Heirloom Tomatoes and Cucumber Salad with a Lemon-Tahini Dressing

After a trip to the farmers market on Sunday morning and only 15 minutes to make a dish to bring to a potluck, this beautiful healthy salad came about.  It will also be a good addition to your 4th of July table along with the expected potato or macaroni salad and coleslaw!

I hope you have a great sunny and safe holiday!  Happy 4th of July!

4 yellow, green and red Heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 Persian cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup julienned basil
2 teaspoons tahini (toasted sesame paste)
1 small garlic clove, pressed
The zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
A dash of cayenne pepper and cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Arrange the tomato slices on a platter.  Top with the cucumber slices, parsley and basil.

In a small bowl, combine the tahini, garlic and lemon zest.  Whisk in the olive oil and adjust seasonings with cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Serves 6-8

Kale, Cucumber and Corn Salad

Not to sound like a bumper sticker but I love kale!  And kale is good for you! Rich in vitamins and minerals and high in fiber.  It has a whole list of specific benefits but that's good enough for me.  Cucumber is another good one for you, filled with vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.  It will keep you hydrated too and has been shown to reduce high-blood pressure! And then there is corn!  I loooove corn!  It is high in fiber and vitamins B and C.

So after a whole week of celebrating and eating out for almost every lunch and dinner, I needed something healthy but quick that I paired with a couple of gluten-free toast with a creamy Brie... What can I say, I'm French...

4 leaves of organic Tuscan or Black kale, stemmed
1/2 ear of organic corn, kernels removed from the cob
1 small organic Persian cucumber, seeded and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash the kale leaves and dry.  Finely shred the leaves and place in a bowl.  Now you need to massage your kale to break down the fibers and make it more tender... It works... So squeeze it vigorously a few times with your hands.  Add the other ingredients to the bowl and toss.  Let stand a few minutes before eating.  This would be great with some Feta or shredded Parmesan as well.

Serves 1

Oven-dried Tomatoes

We've had beautiful warm days this winter in Southern California!  It's been so nice to enjoy the beach and the warm sun.  We are so fortunate.  Except today... then again, we are not shoveling snow or anything of that nature... But I thought I would bring a little bit of warmth and sunshine to your plate and these oven-dried tomatoes are perfect!  First of all, you're going to have the oven on for a while so that should warm up your kitchen. And then, these delicious morsels of tomatoes will bring a colorful and summery addition to your plate.  I pair them on a green salad with goat cheese or Feta and Kalamata olives and you have a kiss of Provence right on your plate...

5 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/3-inch-thick

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and oregano)

Preheat the oven to 250ºF.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange the tomato slices on the prepared baking sheet.  Season with the sugar, salt, pepper and herbs.  Place in the oven and bake for about 2 ½ hours or until shriveled and dried. 

(May be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated.) 

Arugula, Butter Lettuce and Radish Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

This is a simple and delicious salad.  I love the unusual way the grated radishes are presented on the plate.  They become so much milder this way too.  It is a great salad along a rich stew like the Cassoulet I serve it with this week.  I hope you enjoy it.

Serves 8

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons walnut oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 head butter lettuce, washed and trimmed

4 ounces baby arugula

1 pound red radishes, washed and trimmed

8 large mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and sliced

            In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar.  Whisk in the oils and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerated until needed.

            Using a food processor fitted with a grating disk, shred the radishes. 

            Form the butter lettuce into 8 cups and place on in the center of each salad plates. 

Divide the arugula among the lettuce cups and top with some mushroom slices.  Sprinkle the grated radishes in a ring around the salad on the rim of the plate.

            The salads may now be covered with film wrap and refrigerated for 2 to 3 hours before serving. 

            Whisk the dressing vigorously and spoon evenly over each salad.  Serve immediately.

            

Salad of Mixed Greens, Pomegranate and Persimmons

It is that time of the year!  Holiday time filled with cheers and wonderful foods to share with family and friends.   It is also my busiest month and honestly, in between classes and catering, I don’t have time to blog… You’re going to have to do this without me.  If any of you get a homemade cookie or truffle from me, don’t be fooled.  I didn’t make it!  My mom is arriving next week and she’s going to save the holidays and help me make Christmas or so ever special…

I dug out a picture of a salad I made last year for a catering. As we all get busy and fill ourselves with too many baked goods and filling foods, I thought I would share with you something a little bit more healthier and easy to make.  It looks very festive and is perfect for the season.  You may add some crumbled herbed goat cheese and/or some cooked chicken for a great main course.

I wish you the best for the holidays.  May your time be filled with love, peace and health.  I might post another blog before the end of the year and most likely, it will be something my mom made… 

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 bags mixed greens

1 box pomegranate seeds

3 Fuyu persimmons, stemmed and sliced

            In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar.  Whisk in the oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

            In a large bowl, toss the mixed greens with the vinaigrette.  Top with the pomegranate seeds and persimmons and serve.

Serves 10 as a side dish

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

This is my healthier version of an American classic.  There is no way I was going to use Miracle Whip in my salad.  Maybe give me another 10 years and I might reach for the jar but I am not over this one yet... So just a touch of mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice would do the trick for me.  With this hot California weather, this is a perfect salad for the season.  The broccoli, cauliflower and grapes are reminiscent of the fall but it is still a very refreshing dish for this heat wave... May be you can take it to the beach and enjoy the California sunshine...

 

½ bunch broccoli, chopped

½ bunch cauliflower, chopped

1 cup halved red grapes

½ cup raisins, chopped

1/3 cup salted and roasted sunflower seeds

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

            Place the first six ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix together the mayonnaise and lemon juice.  Toss the lemon mayonnaise with the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.