Zucchini Corn Salad

This has now become a staple for us. The raw zucchini actually tastes like al dente pasta and the creamy avocado sauce makes it seem wildly decadent. Zucchini vary greatly in size so use your judgement, I usually use 3 zucchini for this amount of sauce. Leftovers keep remarkably well in the refrigerator for a day but I like to serve it as freshly made as possible.

For the sauce:
1 lime, juiced
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
1 small clove of garlic, minced
water to thin, if needed
salt and pepper

For the rest:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium ear of corn, kernels shaved off
½ teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 medium zucchinis, Spiralized like spaghetti with Blade D, noodles trimmed (or make a lengthwise slit halfway through the zucchini before spiralizing to make little noodle circles.
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the corn and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for 5 minutes or until corn is cooked through and fork tender. Set aside when done.
2. Place all of the ingredients for the sauce into a food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust, if needed.
3. Place your zucchini noodles into a bowl, pour over the creamy sauce and mix to combine thoroughly.
4. Divide the dressed noodles into two to three plates and top with corn and tomatoes.

This is not as filling as pasta, in fact, quite light, so figure this will serve 2-3 people for lunch or 4 people as a side for dinner.

Trail Mix Salad ala Izaak Walton Inn

I can’t give exact proportions because I got the "recipe" directly from the chef at Izaak Walton Inn, which existed of a list of ingredients. I will give you the Champagne Vinaigrette recipe I used but you may have a favorite. The salad is named for the delicious Trail Snack they included in our lunches when we had boxed lunches packed for a day of skiing. I store the trail snack, dressing and greens separately and put them altogether an hour or so before serving. The amounts below will make a large bowl of salad, serving about 8-10.

Mix in large bowl:
dinosaur kale (I use 1-1.5 bunches), cores and stems removed, shredded (I use the food processor)
shredded Brussel sprouts, I use about 1.5 cups whole, or to taste (I use the food processor)
stems of 1 bunch broccoli, julienned (save the florettes for another use)

Champagne Vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dijon Mustard
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 or 3 dashes hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and pureé until smooth.

Trail Mix (to sprinkle on top and lightly mix in):
roasted whole almonds, roughly chopped
roasted and salted shelled sunflower seeds
dried apricots (sliced in thin slices)
dried sour cherries or cranberries, roughly chopped

Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad

First discovered at a 4th of July potluck in Michigan with sister Cyndee this has quickly become one of my favorites. I do everything in the food processor, including the dressing... but NOT the almonds, it doesn't provide the nice uniform size you want. Since kale is one of the few dark leafy greens that will grow in Kauai this recipe will become a standard there.

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced (this is the flat find of kale, also known as dinosaur & lacinato kale)
• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Preparation

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. 

 DO AHEAD: Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Ulu (Breadfruit) Wasabi Salad

Daughter Andee is mad for ulu so on a recent visit we spent hours, days experimenting with recipes. We collected ulu from 3 different sources, in various stages of ripeness. You want very ripe, rather soft fruit for sweet things, such as muffins and cookies, and not so ripe for savory... more like a potato. For the less ripe dishes you have to boil the whole ulu in water for about an hour before proceeding.

5# ulu (this is a lot so you might want to adjust to a smaller amount and proportion other ingredients) boiled about 1 hour, peel and cut into bit-size pieces (as for potato salad).

Whisk the following together and add to ulu:
1 cup Veganese
1/2 cup tamari or Braggs
1-2 Tbsp agave or honey
1 1/2 T. wasabi paste or to taste
1 1/2 tsp water or fresh coconut water
1/2 T dry mustard
1/2 T fresh dill

Mix and add:
3/4 cup finely sliced red cabbage
3/4 cup grated carrot
1 cup green onion or finely chopped sweet onion

Mix all. The ulu will soak up a lot of the sauce so don't be afraid to have the ulu pieces well coated. Keeps well in refrigerator.

Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

yield: Makes 6 servings

active time: 25 min

total time: 25 min

A delicious and more last minute kale salad from Leslie.

Ingredients

• 3/4 to 1 pound Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale) or tender regular kale, stems and center ribs discarded (I've also used "curly" kale and that's fine, too.)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces coarsely grated ricotta salata (1 cup)

Preparation

Working in batches, cut kale crosswise into very thin slices.

Whisk together shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Toss kale and ricotta salata in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat well, then season with salt and pepper.

Black Rice Salad with Asian Dressing

From my friend Judy Shabert, served up with beets-from-her-garden salad and first-of-the-season artichokes. It’s a salad high in omega-3 fatty acids and plant proteins — contained in the tofu, edamame and rice — and it packs well in a lunch box.
Serves 4-6 as main course. Can be served sans tofu as a side dish.

3 cups cooked black rice (or Lundberg's Japonica rice, follow package directions (1 cup uncooked)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1 cup edamame
1/2 pound tofu
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 to 2/3 cup (to taste) sesame ginger vinaigrette

1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, diced bell pepper, walnut pieces and edamame.

2. Slice the tofu about 1/2 inch thick, and blot with paper towels. Cut into 1/2-inch dice, and toss with the soy sauce. Add to the rice along with the chives and cilantro.

3. Just before serving, toss with the vinaigrette.


Advance preparation: The rice will keep in the refrigerator for three or four days, and it freezes well. The salad can be assembled several hours before serving, but don’t toss the tofu with the soy sauce until you’re ready to serve it. If you want the rice to be extra flavorful, toss it with the dressing and marinate for a few hours. You can even freeze it in the dressing.

ASIAN DRESSING
This dressing is great with green salads and cooked vegetables, as well as with noodles and grains.

1 garlic clove, finely minced or puréed
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar or agave nectar
5 tablespoons canola oil or light sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Place all of the ingredients in a minichop or blender (because the amounts are small, I prefer a minichop) and blend until homogenized.

Yield: Makes 2/3 cup.

Advance preparation: This dressing keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

Beet Salad

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferably whole-grain or coarse-grain)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb onions (2 medium), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 (15-oz) cans small whole beets, drained and quartered (or halved if very small) or fresh beets, roasted and cut in large-ish bite-sized pieces

3 oz crumbled feta (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and coarsely chopped

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Slowly cook onions with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Add onions to dressing, then add beets and cheese, stirring VERY gently to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

French Potato Salad

I'm experimenting with this, after hearing the ladies in my Wednesday morning walking group going on and on about it. This is a recipe from the internet so if anyone has comments or suggestions I'd like to hear them. I made it again today with much better results than the first time (I followed Dalene's advice about slicing the potatoes before cooking them).

1 lb. small white boiling potatoes
1 lb. small red boiling potatoes
2 Tbsp good dry white wine
2 Tbsp chicken stock
3 Tbsp Champagne vinegar (or other light vinegar)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 Tbsp good olive oil

1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green)
2 Tbsp minced fresh dill
2 Tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp julienned fresh basil leaves

I like to wash and slice the potatoes THEN drop in boiling salted water, cook about 15-20 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam a little bit (5 min.). Toss gently with white wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; slowly whisk in olive oil to make an emulsion. Add vinaigrette (I used about half of the batch) to the potatoes, toss gently, giving time for liquid to be absorbed a little. Add herbs, kosher salt, pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Bean Salad

1 1/2 lbs. green beans
1 cup toasted pecans
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup diced red onions
Red pepper strips optional

Dressing:
3/4 cup each olive oil and a light fruity vinegar
1/2 cup packed finely chopped mint leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook beans until barely tender (3-4 minutes), drain, dump in ice water, drain and pat dry. Mix with pecans, feta and onions. This much can be done ahead and stored in 'fridge. Toss with dressing just before serving. I use about half as much topping and half as much dressing as the recipe calls for.

Andee's Fresh Kale Salad

This is a favorite of almost everyone who tastes it. Great salad to make early in the day and have it all ready to go. And, it's really healthy, especially if you use organic kale.

1 bunch coarsely chopped kale (5-6 cups, packed)
2 large carrots, grated
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

Dressing:
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp Veganese (or regular mayonnaise)
1 Tbsp Tamari (or soy sauce)
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
1/8 tsp cumin
salt and pepper

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in small bowl. Pour over kale, carrot and seeds in very large bowl. Toss every hour or so, letting the flavors blend and the kale "wilt" for at least half a day before serving.