Last week at the market we had the first eggplants, tomatoes, and blueberries, sure harbingers of summer. Cucumbers, squash, beans, onions, cabbage, kale, chard, fresh herbs, elephant garlic, and farm fresh eggs can round out your reusable shopping bag. Locally roasted coffee, vanilla extract, baked goods, canned goods, artisan crafts, and killer barbecue are always available and always delicious. Don't forget to stop by the market on your way to the Jamboree!
Summer is a great time for big chunky salads and grilled vegetables. Since the lettuce is getting bitter and going to seed, we'll bid green salads adieu for a few months and instead fill our bellies with cucumber and tomato salads, caprese salads, and cold pasta dishes overflowing with chopped vegetables.
Summer salads are nothing less than culinary art. Don't be afraid to stray from green cucumbers and red tomatoes. A salad of white and yellow “lemon” cucumbers tossed with orange, green (when ripe), purple, and pink tomatoes dressed with a light white wine vinaigrette looks like a bowl of glistening gems. Top with chopped basil-green or purple-and add a handful of raw chopped onions. Easy, delicious, and great for picnics and potlucks.
Caprese salads require very little preparation and are delicious, light meal. The only ingredients are tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. You'll need the mozzarella balls, not the shredded kind. Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into _ inch thick slices and alternate the slices on your plate or platter, placing a basil leaf between each. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Make this dish dazzling by using different colored tomatoes and adding in purple basil or bulk it up by adding sliced cucumbers. Especially when you grow your own veggies, you can afford to splurge on a really nice mozzarella for this dish.
I make big batches of pasta salad so we have hearty, cool meals on hand. After working in the garden or chasing goats all day, I don't feel like big heavy, hot meals. I like to use the chunky noodles, like penne or spiral pasta. You can use any combination of vegetables that you find appealing or have on hand. If you have grilled leftover grilled veggies, pasta salad is a great way to use them up. You can also use chopped raw vegetables. Cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, corn, and beans can all be used. Dress up the salad with a tangy vinaigrette. Experiment with balsamic sweetened with honey or try a sherry wine vinaigrette. Varying the ingredients and the dressing keeps the dish fresh and delicious without getting boring.
A truly gourmet topping to any summer salad is edible flowers. Familiar, prolific, and unbelievably tasty is the nasturtium. You can grow them in pots or in the garden. Rumor has it they're good companion plants for tomatoes. The leaves, flowers, and immature seed pods are all edible and deliciously spicy. The flowers come in all colors, and some varieties even have variegated leaves. Nasturtiums are fast growers and love warm weather, so it's not too late to add some cheer to your garden; get out there and plant some nasturtium seeds!