Summer Chopped Salad

When it is hot out I love to have a salad for dinner. I came across this recipe on the Food Network, it sounds great & would give you several helpings of vegetables.

8 ounces small red-skinned potatoes, halved

Kosher salt

1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)

1 cup chopped fresh green or wax beans

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved

1 cucumber with peel, chopped

Ranch Dressing

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups torn mixed greens, such as arugula, romaine, and watercress

1 cup sprouts, such as alfalfa, broccoli, radish, or pea, optional

Put the potatoes in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover and season with salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and salt it as well. Add the corn, beans, and broccoli to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to scoop out the vegetables and plunge them immediately into the ice water. Drain the vegetables, pat them dry, and add to the bowl of potatoes along with the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss the salad with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if desired. (The salad may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and refrigerated.)
When ready to serve, toss the salad with the greens and the sprouts, if desired, and with a bit more dressing if you like your salad on the well-dressed side. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
Know-How: Immersing vegetables in boiling salted water and then plunging them into ice water is called blanching and refreshing. Having the water at a full rolling boil before adding the vegetables, as well as cooking uncovered, is the key to keeping green vegetables vibrant.
Ranch Dressing:
1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 scallion (white and green parts), thinly sliced

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper
Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the salt, and, with the side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Scrape the paste into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to make a creamy dressing. Use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

Quintessential Roasted Vegetables

I have a foodie crush on Michael Chiarello, from Napa Style. There I admitted it ;)
Michael has a television program, catalog & store all devoted to his lifestyle & cooking skills. His family also owns vineyard in Napa. The wine is delicious & the home items from his catalog will make you swoon, from Blenko water pitchers to his Gathering Table/Kitchen Island in a gorgeous honey colored wood; everything is perfection. (Check out the site & you will understand my crush!) To top it all off his recipes are amazing. I wanted to make some simple roasted vegetable but after seeing these, I can not resist. I am going to give you a slightly adapted version, so if you want the exact recipe it is on the site.

6 to 8 medium carrots
1 pound jumbo asparagus
1 pound large cipollini onions, peeled and halved through the root
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
Cavender's shaken liberally
1/4 cup sliced garlic (Sliced garlic always reminds me of Henry in Goodfellas)
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
juice of a lemon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Chop the carrots diagonally first, then straight. Cut off the ends of the asparagus, and shave their ends.

In a stock pot, bring 1 gallon of salted water to a boil. Add onions, let cook 2 minutes, the. Add carrots and asparagus, cook 2 minutes more. Remove everything with slotted spoon and drain all in a colander. Quickly spread out on a baking sheet and place in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to set color.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook until well caramelized on the first side, about 4 minutes. Season with Cavender's. Turn the mushrooms once, and use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms onto the plate.

In a roasting pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, onion, and carrots. Caramelize for 2 minutes, and while those are cooking, cut asparagus into thirds. Season carrots and onions with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms to pan with carrots and onions. Add asparagus and garlic to pan.

Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired, top with about 2 tablespoons lemon juice and place pan in the oven. Roast until vegetables are medium brown in color, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and put on stovetop over high heat. Add the fresh thyme, by sprinkling over the top, allowing to crackle, and mixing in.

The vegetables can be cooked and left at room temperature at this point for up to 2 hours. Reheat when needed.

Asparagus with Spice

It's no secret that I love asparagus, this is a way to cook asparagus & change up the flavor a little. Really with any vegetable if you season it right, the flavor is so good even a non vegetable eater (like my husband) will try it.

1 pound trimmed asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 peeled and thinly sliced garlic cloves
Cavender's, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic cloves until softened but not browned. Add the asparagus and sprinkle with Cavender's and red pepper flakes. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes.

Thanksgiving: Roasted Broccoli & Pecans

Rather than going with traditional green bean casserole for Thanksgiving, why not try something new like broccoli. This recipe is as simple as you can get.

1 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized florets

1/4 cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Heat your oven to 400. In a roasting pan combine all ingredients, stir. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stir once during roasting.

That's it! Easy & delicious. For Matt I would top with Parmesan, my husband will eat anything with cheese :)