Tag Archives: summer salads

Tomatoes on a Fence

Posted on by November 10, 2014

I’ve now had the pleasure of dining at Blue Hill in New York a couple of times. Last fall, I took my parents when they were in town visiting, and it was the catalyst for these beautiful photographs. Of course the whole meal was wonderful, but to my dad, who is a master craftsman when it comes to all things carving a woodworking, the highlight was the amuse bouche. Tomatoes on a Fence is a tribute to both Blue Hill, and my father, who share the gift of helping others see the art in the beauty of the natural word and appreciation for the nourishment we take from it. The amuse was in many ways, the simplest of things. It featured tiny heirloom vegetables blanched or served raw on a “fence”. Dad was so entranced by the beautiful fence that he made me one for Christmas. It’s definitely not a serving item that I use all the time, as it really does require tiny vegetables to make the scale work, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to share this lovely sculpture with you during the height of heirloom tomato season. The beautiful tomatoes look like precious gems or painstakingly … Continue reading →

Spicy Tuna and Avocado Tartar

Posted on by January 19, 2015

Dear readers, you may have noticed that I (unintentionally) took a week off of blogging, but I’m finally back with Spicy Tuna and Avocado Tartar. Whoops. I have excuses of course: it was a busy week, I was out of town, we had lots of social obligations, the light wasn’t right for photos… But the truth is, I only drink cocktails and eat salads in the summer, so sometimes there isn’t much to write about. I mean, how many “recipes” can there be for G&T’s? And this past week, it’s been all about Caprése. Which is great, but not for blogging purposes. You already have my creative take on that in the Peach Caprése Salad. So I finally went to the store and bought some ingredients so I could make you a new salad. This Spicy Tuna and Avocado Tartar has been in my repertoire for years, but I’ve been keeping it from you. Devious, I know. Especially since it’s one of my go-tos for hot summer nights when you don’t want to cook-but you have guests coming over-so you need something that appears fancy. … Continue reading →

Prosciutto Melon Salad

Posted on by October 28, 2014

This Prosciutto Melon Salad is perfectly simple. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, it’s that time of year. Food in general is so perfect right now that the best cooks know to just leave it alone. Perhaps add a little salt? And this salad is capitalizing on the innate Italian knowledge of that reality. Basically, I’ve added some greens to the Italian appetizer prosciutto melone, so that I could justify eating it for dinner. The first time I ever had prosciutto and melone, I didn’t know what to think, other than perhaps it was the most perfect combination of food in the world. The saltiness of the ham, the sweetness of the cantaloupe… it was one of those moments that made me realize what a powerful sense that taste can be. It is one of the strongest triggers of memory for me. In order to make it into a complete meal, I’ve put it on a bed of greens, added a touch of dressing, and shaved a little parm over it. Prosciutto and reggiano are both from Parma, after all. And buy do they ever get along in this Prosciutto Melon Salad. salad for two 4 slices of prosciutto di … Continue reading →

Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad

Posted on by November 16, 2015

One of the most inspirational cookbooks I’ve purchased in the past few years was Ottolenghi’s Plenty and one of my favorite recipes in the whole gorgeous book is An Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad. I love to make it deep in the Summer as an alternative to Caprese. Plenty is a vegetarian cookbook full of gorgeous vegetable centered dishes. I’ve enjoyed many of the recipes or used them as inspiration to create my own veggie-centric dishes. I have to say, the only downside is some of the recipes do seem particularly well-tested, but in terms of brilliant ideas, Plenty can’t be beat. And this particular recipe is perfect and ready to go, especially in the summer. The genius of this Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad is recognizing that basil is so delicious and abundant in July and August that there’s no reason to use it as an herb or an adornment. Skip the lettuce altogether and eat more basil in my Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad. It doesn’t hurt to add a special cheese like the pepper laced pecorino I have pictured above and lots of crunchy toasted hazelnuts. If you have the luxury … Continue reading →