SUMMER SALADS

WHEN THE HEAT IS HORRENDOUS, cooking without heat is paramount. Of course, I'm almost embarrassed to be speaking of the easiest thing on earth to make: salads. But, besides ice cream, it's the best thing to eat on an extremely hot summer's day because one usually loses one's appetite in extremely hot weather. I recently wrote about a pasta salad with shrimp but today it's all about lettuce, tomato, avocado, et. al.; and definitely all about not touching anything even remotely resembling a stove or oven!

Here is the simplest of salads: Sliced Tomato and Avocado with a drizzle of olive oil and avocado, salt and pepper. Rabbit food never tasted so good!

Of course, you could always embellish this with any variety of additions: tuna salad (as seen below), egg salad, other raw vegetables like red onion, nuts, roasted vegetables, etc.

Tuna Salad with Tomato and Avocado

TUNA SALAD

6 oz. tuna (for fresh tuna in oil see blog entry dated January 14, 2014)

1 medium red onion finely chopped

2 stalks celery finely chopped

1 clove minced garlic

2 tbs. mayonnaise

2 tbs. dry mustard

2 pinches cayenne pepper

several turns of a black pepper grinder

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with a pastry blender. Salt and pepper to taste and chill.

Icebery Lettuce with Roasted Vegetables

Iceberg Lettuce is 95% water and has very little nutritional value. It is, however, as a wedge salad, incredibly delicious, and, considering that it is all water, very filling. I've made it with thinly sliced red onions or shallots (yum!), tomatoes and avocado and then topped with Roquefort Cheese, lardons, and sour cream dressing, or French dressing or a simple vinaigrette. I've also made it as pictured above with roasted cauliflower and roasted tomatoes with nuts - pine nuts are terrific, but very dear! Below are a couple of dressings I make from scratch.

My Mom's Italian Dressing:

EVOO and red wine vinegar in equal portions

3 tsp. fresh or dried oregano

Salt and pepper

Pinch of Sugar

Mix thoroughly for the wedge or free pour on top of a mixed salad.

Sour Cream Dressing:

1 small container Sour Cream

1/4 cup EVOO and White Balsamic Vinegar (combined)

Salt and pepper

Pinch of sugar

For Bleu Cheese Dressing add 6 oz. crumble roqeufort or any good quality blue cheese to the sour cream dressing.

Lemon Ranch Dressing

Make Mayonnaise with tarragon and lemon

3 eggs

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup EVOO

In a blender which has been warmed throughout with hot water, blend the eggs and the lemon. Add 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon. In the insert hole on the cover of the blender, add the olive oil in a drizzle while the blender is running.  It will gradually thicken into a mayonnaise.

To this add several dashes of Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper, and a small pinch of sugar and blend very well. 

Add 1 small container of sour cream and 3 tbs. heavy cream, 1 large minced shallot and blend until thick and smooth. Chill. Mix in chopped bacon bits or lardons and chives and serve on a salad or as a dip.