Versatile, seasonal, and low-cost. Those words are music to my ears! Especially when it comes to fantastic tasting summer salads for the many BBQ’s, get togethers, and parties the warmer months spur on. I’ve been really enjoying two salads in particular: a pesto pasta heirloom tomato salad and a wheat-berry spinach salad. Pesto is super versatile and is the perfect playground for imaginative flavor combination. You simply start with a green base: basil, mint, Italian parsley, or spinach to name a few. Then you add in a little zest: fresh garlic, scallions, red onion, green onion, etc. Next, you might want to bulk it up a little, try: pine nuts, fresh crumbly parmesan (Trader Joe’s sells some of my favorite Parmigiano-Reggiano), sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Of course, don’t forget the olive oil, nothing less than 1/4 cup will do–it needs to be nice and juicy. And there you go! This particular pesto salad I used Italian Parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and olive oil. It was fresh, summery, and delicious! Next time, I think I may try adding some Parmesan too, just to mix it up a little.
Parsley Pesto 1 bunch fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley 4 cloves fresh garlic 4 sun dried tomato halves, soaked in hot water for 15 mins 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste optional 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Pulse in your food processor until a past, fold into pasta (I used Oreccheti pasta, one of my favorite shapes). Add sliced heirloom tomatoes and stir. Serve and enjoy!
Wheat berries are one of my favorite grains. I love their chewy texture and how satiating they are! I also love them because their flavor expands and develops the better you chew them. As someone who tends to eat on the fast side (or more like wolfing down food! I just get excited I guess), this has been a great food to eat for me to meditate a little more on the amazing range of flavors and textures a food can provide. Wheat berries tend to be more of a winter food, however, I’ve found that using them in cool summer salads have been great. I like the tangy flavor of the feta mixed with the subtle sweetness of the wheat berry and the green crunch of the fresh spinach. A dollop of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, a little pepper and wha-la, summer wheat berry salad!
Wheat Berry Salad 1 cup wheat berries, boiled in 4 cups water for 70 mins on low 1 package of feta cheese (I say the more the better, but this is total personal preference) 1 clove fresh garlic or 1 scallion, minced 1 bag or package of fresh baby spinach 1/2 small lemon juice 1/8 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste
Wash wheat berries in a strainer until the water runs clear. Boil 4 cups water and add the washed berries, cook on low heat for 70 minutes. Strain berries from cooking water and transfer to a bowl. Add feta, garlic or scallion, spinach, lemon juice, and olive oil and stir. Let sit for a few minutes to let the spinach soften just a bit. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
I made the avocado cake again and decorated the top with fresh raspberries (from my Aunt’s garden) and fresh strawberries (from Mt. Hood). I like cake.
Andrew and I went on a trip through Central Oregon for the holiday weekend. Oregon never ceases to amaze me–the coast is so beautiful but central Oregon has sun (and more sun!), desert, fantastic hikes, views of the Cascade’s that will blow your mind, and cute towns with good brew pubs. We first went to Crater Lake. We tried to go last year but the lake was hidden beneath a thick blanket of smoke from smoldering forest fires (they happen naturally from lightning). So we went again to get the full majestic and breathtaking views it has to offer.
Looks a lot like the Caribbean! Crater Lake’s water is clear and amazing.
We also went to Bend and Smith Rocks. The desert was beautiful–hot sun, but the air was cool. The temperature did not rise above 78 degrees F. We camped there then drove home the following day on some scenic back roads.
From left: Mt. Bachelor, The Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson.
Andrew took this photo!
We stumbled upon these beautiful falls and a lake most appropriately called Clear Lake. Row boats beckoned us, so we went out on the lake for a break from our drive. This alpine lake was a gem to stumble upon!
Cheers for summer!
Your photos make me miss living in Portland and the Willamette Valley. Must visit the parents soon.
No better time than the summer to do so!
are you kidding me with these luscious photos!! surreal and magical.
welcome home — amazing post.
xo
Those salads sound lovely! Wheat berries – are they a bit like bulgur, but not washed processed so much? I’ve used whole barley for chicken stews, but never wheat, have to see, if I could find that somewhere, sounds like a lovely combination with other textures.
I’ve been reading your posts about kale with interest lately too. I bought some seeds in England, and thought they were a bit like rocket or salad leaves. I looks now that I cultivated it a bit too thick as I now find out it grows rather large. I’ll have to spread the seedlings and probably end up having the whole vegetable patch full of kale… At least I’ll be able to try most kale recipes I can get my hands on. That salad of yours with radish sounds lovely, and Nigel Slater also had some interesting ones.
Wheat berries are actually different than bulgur–both in taste and texture. I hope you can find some! Kale, on the other hand, is very thick and dense. It’s not light like rocket or leaf lettuce but definitely has some heft to it. But that’s why it’s so good for you! Try braising them, grilling (or cooking over an open fire) with a little olive oil and sea salt, sauteing them with some fresh garlic, or, I will even put them into my morning smoothie (with a small apple, handful of blueberries, squeeze of lemon, a thumb of fresh ginger, and a teaspoon of raw honey). Nigel Slater always does simple and elegant things– Let me know how your kale excursions go!
Oh my gosh, these photos are STUNNING! I so want to visit Oregon!