Orange Walnut Salad

I served this salad at Thanksgiving this year, and it was delicious! For a special salad, a great rule of thumb is start with a base of excellent, organic greens and serve with a fruit, nut, and cheese that compliment each other. For this salad, I used oranges, walnuts, and sharp cheddar. You might try cranberries, pecans, and chevre (or other soft goat cheese). Another favorite combination is pears, pecans, and smoked Gouda. Let your imagine run wild! Then pair it with a homemade vinaigrette that enhances the flavors you've chosen for your salad. With this salad, I used orange champagne vinegar to compliment the oranges in the salad. The basic rule of thumb for vinaigrette is Dijon mustard mixed with a 3 to 1 ration of oil to vinegar (or as much as a 5 to 1 ratio). Follow the directions below for making a vinaigrette from any kind of vinegar.

Salad
baby romaine or spring mix, pre-washed and ready-to-serve
1 bag candied walnuts (from Trader Joe's)
4 oz. Organic Valley sharp cheddar cheese, cut into chunks
2 oranges, peeled and cut into slices
Orange Champagne Vinaigrette (see recipe below).

Combine all ingredients in large salad bowl. Toss with vinaigrette.

Orange Champagne Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbls Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
3 to 5 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

1. Dip tines of fork into Dijon mustard (should be about 1/2 tsp). In a small, shallow bowl, whisk vinegar and mustard together until combined.
3. Slowly pour oil into the mustard and vinegar mixture, constantly whisking the oil with the fork as you pour into order to emulsify the oil. This method makes a creamy, thickened dressing but you must take care to add the oil very slowly in a very thin stream.

Corn & Zucchini Fritters

From Martha Stewart Living
Makes about 1 dozen fritters
I wait all year for the corn, zucchini, and tomatoes to come in at the farm just so I can make this recipe! This is the taste of summer!

1 1/2 cups flour*
2 tsp baking powder*
coarse salt* and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp melted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 8 oz)
2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 or 4 ears)

Garnish:
peeled and sliced avocado
fresh tomato slices
slices of raw cheddar cheese
bacon, cooked until crisp

1. To remove fresh corn kernels from the ear, first peel the corn and carefully remove the silk. Then cut one end of the ear of corn so that it is flat. Placing the flat end of the corn on your cutting board (or even better, a shallow bowl or pie dish to catch the kernels as they come off), slice the kernels off of the ear, several rows at a time until all the kernels are removed.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, 2 tsp salt* and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, eggs, and milk; add to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Add zucchini and corn, stir until well blended.
3. Lightly grease a griddle with oil or butter, like you would prepare it for making pancakes. Drop about 2 tbsp of batter into the skillet for each fritter, pressing gently with a spatula to flatten (should be the size of pancakes). Cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer onto paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper while still hot.
4. Serve fritters as a side dish on their own or as a sandwich, with avacado, bacon, tomato, and cheese in-between two slices.

*A word about ingredients: You can make this recipe Gluten-Free by substituting Pamela's All-Purpose Baking Mix for the flour, baking soda, and salt. I've served the gluten-free version to everyone I know, and they cannot tell the difference.

Tarragon Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Serves 4-6

This is my absolute favorite potato salad, and I am a huge fan of potato salad! I discovered this salad because I am allergic to eggs and cannot eat mayonnaise. This potato salad has no eggs. (But it does have dairy.)

Dressing:
2 tsp. dijon mustard*
1 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. white or black pepper
2 Tbls. tarragon vinegar*
1/4 cup olive oil*
1/4 cup sour cream*
2 Tbls. fresh tarragon, chopped (or more to taste)

Salad ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes
1 package sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 small red onion, cut into thin slices

1. Cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks and boil until just fork tender. Do not overcook! Remove immediate from heat, drain, and rinse in cold water. Let cool in fridge or by placing bowl of potatoes in a bowl of ice water.
2. Bring a small pot of water to boil for the peas. When water boils, blanch peas in the water until they all turn bright green, 1 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Remove from heat, rinse in cold water, and place in ice water bath until cool. Drain peas and pat try with paper toweling.
3. Meanwhile, prepare dressing by whisking together mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil with a wire whisk or a fork until the oil is emulsified into the other ingredients (the mixture should be thickened). Whisk in sour cream and tarragon.
4. When all ingredients are cool, place in a large bowl and pour dressing over top. Gently combine all ingredients. You may need more salt; I find potatoes usually need generous amounts of salt. Chill for 2 to 24 hours before serving.

Chicken Salad Variation: This recipe makes a fantastic tarragon chicken salad. Simply replace 1 1/2 lbs. cooked potatoes with 1 1/2 lbs. cooked chicken. Absolutely delicious!

*A word about ingredients: Use a high-quality dijon mustard made with white wine. Makes a huge difference! I like Grey Poupon. You must use tarragon vinegar; it really adds that tarragon flavor to this dish. It's pretty easy to find. Use a high-quality, extra-virgin, first-cold-pressed, unfiltered, organic olive oil if you can find it. I buy Trader Joe's First Lady Reserve. It isn't organic, but it has all the other qualities for a great price. Unfiltered olive oil has lauric acid, a natural anti-viral. For the sour cream, use an organic, whole milk sour cream with live active cultures. I like Horizon Organic. None of this low-fat dairy stuff! Whole-fat dairy WILL NOT make you fat. Low-fat dairy usually contains dry milk, which is full of chemicals. Enjoy the fat!!

Black-Eyed Pea and Jalapeno Salad

From Martha Stewart Living
Serves 4
The mild flavor of the peas is perfectly enhanced by the crunch and spiciness of the onions, peppers, and vinegar. A great side-dish for BBQ or any summer picnic. One of Rich's favorite salads.

2 cans (15 ounces each) black-eyed peas, drained, rinsed, and excess water shaken out
2 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeds and ribs discarded, flesh cut until 1/4-inch dice*
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 cup broccoli sprouts (or other sprouts such as alfalfa)**
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbls red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Put black-eyed peas, jalapenos, onion, and sprouts in a large bowl. Add oil and vinegar, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

*You may want to wear rubber gloves to seed and chop the chiles.
**Broccoli sprouts are a super food absolutely packed with antioxidants. It is one of the best veggies you can eat.

Tomato, Basil, and White-Bean Salad

From Martha Stewart Living
Prep Time: 10 min. Total Time: 35 min.
Serves 4

Great as a side to BBQ chicken or burgers and hot dogs!

2 cans (19 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 pound small roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 small garlic cloves, minced

1. Combine beans, tomatoes, basil, and salt in a bowl, and season with pepper.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Pour over bean mixture, and gently toss. Let stand 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Salad can be covered and kept at room temperature up to 4 hours.

Herbed Corn

Serves 10-12
According to my mother-in-law, Kay Shipe, this is the best corn side-dish on earth. The recipe is from my sister, Jayme Metzgar. (I imagine this would also be delicious with fresh corn, cut off the cob and blanched quickly in boiling water.)

12 cups frozen corn
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

In a large saucepan, combine corn and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until corn is tender. Drain; stir in the remaining ingredients.

Chard with Peppers and Onions

Serves 6

For those who want to get those dark green leafies in the diet, this is a great recipe.

2 bunches chard, stemmed and coarsly chopped
1 red onion, cut into thin strips
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Steam chard in a vegetable steamer or a colander over boiling water until soft (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, heat up 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and peppers until soft, about 5 minutes. Add steamed chard to the skillet. Saute another 1 or 2 minutes. Add another T olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste.