Sunday, July 01, 2007

Summer Salads

Summer in Madison is hard to beat, not the least because of the great farmers' markets. The one on the Capitol Square is the largest of its kind in the world, and there are several other smaller markets throughout the metro area. Produce abounds: vegetables, berries, plants, flowers, and later in the season, squash, apples, melons...it's easy to buy more than you can eat. So just in time for the 4th of July, I'm sharing some of my favorite summer salad recipes. I usually don't measure ingredients, so amounts aren't too precise, but it's all to taste anyway. These are all very simple, and most delicious when made with vegetables fresh from the garden or farmers' market.

Potato Salad

Mix:
Approx. 2 lbs yellow, red or purple potatoes (or a combination), chopped.
2-3 eggs boiled for exactly 11 minutes.
1-2 T. chopped parsley (more if you really like parsley)
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1/3-1/2 cup mayonaise (you can sub part yogurt if you wish)
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato-Cuke Salad
This one hardly needs instructions! Chop or slice equal amounts fresh cucumber and tomato and mix with a little sugar, a little salt, a little pepper, and a splash of cider vinegar.

German-style green beans

This is the vegetarian version. I think the original German recipe calls for bacon.
Cut 1 lb. fresh green beans into 2" lengths and boil briefly, just until crisp-tender, in salted water.
Sauté 2 T. chopped red onion in 2 T. olive oil until soft.
Add the beans, along with 1 T. cider vinegar, and some salt and pepper to taste.
Stir just until the beans are coated, then remove from heat.
Serve warm or room temperature.

Easy, no?