Seven summer-lovin’ salads
It’s summertime! Pour a glass of rosé, crank the tunes and start chopping!
Salad is the perfect summertime meal. There are so many seasonal fruit and veggie options for creating your own masterpiece. Look no further than your own backyard or windowsill garden. Or visit a local farmer’s market and pick from the colorful array of deliciousness on display.
Some hints for tossing together a winning salad:
Toss in fresh herbs for a little surprise. My favorites are mint, cilantro and basil, but dill and parsley would be nice as well.
Add color picked from the garden. Try heirloom tomatoes, radishes, berries, nectarines or peaches, and roasted corn cut off the cob. Use your imagination.
Give it some crunch with raw, toasted or caramelized nuts. My go-to’s are pecans, walnuts, pistachios, pepitas and slivered almonds. (Side note shout-out to one of my Oregonian sisters who makes a pasta salad where toasted hazelnuts are the star. No real recipe needed: rotini, finely chopped carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, toasted hazelnuts and cubed pepper jack cheese all topped with Italian dressing.
Add protein if that’s your thing. Grill some chicken, salmon, shrimp or even bacon earlier in the day. Chickpeas, black beans and cheese are good protein options as well. Think goat, feta, parmesan and Burrata. Or put some eggs in your Instant Pot.
Dress up your salad! A nice olive oil and either vinegar or citrus juice always work. You can sweeten it with a little honey, and don’t forget salt and pepper. There’s no shame in using bottled dressing either. I keep a bottle of balsamic and a bottle of something fruity in the fridge. Try mixing them or tame down the fruity one with some olive oil. Lately I’ve been using a splash of this lovely (and cute!) olive oil and apple cider vinegar from Pineapple Collaborative.
Looks are everything! Premix your salad in a big bowl and then move it to a shallow bowl or platter for serving. This way there’s no dressing to muss up the edges and then you can place the goodies back on top for a nice presentation. Top the salad with a sprig of herb to tease the flavor to come.
For more inspiration, type whatever ingredients you have into Google or peruse a salad cookbook. Lucky me, my library has re-opened for curbside pickup and I recently picked up Salad for President by Julia Sherman and Saladish by Ilene Rosen.
7 salads that have my vote this summer:
1. For when you’re feeling boozy: Mojito Watermelon with mint, lime and flaky sea salt. Simple perfection.
2. For when you need to use up all your radishes: Thinly sliced radishes, toasted walnuts, lots of mint, flaky sea salt and dressing of lemon juice and honey (Lebanese Radish Salad from Allrecipes)
3. For when a plain Caesar isn’t enough: Take your Romaine to the next level with homemade croutons from leftover artisan bread), homemade dressing with lots of garlic, freshly shaved Parmesan or Romano (none of that powdery stuff in a can please!), avocados, handful of Rotini, lots of black pepper. I usually add grilled chicken and avocado.
4. For when you actually need an excuse to eat avocados: Diced firm avocado and cucumber, mixed with green onions, cilantro, and a dressing of lime juice, mayo (I use avocado mayo) and a dash of Srichaha. I like to sprinkle with pepitas. (Smittenkitchen)
5. For when you’re assigned a salad for the potluck: This herbaceous, lemony macaroni salad is just the thing! It’s super fresh and summery. Lemon zest, crunchy celery, fresh dill and parsley. I skipped the capers (because I didn’t have any) and substituted dill pickles for the bread and butter. Try adding just a little dressing and wait to mix the rest in until right before serving
6. For when you’re feeling like a local: I turn to the appropriately named Celebrate the Rain cookbook from Junior League of Seattle. Enjoy the Mixed Greens with Yakima Nectarines and Honey Poppy Seed Dressing salad with seafood or chicken.
7. For when you’re out to impress: I could eat Tieghan Gerard's peach caprese salad with toasted garlic naan every day! It tastes every bit as good as it looks. The wonderful colors and textures of peaches, tomatoes, prosciutto, burrata and basil makes my mouth water just looking at it. The garlic naan is a perfect accompaniment and I like to add a handful of fresh blueberries.
