Okay fine, Ill tell you anyway. Remember when I told you that on our Vacation From Parenting I had an ambitious to-do list but my husband was quite certain wed be better off doing as little as possible? Well, Alex: 1, Deb: 0 and here it is encrypted on the permanent record of the internet. As it turns out, having to take your entire apartment apart to allow for painters is totally not fun at all. Sometimes theres a communication breakdown that leads to you coming home right as theyre finishing up to find that your apartment had been painted the wrong color. Sometimes, in the same week, your bathtub is suspiciously filled with plaster, your door handle breaks and leaves you locked out of your apartment for an eternity, your air conditioning dies, and 48 hours after the painters had left, not a single piece of furniture got ambitious enough to move itself back into position, which means that youll probably be doing that for the remainder of your so-called vacation. Really, Deb [insert slow clap here] next time your husband suggest you do nothing but sleep, socialize and relax for a week, perhaps you might just not argue.
It also kills all lofty cooking goals, but since were going for honesty, I should just admit that I didnt have all that many. Like I started saying above before I had to go and prove it, I get a little boring in the summer. But, its not my fault! Its just a theory, but I suspect that nature designed summer produce this way, intentionally making it so tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers required exactly zero amounts of cooking to transform them into culinary greatness so that youd be free for home improvements beach trips and cocktails on decks at sunset.
This weeks obsession is, indeed, and conveniently, virtually cooking-free. Ive always had a soft spot for salads that are almost all crunch and no filler. While the ingredient combinations with which you can play this out are endless, sometimes a specific one gets in your head and you cannot get it out until you recreate it, ad infinitum, at home. This happened this week after we had dinner at The Breslin, before paint and plaster (and the avoidance there-of, which led to oh yes, we did, and Im not sorry) took over our lives. Pretty much everything April Bloomfield cooks is the kind of perfection that you didnt know your life was missing before you arrived (hello, lamburger, crisp boiled peanuts and thrice-cooked chips!) but is never going to be complete again without after you left.
And yet, it wasnt as much the market salad as the crazy, absolutely addictive interplay of feta, mint, lime and spectacularly well-toasted sunflower seeds on her chopped salad that I had to have again and again. And so I took this weeks languishing haul from the market and chopped away. I retoasted my sunflower seeds so theyd be darker. I used some queso fresco instead of feta, but you can use whatever you can get, even ricotta salata. I slivered some fresh mint and even stirred in some chile powder and the result has got to be my idea of a summer salads highest calling a revelation, crunchy and refreshing, and leaving you free to be your goofy self.
One year ago: Skirt Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
Two years ago: Zucchini and Ricotta Galette
Three years ago: Mediterranean Pepper Salad
Four years ago: Mango Curd
Five years ago: Everyday Yellow Dal
Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime, Mint and Sunflower Seeds
I used 1 cup each of halved and thinly sliced radishes (3 1/4 ounces), 1/2 pound of lightly cooked, cooled green and yellow beans (1/2 pound fresh) that Id cut into 1/4-inch slices on the bias, and quartered and thinly sliced Kirby cucumbers (from 5 ounces or 2 whole). However, you should use whatever is crunchy and youre craving, such as peppers, carrots, lightly cooked corn cut off the cob, celery, fennel or more.
To bulk this up into a more rounded dish, you could add a cup or two of thinly sliced lettuce, 1 to 2 cups of cooked, cooled grains such as barley, quinoa or farro, or a cup or so of cooked black beans, to add to the Southwestern vibe. In each case, it would be best to double the dressing so youll be able to cover everything evenly.
Serves 4 as appetizers and 2 as more of a meal-sized salad
3 cups chopped, crunchy vegetables
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta, queso fresco or ricotta salata
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup well-toasted sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon chile powder or 1/8 teaspoon each your choice combination of chile powder, cumin, cayenne or sumac
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
Mix the vegetables, feta, scallions, seeds and mint in a medium bowl. Whisk lime juice, olive oil, salt, spice and black pepper in a small dish and pour over vegetables, tossing to evenly coat. Adjust with more salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with mint and crunch-crunch-crunch away!
Thursday Night: Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime and Mint I don't ... It's 107 degrees with the heat index today, which means that it's officially too hot to cook. Happily, we had a zippy salad in the queue from Smitten ... chopped salad with feta, lime and mint smitten kitchen A home cooking weblog from a tiny kitchen in New York City. The place to find all of your new favorite things to cook. Chopped Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipe with Mint, Feta, Lemon ... Chopped Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipe with Mint, Feta, Lemon, and Thyme Watermelon Salad with Feta and Lime - Party Menu Planning Made Easy Watermelon Salad with Feta and Lime Serves 4 4 lbs watermelon 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, plus whole sprigs for garnish 3/4 cup mild feta, crumbled Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint - Salty Sweet Refreshing This refreshing salad with watermelon, feta cheese, and fresh mint is simply dressed with olive oil and lime ... in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing and chopped mint over ... Foodie / chopped salad with feta, lime, mint Pin images from any website as you browse the web with the Pin It button. Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime, and Mint - Simply Living and Loving ... Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime, and Mint recipe from Smitten Kitchen I Love this for Cleaning out the fridge : This recipe uses whatever Crunchy Vegetables ... Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime and Mint Punchfork From Smitten Kitchen (vegetarian, gluten free). Ingredients: Mint, sunflower seeds, vegetables, black pepper, coarse or kosher salt, olive oil, lime juice, feta, 1 more. Cucumber and Avocado Salad Recipe with Lime, Mint, and Feta Cucumber and Avocado Salad Recipe with Lime, Mint, and Feta (Makes 2-4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn) Ingredients: 2 cups chopped cucumbers (3-4 medium cucumbers or 2 ... Watermelon Salad with Feta or Cotija Recipe Simply Recipes Watermelon Mint Feta Salad. 1/2 cup chopped red onion; 1/2 cup lime juice (4-6 limes, depending on how big and juicy the limes are) A quarter of a medium sized watermelon ...
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