Perfect Summer Salad

The past couple of weeks have brough quite the heat wave to New York.  The kind of oppressive heat that makes the air so thick that even a short walk becomes an chore-- you start sweating before you have a chance to even move.  Every conversation you have or overhear has something to do with the weather; complaining, yes, but mostly just commenting on how unbelievably hot it is.  I had a craving for something light, fresh, summery, and completely no-cook the other night, which lead to this creation of this salad.  Paper-thin slices of zucchini, fresh raw corn, and sweet tomatoes make the best of summer's produce. I've made this salad many times since as it is colorful, healthy, and just about all I can handle in a blazing hot apartment.

Summer Salad
serves 1
1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 lemon
2 tbls olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

2-3 handfuls of arugula
1/2 large (or 1 small) zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ribbons with vegetable peeler or mandoline
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 ear of corn, kernels cut off cob
1/4 avocado, diced
1-2 tbls pumpkin seeds
5 basil leaves, thinly sliced into a chiffonade

1. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper.
2.  Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour dressing over.  Toss well to combine.

Reason #5,543,765,234,654,001 why I love her...

Every tabloid/news station/celebrity site has been plastered with photos and news about Prince William and Kate Middleton's visit to America (not that I'm complaining...)  And yes, while I do love Kate and think she is stunningly beautiful, poised, and fashionable, there is someone who takes the cake.

Of course.  When William and Kate (can we call them that anymore?  The Duke and Duchess?  Let's just say the Royals) went to LA to watch a polo match, none other than my girl Giada was asked to prepare a meal for them and the other guests.  I could not have been more thrilled to hear it and was so excited to see what the menu would look like .  And even better was to see she made one of my all-time favorite recipes of hers-- Pea Pesto Crostini.

I've made these crostini countless times and they are always a hit.  If I have it on hand, I like to throw in a handful of basil to the food processor while pureeing the ingredients.  Since it calls for frozen peas, this truly is a versatile recipe, which would be equally at home at a summertime bbq or a Christmas party-- the red tomatoes and sweet green peas are a nod to the season but not over the top cheesy.  Served with crusty bread (or even as a pasta sauce?) the Pea Pesto Crostini never disappoint.  Thank you, Giada.

over the top Christmas

Pitting Olives

So many recipes call for pitted black olives, and it usually isn't an issue to find pitted Kalamata olives at the antipasto bar of most grocery stores.  But what about when they ONLY have black olives with pits in them?  You either have to suck it up and "fillet" the tiny olives by slicing around the pit... or pick a new recipe.  I wouldn't think of using canned black olives.

However, there's a trick to pitting olives which will make the tedious task infinitely easier.  Taking one olive at a time, position the heel of your hand over the flat edge of a wide knife and gently press down on the olive (be careful as they can splash!).  This will break the olive and create an opening around the pit, which you can then easily tear out.

It's not the most important cooking technique to know, I'll admit, but it's one I've used countless times.

Slacker

I know, I have been SERIOUSLY slacking on writing posts.  I've been swamped at work and with the weather being so nice... the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer any more than I have to.  But I do miss writing and still think I have some mildly relevant things to say, so I am going to get back into the swing of things.

With the past month being as crazy as it has been, work-wise, I've had very little time to cook; most meals have been consumed at my little cubicle.  On the few nights that I was able to come home at a decent (ok, semi-decent) hour, I opted to throw together something for dinner since the thought of another takeout box was enough to turn my stomach.

When you are having one of those late nights, it's nice to have a couple staples in your pantry and recipes in your repertoire.  For me, this usually means some sort of quick salad with random veggies, nuts, quick-cooking or leftover grains, or (my favorite!) beans.  I absolutely love all types of beans, and since I don't eat much meat, I am constantly incorporating them into my diet.  Chickpeas, cannellini beans, black beans, navy beans, edamame, string beans... I'll take them all.

I was so excited when I saw this article in the New York Times a few weeks ago.  Not only is there a delicious recipe listed-- thinly shaved asparagus, radishes, and fennel-- but also multiple suggestions as to how this salad can be adapted to different seasons and cravings.  Behold the cannellini bean salad-- a healthy, delicious, affordable, and wonderfully simple way of highlighting the lowly bean.