Shaved Zucchini Salad with Parmesean Pine Nuts

img from epicurious.com

When we were in Utah last month we went to a potluck dinner with some friends and one of them brought this salad.  I could have eaten the whole bowl myself I thought it was so delicious. (I also love it because I'm always looking for new vegetable dishes to take to potlucks since there's always too many people bringing chips, pasta, or dessert and never enough veggies!)  And if your garden--or your neighbor's garden--is overflowing in zucchini, then you really must try this out.  

The recipe is from epicurious.com, but I'll repost it for you here.  And you can thank me later!

Shaved Zucchini Salad with Parmesean Pine Nuts

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 lbs medium zucchini, trimmed

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

small wedge of Parmesean cheese

Preparation: 

Whisk oil, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and crushed red pepper in small bowl to blend.  Set aside.

Using a vegetable peeler or V-slicer and working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/6" thick).  Place ribbons in large bowl.  Add basil and nuts, then dressing; toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Using vegetable peeler, shave strips from Parmesean wedge over salad.  

Carrot Salad

Carrot salad

This is a revised version of the famous carrot salad from the 70's that was loaded with mayonnaise and sugar. It has a great blend of flavors, is light and both Lincoln and Tyler ate it. Must be a winner.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bag (10 ounces) shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, salt and sugar in small bowl.

Combine carrots, cranberries, onion and almonds in large bowl. Add dressing. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Strawberry-spinach salad

I love this salad in the spring time, but this year I found this dressing and it is such a perfect compliment. I have been using toasted walnuts instead of almonds and they are so yummy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 10 ounces fresh spinach- rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before ser

Cold Rice Salad

I used to make this with chicken. You can if you want. I don't anymore. This is best made in the morning so it can be nice and cold for dinner. I usually like it best on day two, so make it ahead of time if you want.

Lots of crunchy raw veggies (radishes, cucumbers, carrots, celery, peppers, etc.) chopped up. Throw in a green onion if you like them. Mix veggies in with a few cups of brown rice (amount determined by how much your family will eat for dinner), and few spoonfuls of mayo (to taste), a generous amount of fresh squeezed lemon juice (at the least one lemon), a sprinkle of garlic powder, a few grinds of pepper, salt to taste. Sometimes I also add peas. Sometimes I don't.

Easy and delicious.

101 Simple Summer Salads

Here's another article from the NYTimes' Minimalist food series: 101 Simple Salads for the Season

They look really fantastic and for the most part, very, very easy to throw together. That's my idea of summer cooking without having to stand over the oven or stovetop. Be sure to share any results of ones that you try--I'm thinking of #19 for tonight:

Mix cooked cannellini or other white beans, chopped cherry or grape tomatoes and arugula or baby spinach. Lightly toast sliced garlic in olive oil with rosemary and red pepper flakes; cool slightly, add lemon zest or juice or both, then pour over beans.

Look on the left side of the article for links to several dressing recipes, like basic viniagrette, a real ranch, a yogurt-feta, and a miso-ginger.

Potato Salad (for Anne Marie)

Anne Marie requested that I post this recipe. It is based -- as best I remember -- on the way my mother made it. It was one of my father's favorites and he always wanted it "moist," or abundantly dressed.

I'm sorry but I don't measure anything, but will try to give some guidance. It is not a temperamental recipe and you can add more of any ingredient as you go until it is as you like it.

Ingredients:

• cooked potatoes peeled and diced small: one half medium potato per person. These were gold, but I have used many different kinds. (Boil about 25 minutes -- stick them with a knife to see if they are done all the way through. Kris likes them undercooked and crunchy, but I need them to be soft, but not crumbly.)

• chopped chives: lots. I like the oniony flavor without the bite.

• sweet pickle relish: Western Family brand is best. I use about the same amount of relish as chives

• hard-boiled eggs (cook eggs just below simmer for 20 min.): I like lots of eggs -- sort of like egg salad with some potatoes -- probably an equal number of eggs and potatoes

• Mayonnaise: I like Best Foods (Helmans).

• Miracle Whip: I know it is a "foodlike substance" and not real food, but it is really good in potato salad, turkey sandwiches, and sometimes in tuna. Sorry to the purists.

• salt and pepper

Directions

• Put the chives and relish in the bottom of a large bowl
• Build up the diced potatoes and chopped eggs in layers salting and peppering each layer.
• Add a couple of good dollops each of Mayo and Miracle Whip
• Fold it all together
• Taste it and add more of anything it needs. Make sure it is moist (almost goopy) with Mayo and Miracle Whip
• Refrigerate as long as possible so the flavors can bloom (3 hours to overnight)

Zesty Three Bean Salad

2 T. olive oil

2 T. lime juice

2 T. light terriyaki sauce

2 tsp. lime zest

2 T. chopped cilantro

1-15 oz can chick peas

1-15 oz can black beans

1-15 oz can kidney beans

1/2 c. finely diced red onion

1 c. diced or shredded carrots

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

salt & pepper

Combine oil and seasonings. Add rest of ingredients. Toss. Serve. Better if made ahead and chilled 30 min. or longer.

We had this in VA and it was sooo good, and, my kids just loved it!

Spinach Salad

This salad is so yummy and perfect for the spinach harvest.

1 bag of spinach leaves (or a big bowl full from your garden)

1 apple (I like gala or fuji) thinly sliced

handful of Craisins

1/8th of red onion sliced thin

roasted slivered almonds

1/2lb bacon cooked, crumbled (optional)

Dressing:

3 TBS apple cider vinegar

1/3 C. vegetable oil

1/3 C. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Mix in a blender, then pour over salad

Balsamic Vinaigrette for Anna

The salad is organic baby greens from Costco with roasted beets (fantastic organic ones from Harmon's) and pistachios (Costco) or pieces of blanched asparagus, calamata olives (Costco), roasted butternut or banana squash, crumbled blue cheese. Use your imagination, but I would focus on just a couple of add-ons so the flavors don't become too confusing. The vinaigrette is then drizzled over the salad and tossed.

The proportions of the vinaigrette are 1/3 balsamic vinegar to 2/3 olive oil. Shake in a container with a tight lid until it is blended and emulsified. The measurements will depend on how much you want. I did 1/3 c. to 2/3c. but you could do more or less.

The secret seems to be the quality of the oil and vinegar. I used some delicious ones that Stephen and Ann gave us for Christmas.

D.