Day 3 & 4

We've had record heat up here on the Island, which is actually nice....until your house is 80 degrees at 10am. Its refreshing to nibble on salads, pickled radishes and pate instead of turning on my oven! Here is my go to salad dressing which plays off the peppery greens rather well.

Mustard Vinaigrette

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp whole grain mustard

- Combine vinegar, juice, and mustard in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Enjoy!

Day 2: CSA Challenge

Today we had some gorgeously sunny and warm weather, so I was really motivated to be creative with my vegetables. Besides the two salads (which didn't even put a dent in the greens I have) with more ginger lemon dressing, I was able to come up with something beyond my normal saute. Last night I marinated radish slices in a combination of rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar, with a pinch of salt and sugar. Toss in a few fennel fronds and some slivered walla walla onions for flavor and let them sit in the fridge overnight. The pickled radishes were deliciously crisp and tangy, great for a hot day! I also made my chicken pate and substituted half the apple for fennel. Combine that with tart Rainer cherries from a fruit stand, salty Gruyere, and a glass of chilled Viognier... perfect summertime dinner!

Happy Birthday Seth!

Today is my husband's birthday and his dinner request was steak and salad. Instead of making my usual salad and dressing, I decided to make something a little more special. Parmesan baskets are very easy to make, and the good thing is that if you mess up (or break them) you just make Parmesan crisps! Seth loved the baskets and I had to chase him out of the kitchen because he kept trying to eat them before dinner. Happy Birthday!

Parmesan Baskets (makes 2 large baskets)

6 Tbsp grated Parmesan

1. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium and spread 3 Tbsp cheese evenly around the pan. Let the cheese pop and melt until it dries out (around 1-2 min depending on the stove).

2. Carefully remove cheese and place over a bowl or glass to form the bowl shape. Let cool, remove, and fill with salad!

Here is a picture of a crisp. My bowls hadn't hardened, and I totally forgot to take a picture of the finished product, sorry!

Summer Salads

When I first signed up my CSA, I was feeling ambitious and excited about fresh veggies each week! I didn't realize how MANY veggies I would be receiving. Seth is on deployment, so I've been forced to get creative with my cooking and share with friends. I also have a very full freezer! Below is a picture of the shed where we pick up our produce. Wish I had more time to write, but I'm busy blanching. Oh, and try this tangy raspberry vinaigrette while the summer greens are still delicious. And some fabulous Walla Walla onions!
Raspberry and Shallot Vinaigrette
1 cup fresh or unsweetened frozen raspberries
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp honey
1.) Puree the raspberries, vinegar, and olive oil until smooth. Stir in honey and shallots. Add more honey if you prefer a sweeter vinaigrette.

Green Goddess Dressing

Everyone has fond memories about visits with the grandparents. Many of mine include picking blueberries, learning to make the best cornbread dressing, and watching my granddaddy fix breakfast. But one memory sticks out in my mind... my first encounter with Green Goddess Salad Dressing. With a title like that, you couldn't help but be intrigued! I saw my grandfather open the bottle and began to pour it over his salad. It was green, slightly globby, and I wanted no part of it! Why was I so opposed? This was the man who taught me to eat and enjoy sardines, surely he could convince me to try a salad dressing! My mother explained that it was a very popular salad dressing years ago (Invented in San Francisco in the 1920s) and I should try a bite. Despite their best efforts, I couldn't get past the odd green color and strange title.

Recently I was flipping through a food magazine and a recipe jumped off the page "GREEN GODDESS DRESSING." As I read through the ingredients I realized this dressing was not as scary as it seemed... avocado, mayo, chives, basil, anchovies, lemon juice. I began to wonder what made me avoid the dressing. Putting the past aside, I grabbed my food processor and began to create my second encounter with Green Goddess Dressing. Yes, it was green and slightly gloppy, but it was delicious! Very herbaceous and it blended perfectly with the salad greens from my garden.

I substituted the traditional mayo for sour cream, added whatever herbs were alive in my garden, and I did use anchovies! You can't even taste them but they add an important umami flavor that ties the dressing together. If you're scared of anchovies, don't be! They're actually in most of the Caesar salad dressings you eat and most people can't even tell. Just a nice little surprise, like Green Goddess!

Green Goddess Salad Dressing:
1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup sour cream
2 anchovy fillets
2 Tbsp basil
2 cloves garlic
1 small shallot
juice and zest from 1/2 lime
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sherry
2 Tbsp Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil

1. Place ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour over a fresh green salad or use as a dip for a veggie tray!