Asparagus Salad with Potatoes, Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

We’re big dairy eaters. And when the weather turns warmer, we’re big salad eaters too.

So this salad is perfect for us as summer approaches. I’ve made it a zillion times. Sometimes I substitute green beans or zucchini for the asparagus. Sometimes I use blue cheese (I’ve tried it with firm cheeses such as cheddar but prefer a soft, crumbly one). Sometimes I add leftover cooked fish, but mostly serve it as a side dish.

If you’re having a dairy meal for Shavuot, this would make a delicious first course or side dish. It’s filling, but light, so you have some room for cheese cake!

Asparagus Salad with Potatoes, Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

• 12 baby potatoes (such as Yukon Golds or Red Bliss)

• 1 bunch (about 12-16 ounces) asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces about 2-inches long

• 1 cup cut up grape or cherry tomatoes (or chopped large tomato)

• 3 scallions, chopped or 1/3 cup chopped red onion

• 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil

• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, approximately

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta, blue or goat cheese

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• chopped parsley or chives

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until barely tender. Add the asparagus to the saucepan and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain the vegetables and cool them down under cold running water. Drain and place on paper towels to dry. Peel the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces. Place the potatoes and asparagus in a mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes and scallion and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients. Add the vinegar and toss again. Add the cheese and sprinkle to taste with pepper. Taste and add more vinegar if needed. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings

Cucumber Salad

My garden isn’t doing too well this year. I have some green tomatoes, the basil is thriving and I have a few almost-ready habanero peppers. But the eggplant plants died and, even though I had lots of zucchini, squash and pumpkin blossoms, I have ZERO fruit.

Also, all of the cucumber plants withered.

So, when I wanted to make cucumber salad for guests recently, I had to get a cuke from the supermarket.

The dish wasn’t as emotionally satisfying as when I make it with a freshly picked cucumber. But it was still delicious. Also — the dill IS from my garden. That plant is barely hanging on. I had enough for this and one other recipe.

Cucumber Salad

• 2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 small vidalia or red onion, sliced

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander or dill

• 4 dried red chili peppers, optional (or use a few drops of hot sauce)

Place the cucumber and onion slices in a bowl. Mix the wine vinegar, yogurt, brown sugar and salt together and pour the liquid over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the coriander or dill. If using chili peppers, break them in half, remove the seeds and scatter the pods over the cucumbers. Toss the ingredients and let marinate for at least one hour.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. 

Makes 6-8 servings   

Roasted Corn Salad

I can’t wait for 2020 to end. It’s been a stressful, depressing year.

In addition to the pandemic and the hate-filled political climate, we had a storm last week that knocked out our power and land-line telephone for days, and there was sketchy internet service too.

And we lost a huge limb from our favorite hundreds-of-years-old maple tree.

Then there was a water main break so we had no water for a whole day.

YECH!!

Still, I am grateful for a number of things.

For instance: crops. Vegetables that grow despite the political circus, despite the hatreds, despite the racial tensions, despite the bad weather, despite the virus, despite the social distancing and the quarantines.

They don’t make up for the lost lives, the lack of hugs, the inability to travel or be with loved ones. But, thank goodness for these, the positives that nature brings us.

Summer’s best crops: tomatoes, peaches and nectarines.

And corn.

Get a couple of good ears of corn and grill them or use your oven and follow the recipe below for a refreshing summer salad. It made me feel better to make this one.

Charred Corn Salad

• 2 cups corn (about 3 ears of corn)

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion ( 2 3/4-inch thick slices)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco (or use goat cheese or any crumbly white cheese)

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (or crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the corn and onion on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the vegetables, toss and roast for 12-20 minutes or until crisped and browned. Alternatively, rub the ears of corn and the onion with the olive oil and grill for about 10-12 minutes, turning the vegetables occasionally, or until crispy and tender, then remove the kernels and chop the onion. Place the vegetables in a bowl. Let cool. Add the cheese and parsley. Pour in the remaining tablespoon olive oil and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Blue Salad (with green): Berries and Cheese

I love blueberries and I love blue cheese, so I figured they might go together well.

They did!

In this light, refreshing summer salad.

Nice for a full lunch — add a crust of bread. Or as a first course for dinner.

I bought the blueberries and the cheese. But the greens? Right from my garden! What a joy!

Blue Salad (with green)

• 1 head leaf lettuce or 6 cups mixed greens

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese

• 3 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion tops

• 1/3 cup olive oil (or use avocado oil)

• 3-4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, optional

Tear the lettuce into smaller pieces and place them in a salad bowl. Add the blueberries, cheese and chives and toss the ingredients. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients again. Add 3 tablespoons of the Balsamic vinegar, toss and taste, add more Balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve and garnish with the toasted almonds if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

Chopped Salad with Chick Peas, Feta Cheese and Zatar Vinaigrette

For us, summer means salad. Not just leafy greens and tomatoes for starters to a meal. We eat bulky filling salads for dinner. Like this chopped salad, which of course could be served with other salads or as a side dish to grilled fish. But it’s also satisfying on its own, just like this. Add a crust bread and some fabulous olive oil for dipping and that’s all you need (except for dessert of course).

Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Feta Cheese and Zatar Vinaigrette

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, deseeded, and chopped

• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

• 3–4 scallions, chopped

• 1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

• 1/2 cup tangy black olives, pitted and halved

• 3–4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon zatar

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Pita bread or crisps, optional

Place the cucumbers, bell pepper, tomatoes, scallions, chick peas, cheese, parsley, and olives in a bowl and toss ingredients gently. Just before serving, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, and zatar. Pour over the salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Salad tastes good with Pita bread or crisps.

Makes 4 servings.

Arugula Salad with Grapes and Dates

On the first day of summer, what could be more refreshing than a good salad?

This one is a good fit with grilled meat, chicken or fish but if you're doing a meatless meal add some crumbled blue, feta or goat cheese. Or hard cooked eggs. Or tofu.

Doesn't get much easier than this. 

I used La Tourangelle* avocado oil for this -- it is rich, with a fabulous mouth-feel and is a really delicious vegetable oil for salad. But olive oil would be fine too.

*I did not get paid for this or receive free product. I just love La Tourangelle products.

Arugula Salad with Grapes and Dates

• 2 cups (packed) baby arugula
• 2 cups (packed) shredded radicchio
• 1 cup halved red grapes
• 12 medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or use olive oil)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Place the arugula, radicchio, grapes, dates and avocado in a salad bowl and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour the avocado oil over the salad and toss to coat them. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the salad and toss again. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Panzanella -- the Ultimate Summer Salad for a Crowd?

Panzanella Salad 

There's a crowd coming to my house for lunch. 

Not really. It's a "virtual" lunch, connecting my fellow kosher bloggers who live throughout the world. We are celebrating three years of friendship. Everyone will post a recipe so we can feast together, if only in our imaginations.

So, what to feed a kosher crowd?

It isn't as straightforward as you might think. The rules of kashruth are not simple. In fact, books have been written on the subject. Most people, even those who aren't Jewish and/or kosher, know the basics: no pig, no shellfish, no meat with dairy; only kosher meat, etc. etc.

But there's more to it and not everyone who is kosher follows the same rules. For example, some people only eat dairy products produced under the supervision of a Jewish person who will make sure the animals are kosher. People who are orthodox won't eat fish together with meat, whereas people who are conservative will. 

And more, too much to go into here.

That, plus all the other, nonkosher dietary stuff -- lots of folks these days are lactose intolerant or gluten intolerant. Some people don't eat meat. There are fish allergies! Nut allergies!

I want to avoid all that.

Oh myohmyohmy. 

Here's what I decided to make:

It's August and it's hot out. No one want s a heavy meal. The best food on the market now?

Tomatoes.

So my lunch is a salad built around summer's gorgeous produce. Plus a sprinkling of August's other culinary gem: fresh basil from my garden.

It's still a filling lunch, because I've added lots of vegetables to the usual bread-and-tomato salad. For the gluten-free folk there are plenty of good, crusty breads to substitute for the Tuscan-style or ciabatta called or in my recipe.

This dish has no meat, no fish, no poultry, no cheese, no dairy. Can be gluten-free. Strictly kosher. Delicious too.

Happy 3rd everyone!

Panzanella

• 1 pound crusty, 2-day old Tuscan style bread or ciabatta
• cold water
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 sweet red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1/2 yellow or green bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup cooked peas
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 7-8 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread into large dice and place them on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and place the pieces in a large bowl. Let cool. Add the red onion, tomatoes, red pepper, yellow pepper, zucchini, peas, capers, basil and garlic and toss the ingredients. Mix the smaller quantities of olive oil and red wine vinegar and pour over the salad. Sprinkle with freshly ground back pepper to taste. Toss the salad and add more olive oil and/or vinegar as needed to taste. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings

More delicious Kosher Connection recipes right here