Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Platter Salad

Life On A Platter
If you are someone who likes to cook, chances are you have a relatively extensive collection of pieces with which to cook or serve your creations. Some of us, it could be said, have way more than they need. (Guilty). Within my culinary collection though there are those few pieces that are my workhorses—the things I reach for day in and day out. One of those pieces, for me, is a white rectangular platter I bought at Target for twenty bucks.

I use this platter for everything from grilled meats, to cheese platters, to sliced fruits, or dim sum. It is perfect. It is the perfect size, the perfect color, the perfect everything. If it ever breaks I don’t know what I will do.

Lately I have been using it for one of my favorite summertime dinner options, platter salads. Platter salads can be anything from sliced heirloom tomatoes to a family style cobb salad. Platter salad is one of my go to’s when it’s hot and I am feeling lazy.

Recently I came across this recipe in the NY Times that has since become part of my platter salad rotation. It is the perfect blend of all things summer: corn, tomatoes, and avocado. Plus, it has cumin in it and in my world everything is better with cumin.

I like to serve this salad with something grilled on top whether it’s chicken, skirt steak or even some shrimp (though it is just as good on its own). Whatever your preference, the leftovers will make a great lunch for the next day.

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Platter Salad
Read more…

Vietnamese Cucumber Salad

Salad Crazy
I have a new salad obsession—which is a big deal because I am not a salad person. Well, I’m not a traditional salad person, in the leafy sense. I like the chunky type chopped salads like a corn salad or tomato salad…you get the idea.

Over the weekend we were up at Tahoe for my daughter’s softball tournament along with my sister and her family, who were there ‘cause, it’s Tahoe and Tahoe is awesome.
My sister is my best friend so having her along was great just in and of itself. One of the other benefits is that she likes to make dinner. So, I knew that after a long day of watching softball in the heat we were coming home to a pretty tasty meal. And, I was correct.

One of the dishes she prepared was this Vietnamese Cucumber Salad. I couldn’t stop eating it. I mean literally. I just kept going back for more. I am a fan of cucumbers so it’s not that big of a surprise that I enjoyed this salad. But, this was on a whole different level.

Cucumbers on a hot day are always a welcome addition to any meal because they are cooling, crunchy and refreshing. In this case they were also spicy and paired with peanuts. so good!

Vietnamese Cucumber Salad is one of those dishes that will become part of my normal rotation as a dinner side, as well as a great cooling lunch during hot weekdays. Bonus: it’s good for you, too.

The recipe is adapted from the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. And I recommend the book to anyone who wants to really learn how to cook well. It’s fantastic.

Vietnamese Cucumber Salad
It is important to use the Persian or Japanese cucumbers because the skin is thin and mild-flavored. If you are using conventional cukes, peel all the skin away. Also, we couln’t find any cilantro in Taho, and the Vietnamese Cucumber Salad was still amazing without it. So, if you are not a cilantro lover, go ahead and omit it. Read more…

Amy’s Fresh Corn Salad

Yellow Gold
The season of corn is upon us and that makes me very happy. We just got our local Brentwood corn in the store which means it is now officially summer.

I will admit that I am a corn snob. I only eat it during the “corn months” (June-August/September or so) which means for 8-9 months out of the year you will not see corn in my house. Sure, I will occasionally use frozen corn in recipes when it is called for. But, eating straight-up frozen or canned corn? Nope. Can’t do it. Please understand there is nothing wrong with frozen or canned corn. I’m just a corn snob.

With this in mind I have a tendency to go kinda corn crazy because the window of opportunity is short. Fresh steamed corn on the cob is by far and away my favorite way to consume this warm weather treat. You just can’t top the flavor of super-sweet fresh corn with melted butter. Doesn’t mean that’s the only way I will eat it, though. There are so many other ways to enjoy it.

This Ina recipe for Confetti Corn is great for a backyard BBQ or Potluck. And, for something totally different there’s this Corn Pie. Every summer, I try to find a new way to enjoy corn. So, I developed this recipe for Amy’s Fresh Corn Salad.

Bonus: It’s also a good way to eat your ripe garden tomatoes….

Amy’s Fresh Corn Salad
This salad is a perfect dinner side for a hot night and also good as lunch the next day.
Yields 4 to 6 servings Read more…

Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado and Pistachios

Veggie Supreme
Something major happened over the weekend that hasn’t happened in a couple of years—I managed to eek out a few hours over the weekend to plant some tomatoes. While that may not seem like a major event to some of you, for me it’s a big deal. For the last two years, the lack of water in California and the voracious appetites of my chickens have combined to leave me summer garden-less. And, that is unacceptable.

The lack of water was something I couldn’t control. Luckily, we got a decade’s worth of precipitation in the span of what seemed like a week so THAT is no longer an obstacle. (Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. Maybe.) All I know is it seemed like someone left the hose running this winter and I am more than ready for it to shut off.

The chicken thing was a different surprise altogether. Who knew that ravenous chickens were one of the seven plagues of the bible? Locusts yes. Chickens not so much. By the destruction left in their path, my walking squawking composters proved that they can more than hold their own against any end of days infestation. My girls were thorough. They ate every plant down to the ground. There was nothin’ left. I’m talking moonscape. Since then they have been allowed to roam amongst my planter boxes scratching for bugs and taking dirt baths while at the same time turning over the soil and fertilizing. I figure it was the least they could do.

Now the girls are back on their side of the yard giving me the stink eye through the slats in the fence. I think they are plotting something. They have that look…

So far I have only been able to get the tomatoes in. I’m hoping to plant cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and maybe some melons. I’m going to try for peas too. But, it may just be too late. And, I’m tempted to grow zucchini. However, the last time, my husband threatened to have lawyers on the phone if I made him eat anymore. But, I love it, so he may just have to deal. Mainly because I can’t wait to eat recipes like this Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado and Pistachios on the back patio.

It will be many weeks before I can harvest squash from my garden. But, in the meantime, the zucchini on our produce shelves is looking pretty tasty. You can make this dish now, and dream of summertime.

Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado and Pistachios
Adapted from Patricia Wells and Food 52
Read more…