Well it’s going to be hot again This is a good share for minimal stove time. Tropea onions, aioli and thick slices of tomato and a bit of lettuce. . . summer on a plate! Cucumber, melon, sweet onion and dill. . .a cool pureed zucchini soup. Happy eating and stay cool!
Cucumber, Tropea Onion, Cantaloupe Salad
Zucchini and Basil Soup
Lemony Carrot Salad with Cilantro and Toasted Seeds
Tomato Sandwiches
Frikeh Salad with Cilantro and Cucumbers
Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon
Sweet, Sour and Hot Eggplant
Cucumber, Tropea Onion, Cantaloupe Salad
This is a delicious combination of two fruits in the same family.
Serves 4
2 small-medium cucumbers, washed and peeled if the skin is tough, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 Tropea onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cantaloupe or honey dew melon, sliced
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped (or basil—see headnote)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice, champagne or white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
In a large bowl toss together all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Zucchini and Basil Soup
–adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome
Four ingredients is all you need and you likely have them all in mid-summer. Simple, creamy (but with no cream) and satisfying. This soup is best, or definitely prettiest, made with green zucchini varieties. For the version above I used two green zucchini and one yellow patty pan squash.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 green zucchini (see headnote–you can use other summer squash varieties too but it might not be as pretty and green), sliced thinly
Salt
Water
1 1/2 -2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
Juice of 1 lemon
Good olive oil, for serving (optional)
Heat the olive oil in pot or large saute pan and add the onion. Saute for 10 minutes over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the zucchini and several generous pinches of salt and cook for 12-15 minutes until soft. Add water to about 3/4 inch above the zucchini. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Let the mixture cool to just above room temperature.
Puree the soup in a blender, food processor or immersion blender. Add the basil and puree again and stir in the lemon juice just before serving. The basil can turn the soup a bit bitter if it sits for too long. Taste and adjust with salt and/or lemon juice. Serve at room temperature or cold with a drizzle of good olive oil.
Lemony Carrot Salad with Cilantro and Toasted Seeds
You can add cooked white beans to this salad for a more robust version. Make a little extra dressing if you’re doing so. This makes quite a bit of salad. Feel free to halve the recipe.
With a simple frittata and a piece of good bread, this makes a lovely dinner.
Serves 6-8 as a side
1 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds) (this may seem like a lot but use it all if you can–it really makes the dish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 generous pinches of sea salt
6 medium carrots, grated
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus possibly more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
about 3 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
Preheat oven to 350.
Toss the sunflower seeds with a teaspoon or two of oil and several pinches of salt and roast on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until they are crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.
Place the grated carrots in a serving bowl. To make the dressing whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots and mix well. Sprinkle with the cilantro and the seeds, mix again, and adjust seasoning and serve.
Tomato Sandwiches
You don’t need a recipe for these but maybe a reminder of just how wonderful tomato sandwiches are.
Aioli
Sliced Tropea onions
Thick slices of tomato
Salt
Lettuce
Sharp cheddar (optional)
Favorite bread, toasted or not
Or, the Caprese version
Fresh mozzarella
Basil
Sliced tomatoes
Good olive oil
Salt and a little drizzle of red wine vinegar
Good, crusty bread
Or, open faced, with roasted tomatoes and a soft boiled egg broken over the top and sprinkled with cilantro and plenty of sea salt and black pepper.
Frikeh Salad with Cucumbers, Coriander and Lemon
It’s hard not to be effusive about this salad. The smokiness of the frikeh (roasted/scorched green wheat–a Middle Eastern specialty) paired with the cold crunch of the cucumber and the lemony dressing and plenty of fresh herbs is just plain a winner.
If you can get your hands on some frikeh make this. Ayers Creek Farm sells it in the summer at the Hillsdale Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon. The salad would be good with farro, wheat berries or even barley so give it a try even if you don’t have frikeh. If you are using a different grain add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (pimenton) to the dressing.
While I typically use cilantro; mint, basil, parsley and oregano and even dill would all be good and you can try combinations of herbs as well. You can also vary the vegetables to use what you have on hand. And this salad is just as good (or better) the next day.
Serves 4-6
3 cups cooked frikeh (see below) (about generous 2 cups uncooked) or other grain (see headnote)
1 large or 2 smaller cucumbers, cut into small dice (I did not deseed and the salad did not get watery but if you have particularly juicy cucumbers and the salad is going to sit for a while you might deseed them and then proceed)
1 sweet red pepper, deseeded and diced (optional)–could substitute a diced tomato this time around
1/2 a Tropea onion, thinly sliced or a chunk of sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup or more chopped cilantro, parsley or a combination of mint, oregano, dill. . .. (see headnote). If you don’t have cilantro or parsley use only a couple of tablespoons of the other herbs not the full 1/2 cup.
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet for about 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and a shade darker
Dressing:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (or more if you want it creamier)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium – large clove garlic, minced and mashed a little
Juice of 1 lemon or more (about 2 1/2 tablespoons worth of juice)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the frikeh in a sieve under running water for a minute or two. Put in a pot and cover generously with fresh water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt (you’ll likely need more) and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook partially covered for about 40 minutes or until tender. The grain should still have a little bite to it. Drain and put in a large salad bowl or on a platter.
Add the vegetables to the frikeh but reserve the herbs until the frikeh is just warm so it doesn’t wilt the herbs.
Pound the toasted coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle until well broken up but no need to grind finely.
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add the dressing, herbs and coriander seeds to the frikeh and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, acid, etc.
Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon
This is a favorite summer squash dish. The addition of the lemon juice is critical. And a fried or poached egg makes this a complete meal for me, one I could eat daily all summer long.
Serves 4
3-4 medium squash, well washed and cut into thick batons, homemade French-fry sized
1 cup diced onion
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 medium to large tomatoes, roughly chopped
Generous handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
Salt and pepper
½ a lemon
Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the onion and squash and cook, pretty much undisturbed for 6-8 minutes over medium to medium-high heat until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes, the basil, salt and pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Stir and then partially cover and let simmer for 10 -12 minutes until the squash is very tender. Adjust seasoning and serve with good crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Sweet, Sour and Hot Eggplant
My favorite way to serve this quick Chinese-inspired dish is over short grain brown rice but any rice is excellent. It’s a rich-tasting dish though actually fairly light in preparation.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
2 medium eggplant (or several smaller ones—any kind of eggplant will work in this dish—the long slender Japanese ones, more common Italian, globe ones, . . .), skin on, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 Jalapenos, minced, with seeds if you like heat, discard seeds if you’d like it milder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
3-4 tablespoons Thai basil, basil, cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
In a large skillet or wok heat the oil and sauté onions and pepper (if using) over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes until they soften. Add red pepper flakes (or minced hot pepper) and eggplant and cook until it softens and browns a bit, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. A few minutes before the eggplant is done add the minced garlic and stir well. Then add the sauce and stir well to mix and coat veggies. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until sauce thickens and veggies are tender. Stir in the herbs, saving out a few for garnish if you’d like. Serve hot over rice with herbs.