Tag: cucumber salad

Fresh Fava Bean and Summer Vegetable Salad

fava bean salad - trust in kimfava beans - trust in kim

This winter I saw a few recipes that called for fresh fava beans, but I’ve never been able to find them in a store, so I chose this to be one of my experimental crops in my community garden this year.  They are a bit of work to shuck and peel, but they are so tender and delicious.  I think I’ll be growing them again next year to try out a few of the other recipes.  This salad capitalizes on the availability of fresh vegetables in the summertime, at the peak of their flavour.

What you need:

  • about a pound of fava beans in their shells
  • one cob of fresh corn, cooked and the kernels cut off
  • a few small cucumbers or half a large one
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts
  • your favourite vinaigrette or this one:
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • a little salt and pepper
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

What you do:

  1. Toast the walnuts a little and let them cool.  I do this is a frying pan, tossing often and watching them carefully so they don’t burn.
  2. Cook the corn and let it cool. You can boil it for just a few minutes or grill it.
  3. While the corn and nuts are cooling down you can prepare the fava beans.  Begin by boiling a large pot of water.  Remove the beans from their pods, then boil for 2 & 1/2 to 3 minutes; less time for smaller beans.  Drain then cool down right away in a bowl or sink full of cold water; ice water is even better.
  4. Now comes the labourious part – remove the skin from each bean. Make sure you’re listening to some good music and the time will pass quickly.
  5. Mix the vinaigrette ingredients and pour some of it over the sliced red pepper to mellow the flavour a little. Let this sit for about 20 minutes.
  6. Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can, with a mandoline.
  7. Combine the cooled fava beans, corn, cucumbers, and the onion with its dressing.  Toss lightly, then add more dressing if you think it is needed; I liked it best lightly dressed.
  8. Top with the toasted nuts just before serving.

 

Tomato, Corn and Cucumber Salad

tomato cucumber and corn salad - trust in kim

Here’s a really simple salad I’ve made a few times this summer, using tomatoes from my garden and cucumbers from a friend’s garden (and corn from the produce store).  I just used my favourite homemade vinaigrette, super easy and delicious.

If I use tomatoes and cucumbers out of season I always choose the little ones – cherry tomatoes and those small cucumbers.  They have way more flavour.  And for winter corn I prefer canned over frozen, and I usually us Peaches and Cream.  Still, the summer ones are the best, so I make this a lot while these things are growing nearby and in season.

What you need:

tomatoes

cucumber

sweet onion

corn on the cob

a few green olives

dressing ingredients:

about 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

about  1/4 teaspoon sugar

salt

pepper

white wine vinegar

olive oil

What you do:

1. Boil a pot of water for the corn and let it cook for a couple of minutes.  Remove the corn and run it under cold water.

2. To make the dressing, put the mustard in a bowl and add the sugar and some salt and pepper.  Add a little vinegar and mix it into the mustard so there are no lumps.  Mix in a bit more vinegar, then drizzle in some olive oil while mixing with a fork.  After you’ve added a bit, have a taste and see what you need to add more of.

3. Cut the cucumber and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.  Chop the onion and olives.  Cut the corn off the cob, and put all the vegetables together in a bowl.  Toss it with some dressing and serve it up.

Enjoy!

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Basil and Dijon Vinaigrette

cucumber, tomato and red pepper sa

tomatoes - trust in kim

 

I was lucky enough to be given some home-grown cucumbers, and then I went and picked these tomatoes and some basil from my garden.  If you don’t have access to garden-fresh produce you can visit your local farmer’s market, or just try to find some that look tasty in the produce store.  I like cherry tomatoes and the smaller cucumbers because they and often the tastiest option from the produce store.

I don’t use measuring tools to make my salad dressing, so the ingredients are ‘a little of this, a little of that’ and then you can taste your own way to a yummy dressing.

What you need:

some tomatoes

some cucumbers

part of a sweet onion

a few sprigs of fresh basil

dijon mustard

a little sugar

salt and freshly ground pepper

apple cider vinegar

olive oil

What you do:

1. Cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into bite-sized pieces.  Cut a bit of onion into smaller pieces.  Put them all into a bowl.

2. To make the dressing, put a small spoonful of dijon into a bowl or cup. Add a few pinches of sugar and a little salt and pepper.  Combine these, then pour in a touch of vinegar and mix it up.  Add a few tablespoons more vinegar and mix it, then slowly add some olive oil.  When you’ve mixed in a few tablespoons of olive oil, have a taste and see if you need more oil or anything else.  It shouldn’t taste too acidic, but you also don’t want it to be too oily.

3. Pour some salad dressing over the veggies and toss them until everything is coated.  Chop up a few leaves of basil and garnish the salad with them.

Enjoy!

Spanish Salad

This isn’t an authentic Spanish recipe; instead I was inspired by the amazing vegetables I found in the markets of Barcelona.  Was it because I was on holiday, or did these veggies truly have more flavour than the ones at home?  I’m not sure, but since they were bursting with flavour, they didn’t need much doctoring up with dressing.  I just drizzled on a little extra-virgin olive oil and cracked some salt on top.  Simple and amazing.

What you need:

a few tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes

a few mini cucumbers

an avocado

olives with the pits in them

What you do:

1.  Chop the veggies up and put them into a bowl.

2.  Drizzle with the best quality olive oil you have.

3.  Crack on a little salt.

I served mine with some chorizo, flatbread and a glass of red wine.  Buon provecho!

Monserrat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool Cucumber Salad

This salad is great for a hot summer day when you want something light and refreshing.  And a great way to use those cucumbers you’ve got coming up in the garden!

What you need:

cucumber

2 red or green hot chillies, thinly sliced, seeds removed if you don’t like too much spice

sweet red pepper, very thinly sliced

freshly toasted peanuts, chopped

1 small package rice noodles, vermicelli style

for the dressing:

2 tablespoons unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 tablespoon boiling water

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

What you do:

1.  Put a pot of water on to boil.  Use this to cook the rice noodles: after the water has boiled, take it off the heat and add the noodles.  After a few minutes, when the noodles are al dente, strain them and pour cold water over to cool them.  Set aside to continue cool.

2.  Add one tablespoon of boiling water to the coconut, then stir in the brown sugar.  Leave this to cool, then add the lime, vinegar and soy sauce.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

3.  Toast peanuts in a frying pan, being careful not to burn them.  When they are cool, chop them up.

4.  Chop peppers finely, and use a vegetable peeler to make long slices of cucumber.

5.  To assemble the salad, first put down some noodles; make sure they have been well-drained.  Place some slices of cucumber on top, then pour on the dressing.  Add some sweet peppers, peanuts and hot peppers.

6.  Enjoy your refreshing salad!

Optional toppings include grated carrots, cilantro, tofu or some shaved beef, if you feel the need for some meat.