Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Tis the season of garden abundance (well the grand finale of summer favorites). I love this salad because it combines two of my favorite garden veggies. Our whole family loves this salad. I love that it is easy and makes a stellar side dish using seasonal produce.

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

1- pint Cherry Tomatoes
2- Cucumbers
Soft Goat Cheese (or Feta if you prefer) (to taste)
2 TBS Olive Oil
2 TBS Lemon Juice
Small handful of chives and mint (optional)
Sea Salt


Combine all of the above and enjoy some summer goodness!

These proportions are a quick estimate of what I've thrown together.  I adjust it often depending on how many people will be eating this salad.  It's pretty hard to mess up so experiment and enjoy!

Beet Salad

As a kid I thought that can of beets my mom used to sit on the table was quite honestly one of the more gross things in life.  Apparently pickled beets made my nose scrunch.  The most amusing part is that I don't know if I ever even attempted a taste or it I was just so repulsed by their visual presentation.  Whatever the situation I decided a few years ago to give beets a try.  Whoa! I fell in love. 
I absolutley love beets now and laugh at how repulsed I was as a child by those lovely sweet vegetables.  I love them juiced, grated in salads, and roasted.  One of my favorite things to do with beets is make a beet salad. Oh my stars! This is one of my favorite salads on the planet and it is almost always a hit at a party or potluck. 
I have tried a few different versions of beet salads but I always come back to this simple version that I slightly adapted from my friend Heather's cooking class a couple summers ago.  It truly is divine!

Roasted Beet Salad

Beets (2 bunches)
Beet Greens, Swiss Chard, Kale, or Spinach (finely chopped)
Almond Cheese or Soft Goat Cheese
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 TBS Raw Honey
3-4 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive oil (or to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

The first step is to scrub the beets and then roast them.  There are a couple ways of doing this.  The beets can be wrapped individually with foil and placed in a pan with an inch or so of water.  Another option is to place all the beets in a dish with an inch or so of water and simply cover the whole pan with a piece of foil.  I have found both ways yield delicious roasted beets.

Roast the beets at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  This time may vary depending on the size of the beets so check them after about 60 minutes and know they are done when it is easy to pierce them with a fork. 

While the beets are roasting make the vinaigrette.  Mix together the mustard, honey, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

When beets are finished allow them to cool.  The next step is to peel the skins off the beets, which is a little messy but oh so worth it! I have found that sometimes the skins will just slip right off the beets using just your hands, especially in the summer when they are really fresh.  Otherwise a vegetable peeler works nicely to gently remove the skins.  It should still be pretty easy if the beets are roasted well.  After the beets are peeled chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Next add the chopped beets to a large mixing bowl with the vinaigrette.  Mix well to coat the beets.  Then add the finely chopped beet greens (or other green).  The amount of greens is really up for debate.  Add what looks appetizing.  If beets are fresh and in season using all the gorgeous greens that came on them seems to be the perfect amount.  Final step is to add the cheese.  The amount of cheese to use is really up to the individual taste as well.  I usually just add cheese until it looks good to me.  I have found I don't need a whole lot of cheese because I don't want the cheese to overpower the salad.  A few sprinkles will usually do the job.

Mix the final mixture together well and enjoy!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

I really enjoy a good tabbouleh but sometimes the abundance of parsley can be a bit overwhelming for me.  Also our family does mostly gluten-free so I started making my litte twist on traditional tabbouleh with quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. My girls are not normally big fans of quinoa even though they have been eating it since they were babies, but they love this recipe and quickly gobble it up.  So it's become an easy summertime staple around here.  I love that the quinoa is loaded in fabulous protein along with the nutrient dense herbs and the amazing taste of fresh tomatoes! It is great as a light meal on a hot day or a perfect side to complement any picnic or cook-out. 

The following is an approximate measurement of how I make my tabbouleh.  I usually just add things until I get the taste I am going for so don't be afraid to taste test as you make this yummy dish modify as needed. 

Quinoa Tabbouleh

2 cups cooked Quinoa

1-2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes (my girls love tomatoes so I add a lot!)

1 small cucumber chopped

3/4 cup packed fresh parsley, minced

3/4 cup packed fresh mint, minced

3 TBS Lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients together.  If have time to allow it to chill the flavors blend together really well and the taste is even better. 

***I've also played around with this salad and have added sunflower seeds, garbanzo beans, and/or shredded carrots for even different flavors.

Cherry Tomato Salad

I'm on a serious tomato kick right now.  I can't seem to get enough.  I'm just loving me some yummy organic tomatoes!

At the first bite of this salad, my 2 year old (almost three so I want to say 2 as much as I can before she turns 3!) proclaimed, "Mommy this is delicious!"  Ok any time my little one says that, especially lately, I take mental notes.

I had remembered seeing something like this in a Vegetarian Times magazine a couple years ago.  We needed lunch and I had all these beautiful tomatoes sitting on my counter.  So this is another one of those things I just threw together and didn't measure out exactly so enjoy experimenting and putting your own personal touches on it!  I hope you enjoy it and find it as tasty and delicious and my sweet Norah did. 



Cherry Tomato Salad (Vegan & Raw)

Cherry Tomatoes (add different sizes & colors) (I used around a quart of tomatoes)
1/2-3/4 cup Fresh Basil
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 Avocado
1 Cucumber
1/3 Sweet Onion

• Chop some cherry tomatoes in half and others in quarters.

• Puree 1/4-1/2 cup basil, garlic, and olive oil in blender or food processor, making a pesto of sorts. Making the pesto thin enough to stir and coat tomatoes.  Depending on how many tomatoes you use, you may have some leftover pesto, which can be added to sandwiches, pastas, or salad dressings.

•  Toss cherry tomatoes with pesto.  Allow to marinate for up to 30 minutes. 

•  After tomatoes have marinated mix in onion, cucumber, avocado, and additional chopped fresh basil.

 Add a fresh vegetable juice and you have yourself a tasty, delicious lunch to sit on your deck and enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon!

Beets & Beet Greens

Beets.  Oh glorious beets!  We are just hooked on beets and lately on beet greens.  I've been buying fresh beets from the market the last few years and I have discovered a new favorite food.  I was very skeptical at first to buy beets.  I had no idea what to do with fresh beets.  I  also had distinct memories of pickled beets that my mom used to can, which as a kid weren't my favorite food to say the least.  So all this to say, I decided a few years ago to buy some beets at our local farmers market, and wouldn't you know, I LOVED them.  My husband began to love them.  My kids absolutely love them.  They are a staple at our house these days.

Well this year we joined a CSA for the first time.  It has been so great and I've been learning so much about different foods and cooking and preping tips.  At this point the CSA has consisted of lots and lots of greens.  I've been playing around and getting creative with lots of different ways to use greens and how to incorporate all these greens into our food.  Not only are we getting all these greens from the CSA but we also have a little garden that is producing lots and lots of kale and swiss chard.  All of this at the same time that my oldest daughter has begun picking the "green" things out of her food.  Hmmmm, not great timing for her to all of sudden go on strike against the greens!  Another reminder of how much we learn to release control over everything as parents, right? 

I was at the market a couple weeks ago and got really excited to see some fresh beets.  I've known for the past couple years that the greens on top of the beets are edible and actually quite good for you, but I've just never gotten around to using them before they went bad.  The leaves go bad quickly so it's important to use them as soon as possible, and they taste so much better as well.  This year I made it a point to use those leaves.  And again, wouldn't you know, I LOVED them.  They are tender, milder tasting green.  They are a great substitute for any recipe calling for spinach, or just use them raw in a salad.  We've even thrown the beet greens into our green smoothies.  I'm hooked on these beet greens right now.  Surprisingly my 2 year old, who has been doing some protesting over greens, gobbles them up in a recipe.  The taste is so mild I think she forgets she's been protesting.

Beets are very high in nutrients.  They contain an excellent amount of folate, which is great for pregnant mamas or those hoping to become pregnant.  Beets are also a good source of iron, vitamins A and C, carotenes, and fiber.  Really they are just super fabulous for you and your kiddos.

Our favorite is roasted beets.  I just toss diced beets  in my oven or toaster oven with a little olive oil and cook for about 45-60 minutes at 350.  I don't usually don't even peel beets. I rinse them in water and will use my veggie scrub brush lightly on them.  I've recently read that there really is no reason to peel beets because there are some great trace minerals that lie just below the surface of the skin of the beet.  If you want to peel them another way to roast them is individually in foil with a bit of oil.  When they are done you can unwrap the foil and let them cool to the touch and the skins will easily slide off after the beet is roasted whole.

Roasted beets make an excellent finger food for babies.  Just make sure you cut them into sizes that are appropriate for you baby's age.  My girls both loved eating beets.  Have a bib handy because babies and beets will create quite a mess but all of those amazing nutrients they are getting is completely worth it.  Additional warning:  beets can create some coloring of the stool so don't be alarmed if you or your kiddo eats beets and the next day or two have some reddish color in the stool or even urine.  This is normal!

There are other great ways to use beets besides roasting them.  Raw beets grated into a salad are quite tasty.  Juicing beets gives fresh juice a vibrant color and flavor.  Perhaps try steaming beets.  There are even lots of recipes out there calling for beets in brownie and chocolate cake recipes.  (I have yet to try these because I don't do much baking but they always sound real interesting).

One of my favorite way to use beets raw is in this Firecracker Beet Slaw recipe from Vegetarian Times.

Ingredients

• 3 raw beets, peeled and shredded (3 cups)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, shredded (1 cup)
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbs. olive oil 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs. agave nectar or 2 Tbs. sugar or 1 Tbs. Raw Local Honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (this does have a strong flavor with a bit of kick to it so if your kiddos don't like much spice you may want to omit this or just add half the amount of chipotle to half the recipe and save the other have for the kiddos)
• 1/2 tsp. salt

 Directions


1. Toss together beets, apple, and green onions in bowl. (I shred these in my food processor which make it super easy)

2. Blend vinegar, oil, mustard, agave nectar, garlic, chipotle chile, and salt in food processor until smooth. Add to beet mixture, and toss to coat.  Enjoy!

So if you find yourself at a local farmers market this week, maybe you pick up some beets and begin experimenting with the beets and the beet greens.  I hope you discover a nourishing new food that you enjoy!