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!
Yesterday was the opening day of the Portland Farmer’s Market. It could not have been a more perfect day–the sun was shining, the air was fragrant and heated by the sun, and the farmer’s market itself has doubled in size since last year. I got their right as it opened and there were swarms of market-goers already shopping. It was amazing! I also had a field day with my camera–taking pictures of food is like a never ending story or an incredible meal. I could not get enough! I brought home with me two varieties of raab (or rapini), home made pappardelle noodles, fresh farmers goat cheese, line-caught from the ocean smoked salmon, fresh kale (but of course), and a crepe from my favorite crepe-man. The sweet tastes of a successful trip to the farmers market! I took quite a few pictures to give you a slice of this wonderful market, so you can have a taste too…
(This cheese farmer, looking a little worn out and weary, was telling one of his customers how he spent the whole night delivering twin goats. This is one of the best aspects to the market, knowing the sources of and faces behind your food!)
It’s days like yesterday that make me so thankful, so refreshed, so alive. Having the market back, filling my bag with an abundance of goodness, running into friends at each turn, and reconnecting with the vendors with a happy grin and a hearty “welcome back!” were all woven into my market day experience. So good! Below is a recipe for an excellent pasta dish I made with my homemade pasta from the market. It has a wonderful garlic flavor infused into the olive oil it was baked in and the mushrooms gave it lovely body. Great with a crisp rose or lemony sauvignon blanc.
Olive Oil, Garlic, Mushroom Pappardelle
2 whole heads of garlic (medium sized) olive oil fresh pasta–the wide noodle of the pappardelle was really nice but you could use fettucini noodles as well 10-12 whole fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Take apart the heads of garlic so the cloves are separated. To get the skin off, use the side of your large knife–put a clove or two under the side of it and with your palm, press down until you hear a “crunch”. The clove will have been crushed and the skins are super easy to pull off now. Fill a 2-cup baking dish (like one you’d use for creme brulee) with the cloves and then fill with olive oil until the cloves are covered. Cover with a double-layer of foil and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Boil your fresh pasta for only 1-4 minutes. If it is from the box, follow the directions on the box/bag for how long to cook it. The fresher it is, the less time you need to boil it.
Using some of the olive oil from the garlic, put it into a frying pan and toss the sliced mushrooms into it. Cook until tender.
Using the same pan with a little more garlic olive oil, toss some greens onto it to sautee as a side dish. I used one of the rapini’s–it was excellent.
Then, toss together the rest of the olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms with the pasta. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, enjoy!
