. i did not cook it and have no recipe, but it was really good, really pretty, and i can't stop thinking about it right now because i'm starving!

fire roasted napolean of BC market vegetables, micro greens & chive oil


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With all the controversy going on lately, I'm almost afraid to post. I know my food isn't anything special, but it tastes and looks darn good to us. Someone let me know if this is appropriate.

A summer lunch:



Baby spinach, radicchio, red and green leaf lettuce, and other mixed field greens topped with chicken breast fried in olive oil infused with black pepper, garlic, and basil, crisp fresh bacon, and a four cheese Italian blend. Served with a balsamic vinaigrette.

I'm thinking about adding hard boiled egg slices. Thoughts on what else would be good in this?

I went out the other night and had the most glorious COLD Barley Salad.
I have never worked with Barley and really want to recreate the goodness.

Mainly, it tasted like cold barley with some light dressing on it - but it was so much more than that...

Does anyone have any tips for Barley - or even an amazing cold Barley salad recipe?

Thanks!

Contents: "Lamburger" (ground lamb and shredded carrot burger) on English muffin with lettuce and cheese, mangoes and blueberries with a splash of lime juice, quick spinach and corn dish with sesame seeds and vinaigrette (recipe follows), and salad with watermelon, feta, pecans and fresh mint (sauce container with orange juice balsamic vinaigrette). Morning prep time: 7 minutes, using leftovers, freezer staples and packing some items the night before.

Full post with detailed packing info here at Lunch in a Box.

I have been experimenting with Korean food recently and finally made authentic  bulgogi, which is Korean grilled beef.

It has a wonderful, smoky flavor, especially if you grill it over wood or charcoal. It is also quite easy to make.

I served it with one traditional salad: leaf lettuce cut into a chiffonade with a dressing made from soy sauce,. anchovy paste, rice wine, rice vinegar, garlic, scallion and lemon juice. (Among other ingredients.) Along with it was steamed rice, my homemade kimchi  (which is fermenting quite well) and bean sprouts drizzled with sesame oil. All mixed together, or eaten separately, it was a tasty meal.

Photos and recipes here.