Tomato Beet Salad with Balsamic Dressing

This dish is in the run for one of the most colorful salads of all time. Just look at it! What a perfect way to show of those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes! Sungolds, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Valencia...

And any number of vibrant beets.  Wouldn't chioggia beets be pretty on this platter?

This is why I love my CSA.

adapted from Martha Stewart

serves 2

The Ingredients:
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar  
3-4 small beets, scrubbed (about 1/2 lb)
2-3 large heirloom tomatoes (about 1 lb)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2-3 Tbsps crumbled feta
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

The Process:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In a small jar, combine the oil and vinegar. Seal tightly and shake until well blended. 

Trim the tops and root tip off of the beets. Wrap beets in foil and bake, 50-60 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, rub beets with a paper towel to remove skins. Slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. 

Slice the tomatoes, and halve cherry tomatoes.  Arrange with beets on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with feta, cilantro, and drizzle with balsamic dressing. 

Zucchini Muffins with Feta

I have a slightly hard time calling these muffins. Zucchini muffins should be sweet and spiced, right? Like carrot cake and pumpkin bread and other vegetables parading around in baked good form. Yes, they are shaped like muffins. And certainly they fit the baked goods mold. But the savory factor throws me. Apparently cornmeal muffins are acceptable, but these? My brain is trying to tell me, no, these are biscuits. But they are far to moist and tender to be biscuits.

And I will make them again.

adapted from Chilly Frosting

yields 12 muffins

The Ingredients
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 large or 2 small zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly oil a miffin tin, or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.

In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.

Fold the zucchini and feta into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Banana Pepper, Kale and Summer Squash Frittata

CSA veggies make for some of the best breakfasts! This recipe seems like a lot of produce. And it is. But most of the vegetables cook down quite a bit and are mixed up with just enough egg to hold the whole thing together.

A word of caution on using banana peppers...some a ridiculously hot, others are quite mild. You really won't know until you try a bite, so don't toss a whole pepper or two into the frittata willy-nilly. Wearing gloves is recommended when dealing with any spicy pepper. At the very least, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands prior to touching your face. Pepper spray is incredibly effective for a reason...

adapted from a recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

serves 2

The Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 summer squash, coarsely grated
1 banana pepper, coarsely chopped
2-3 leaves of kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup feta, crumbled

The Process:
Preheat the broiler and adjust the oven rack to about 4" below.

Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in a 8" cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic and squash and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the banana pepper and satuee an additional minute.  Add the kale and thyme, cook until the kale is just beginning to wilt. Add the remaining butter and swirl to coat the pan.

Pour in the eggs, swirling the pan to distrubute them evenly. Reduce heat to low and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the edges have begun to set. Sprinkle with feta and place under the broiler.

Broil until the top of the frittata is set and is begining to brown, 3-4 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Cucumber, Edamame and Tuna Salad with Garlic Thyme Vinaigrette

Sometimes it's the simple things in life that bring the most pleasure. Of course this salad had the added bonus of putting a dent in my ever growing crop of cucumbers.

the recipe is my own

serves 2

The Ingredients:
1 - 5 oz can tuna, drained
1/2 cup edamame, shelled
2 small cucumbers, diced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup feta, crumbled

The Process:
In a medium bowl, toss together the tuna, edamame, and cucumbers.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme and salt. Adjust to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, and toss to coat. Top with feta.

Serve immediately

Lemon Dill Orzo Salad

Here's a little something simple for your next picnic or potluck. This salad was huge hit the last time I made it. Enjoy!

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

serves 8-10

The Ingredients:
for the salad
2 cups (about 12 oz) dry orzo
2 cans (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups chopped cucumber
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped

for the dressing
6 Tbsp oil
6 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp dill, minced
salt and pepper to taste





The Process:
In a large saucepan bring 3 quarts lightly salted water to boiling. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine cooled orzo, chickpeas, cucumber, onion, feta, and dill.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon, oil, dill and garlic until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle over salad and toss to coat.