taking it outside

Deborah



What an unexpected surprise Easter day turned out to be. Rain was in the forecast, so it seemed unimaginable that we would be eating out of doors that day, especially on the east end of Long Island where it is traditionally too nippy at this time of year to contemplate such a venture.
But we did!

 The tiny potatoes garnished with slow roasted tomatoes tasted as good as they looked.

There is no shortage of wonderful cooks in my family. Everyone contributed something and happily there was a lot to eat!  One of my brothers-in-law is a professional chef and he was unstoppable in the kitchen this year cranking out meticulously prepped roasted Artic Char in addition to the potatoes pictured above. My very hardworking sister-in-law took time out from her pressured schedule to delight us with perfectly crafted onion tarts and my uptown sister made a magnificent pastry covered vegetable torte filled with ricotta and swisschard (I've got to get that recipe). 

One of the loveliest dishes of the day was the green salad tossed with roasted yellow peppers that my brother, the host, served up. It was inspired, yet simple to prepare, in fact almost so simple I nearly dismissed it as too obvious. And yet...

 

Vegetables roasting on the grill. The red peppers, baby carrots and radishes were served as a side dish. The yellow and orange peppers topped a green salad.

 

What a brilliant display of color for the Easter table! This salad was fantastically delicious and  satisfying.

After eating huge platefuls of celebratory holiday food I feel as if I shall never have the need to eat again. But tomorrow is another day.

Green Salad with Roasted Peppers

1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper cut into strips

2 Tbs. olive oil

10 oz.s mixed baby greens

1 small head of raddichio cut into ribbons

salt

pepper

3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

6 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Toss the peppers in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. They can be roasted over a hot grill or in a hot 400 degree oven, in a flat layer on a roasting pan. Grill or roast the peppers for 15 minutes, until softend and charred in spots. Remove from heat and allow the peppers to cool to room temperature. Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to coat the lettuce greens with the oil and vinegar. Top the salad with the roasted peppers and serve.

Amanda

Love all the beautiful colors! Last summer I fell in love with grilled raddichio. Deb, how do you think grilling the raddicchio  would work for this salad? I'll have to test it out!

I just did an email promotion this morning for a white wine that would actually be perfect for this salad. Chateau l'Hoste Blanc 2009 is a delightul white Bordeaux from an outstanding vintage. Plus, it retails for $12.99 which makes it a wonderful bargain! It might be tough to find, but there are many white Bordeaux in the same price range which are equally as delicious! 2009 was such a spectacular vintage that it was hard for a Chateau to make a bad wine. Definitely a vintage to take advantage of - there are an infinite amount of bargains out there.

White Bordeaux are typically a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The Chateau l'Hoste Blanc includes Muscadelle as well. I love this wine! Especially for Spring! It's bright, fresh, and has wonderful acidity and balance. Perfect for a lovely salad!  In fact, this wine would be incredible with any of the dishes Deb mentioned above. (speaking of those dishes...would love the recipe for the vegetable torte!) For those who eat fish, this wine also makes a wonderful match for sushi and shellfish. But don't hesitate to enjoy a white Bordeaux by itself! I particularly enjoy having a glass of this type of wine while I am preparing a meal...especially outdoors while barbequing!

Bitter Blight

Deborah


Saratoga Spa State Park, a gorgeous place to picnic.

This weekend was our family's annual trip to Saratoga Springs, NY and their farmers' market is undoubtedly the highlight of my summer. The variety of produce and the passion among farmers and shoppers for all things fresh and delicious is always palpable. I dream for weeks ahead about the elaborate meal I will make after my shopping. This year, as always, I headed straight over to my favorite heirloom tomato grower. My heart sank as I looked over his beautiful knobby fingerling potatoes and his lush lettuces. Not a tomato in sight. I was informed that almost the entire crop had been wiped out by the raging tomato blight and there was little hope of salvaging even a tenth of the crop. So sad.

One or two farmers had small tomatoes available and I grabbed up a few precious fruits. My plan this year was to head straight to our picnic site after shopping, so food prep had to be simple.

Such cute little canteloupes!

The grapefruit sized mini cantaloupes could not be passed up and some pretty sweet white onions rounded out the salad I had in mind. I had already packed a vinaigrette that I made at home, so all was set. It is hard to accept that I won't be seeing much of the heirlooms this summer. I wait all year for one month of tomato bliss. The farmer told me that the organic and small farms are the ones being the hardest hit. I had been enjoying the relentless June rains for keeping my home garden moist but now I am realizing the bitter price.

Well, I had the makings of a fantastic salad in my hands so it was time to look on the sunny side.

A trifecta!

Tomato Cantaloupe and Sweet Onion Salad

serves 4

4 Small tomatoes thinly sliced

1/2 a cantaloupe melon, thinly sliced

1 small Sweet Onion, thinly Sliced

Vinaigrette

1 Tbls sherry vinegar

I garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp powdered mustard

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

1/4 cup really good extra virgin olive oil

So, the key to this salad is the thin slicing. The tomato and melon don't have to be paper thin, but try to get the onions as thin as possible. Arrange everything on a plate in any pretty way you like. The colors will be beautiful.

Make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl whisk together the first 5 ingredients to blend, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you whisk to emulsify. Try to use the best olive oil you can get your hands on as this is what is going to make the salad heavenly.

Spoon the dressing over the salad and let sit for a few minutes so all the flavors mingle.

serves four

Amanda

Deb - This salad sounds great, especially given its simplicity. I might even be making a trip to the market on the way home to try this myself! Sounds like a perfect dish for a hot day like today. I would love to enjoy it alongside one of my favorite summertime drinks - a nice, cold glass of Prosecco. This wonderfully refreshing sparkler is Italy's answer to Champagne, just slightly less effervescent. The Prosecco grape hails primarily from the Veneto region of Italy. It typically produces light, crisp, delicate sparkling wines with wonderful fruit flavors. Prosecco doesn't have the same "serious" side as Champagne. It's just a great libation to enjoy with friends, sitting outside on the patio during summer. And what makes it even more attractive is its affordability! Price generally ranges from $9-$20. Two of my favorite Prosecco producers are Bisol and Riondo. The light, refreshing characteristics of Prosecco make it a perfect complement to this light, refreshing salad! Might just have to invite a few friends over tonight! - Amanda

Summer Pickings

Deborah

Invasion of the mint plants.

This time of year meal planning is all about simplicity and what is available in the garden. Fresh herbs are at their peak and nothing says summer dinner like a basil pesto. I love to use a mix of different herbs with my pesto. There is always plenty of mint spreading into my flower beds by late July so I pull it out by the fistful and add it to my ice tea, salads and of course pesto.

Purple basil so pretty in salads and delicious infused in vinegar.

My pesto is inspired by whatever is on hand. Sometimes I add oregano or chives, always some parsley, whatever looks good or too plentiful. Might as well use everything up while it is fragrant and mature. I have made herb pestos without any basil at all. And I am also willing to experiment with different nuts to replace pinenuts, sometimes using walnuts or almonds. My newest favorite is peppitas, the dried pumpkin seeds which add a rich earthy flavor to the savory herbs. And once made, then what? Well, pasta, naturally or topped on grilled chicken or steak. Great on a baked potato. I love a simple orzo & pesto salad I can quickly whip up on a hot sticky evening that fills everyone up and doesn't leave me wilted in the kitchen. I add cherry tomatoes or steamed broccoli for color and texture.

A chilled wine would be great with this light summer meal. What does Amanda think?

Amanda

I think a fresh, white, crisp wine would be perfect with this warm-weather dish. In fact, I have the perfect wine in mind - a Gruner Veltliner. This varietal is grown primarily in Austria and around the Czech Republic. The food-friendly, crowd-pleasing, affordable Forstreiter Grooner is a fun, "everyday" lighter style which would be a perfect accompaniment to the lemon-herb flavors in the orzo. The combination of this summery fare and refreshing wine are well-suited to an afternoon brunch or backyard barbeque!

Orzo Pesto Salad

a loose cup of herbs (basil, oregano, mint, lemon balm, tarragon, chives, parsley)

1/4 cup extra virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup peppitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese

1lb. Orzo

1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

roughly chop or tear herbs and put in food processor. add salt, garlic, peppitas and start food processor. as machine is running drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube. the pesto should be blended, but not pureed. Add the grated cheese and pulse once or twice to blend. taste for seasoning. I like a lot of salt.

Cook orzo in boiling salted water till al dente. Drain, mix in bowl w/ pesto, olives and cherry tomatoes.

serves 4