Conscious Choice: Spectacular Summer Salads

July 1999 | Cooking with the Seasons

Spectacular Summer Salads

by Colette Christian

Summer is salad time. It’s too hot to cook or eat heartily, and anyway, no one wants to be stuck in a hot kitchen on a beautiful day. Even my culinary enthusiasm wanes. My creativity is limited to salads, marinades, and grill stuff. The rest of the repertoire is out of my head until September.

This is the season where we have lots of beautiful ingredients at our disposal. I love anticipating local corn, tomatoes, and lettuce. Every week brings yet another vegetable or fruit into season. Trips to the farmers’ market are always inspiring. Looking at all those ingredients, I feel more like a composer or a painter than a mere cook.

Salads make good summer entrées or sides to grilled meat or fish. They are also the logical choice when you are asked to bring a dish to a gathering. If you’ve got a potluck on the docket, you can whip up a salad relatively quickly, while keeping your kitchen cool. (The addition of grains and a little protein provides balance and added nutrition.) Remember, of course, to leave mayonnaise and egg-based anything out of dishes that will be transported.

The following recipes are ones I turn to summer after summer. I’ve scaled them up for work and down for at-home dinners. The list of ingredients is flexible. The idea is to have fun in the kitchen and not be a slave to a recipe or the stove. Use ingredients that are fresh and readily available.

Marinated Sweet Potato and Green Bean Salad
Serves four
4 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 pound green beans, ends snapped and cut into 1 to 1-1/2-inch lengths
4 scallions, minced
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1-1/2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Steam the sweet potatoes for six to eight minutes or until just tender.

2. Steam the beans for seven to ten minutes until tender.

3. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, and canola oil. Whisk until the dressing emulsifies.

4. Put the steamed potatoes and beans in a serving bowl and add the dressing. Stir gently to combine.

5. Add the herbs, then season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Greek Salad
A delicious old standby; even the leftovers are tasty.
2 heads romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup Greek olives
1/2 cup (or more) Feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Place salad ingredients in serving bowl, reserve a handful of feta cheese for garnish.

2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients until they emulsify.

3. Right before serving pour dressing over the greens and toss gently.

4. Garnish with reserved feta and serve.

Black Bean and Rice Salad
Serves four
1 16-ounce can black beans, preferably organic
3 cups cooked rice
4 scallions, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 bunch cilantro, minced

Dressing
4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup canola oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Place beans, rice, and chopped vegetables in serving bowl.

2. Whisk together dressing ingredients until they are slightly emulsified.

3. Pour dressing over over the beans and rice mixture and mix thoroughly.

4. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Garnish with a little extra chopped cilantro.

French Lentil Salad
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock or water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup or more fresh mozzarella cheese, diced (goat cheese also works well)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Cook the lentils in the vegetable stock until tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool.

2. In a skillet saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft, about three minutes. Set aside.

3. Combine the lentils, onions, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining vegetables and herbs.

4. Whisk together the vinegar and oil until slightly emulsified. Add to the lentil mixture.

5. Add cheese and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

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