Wednesday, June 16, 2010

two simple salads

A picnic calls for bright, fresh salads. Here are two of my current favorites:

Tomatoes + corn + something extra
Take a few very ripe tomatoes, about one per person, plus a handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, if you'd like. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and toss them in a bowl with the raw kernels cut off of two ears of corn. You could add chunks of avocado, some crumbled feta or goat cheese, or shelled edamame or fava beans. Whatever you like. Fresh herbs are nice as well: basil, mint, thyme, oregano, dill. Dress the salad lightly with olive oil and the juice of a lemon (or a generous splash of red or wine wine vinegar). Toss, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Potatoes + green beans + herbs
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut up some yellow or red-skinned potatoes into bite-sized slices, about 2 medium potatoes per person. Trim some green beans into one-inch pieces, about a handful per person. Place the vegetables in a roasting pan, spreading them out so they don't overlap too much (you might need an additional pan). Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and starting to brown. The beans will be slightly frizzled. Chop up about a cup of herbs. Dill, tarragon, basil, oregano, chives, whatever you like. Thinly slice a small onion, if you'd like that too. Remove the vegetables from the pan while they are still hot and place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together one part white wine vinegar to two parts olive oil. Add a hefty spoonful of mustard. Whisk until smooth and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add the chopped herbs, and toss. Eat at room temperature.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I love potatoes and green beans together. It is great how you kept these two salads open ended, sort of like a choose your own adventure.

Lisa said...

Tender Branson: I LOVED those books as a kid. Checked them all out from the library. :)

Unknown said...

I want to eat that tomato corn feta salad right this second. Thanks for sharing these, I'm always on the lookout for non-traditional salads or new ways to serve veggies.

Daniel said...

Is it true that the dill in the potato salad was just for me and that you would have used a different herb if left to your own devices?

My security word is "rednxin"!

Lisa said...

Nikkilooch: Me too! Got to eat those vegetables. :)

Daniel: Yes, I used dill because you like it. If left to my own devices I would have used tarragon.

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