Another Summer Salad

This week I pulled out another salad recipe from my summer arsenal. This recipe combines crusty wheat bread with feta cheese, basil, balsamic dressing, and tomatoes. The surprise in this recipe is the edamame. I clipped this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens quite a few years ago, and I have to admit that I didn't even try it until last summer. The combination of ingredients didn't really appeal to me at first. But out of necessity last summer to make something with some leftovers, I pulled out this recipe and gave it a try. I was so impressed! First of all, the feta, yogurt, and basil spread that goes on the bread is divine. I can eat it by itself with crackers. Then the sweet bite of the tomatoes and crunchiness of the beans really takes it up a notch. Definitely give this recipe a try soon!



EDAMAME BREAD SALAD
3/4 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 12-oz. pkgs. frozen soybeans (edamame)
1-1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 recipe Balsamic Dressing, below
2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
12 slices crusty country bread, toasted
Fresh basil leaves

In bowl combine feta cheese and yogurt. Using fork mash into paste. Add basil and garlic, mash to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, up to 8 hours.
In saucepan bring 8 cups lightly salted water to boiling. Add soybeans and green beans; return to boiling. Reduce heat and cook, covered, 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool. Prepare Balsamic Dressing.
Add tomatoes to bean mixture. Drizzle 1/2 of dressing; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, up to 8 hours. Toss before serving.
Spread feta mixture on bread slices; place slice on serving plate; mound bean mixture on top. Drizzle remaining dressing; sprinkle basil.

Balsamic Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons each balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
2 tablespoons whipping cream

In blender combine first 5 ingredients; blend until smooth. Add cream; blend to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Summer Salads

This week I've made two of my favorite summer salads, and I thought I'd share my recipes.

STRAWBERRY SALAD

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cream of coconut
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp poppy seeds
6 cups baby spinach
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
1 banana, sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together water, cream of coconut, lemon juice, mustard, ginger, and poppy seeds. Cover and refrigerate the dressing until cool. To serve, toss together spinach, strawberries, pineapple, and banana with the dressing until coated. Sprinkle with almonds. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

CORN SALAD

1/2 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
3 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
6 fresh ears of corn, husked, and cleaned
4 cups baby spinach
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup seeded chopped cucumber

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey until well combined. Stir in jalapeño pepper, cilantro, and salt. Carefully cut corn kernels off cobs. Add to lime juice mixture. Add spinach, tomato, and cucumber, and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Makes 6 to 8 servings.


I made the Corn Salad on Sunday and served it with Mark Bittman's Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce grilled in a cast iron grill skillet in the house. It was way to hot to cookout on Sunday! Then, I made the Strawberry Salad on Monday. I think I clipped both of these salad recipes from Better Homes and Gardens magazine a few years ago. For the strawberry salad, you could definitely use canned pineapple and store bought poppy seed dressing to make a super easy side salad. The corn salad is a fantastic side with Tex-Mex or Mexican food. It is one of my very favorite salads and is a great way to use fresh corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers from the veggie garden or the farmers' market.

Best Wishes, Leah!

Me and Allie

Casey and Me

Me, Allie, and Leah

Casey, Leah, and Me

I had a great weekend in Oxford! My dear friends -- Leah and Brian -- are married and are now honeymooning in Disney World. The entire wedding weekend was just perfect. The rehearsal dinner was delicious, the ceremony was short and sweet (loved it), and the reception and after-party toast was so much fun. Leah and Brian, congratulations and best wishes in your life together!

The past few weeks in my garden I've been preparing the soil in my two new 3x3 Grow Beds. The sugar snap pea seedlings are about an inch tall. I'm sure I planted these peas later than I should have, and I really hope I still get a good crop. I built the trellis myself out of bamboo and nylon netting. Eventually I will get some pine straw to place on top of that ugly cardboard.

In front of the peas I planted 4 squashes: 2 Eight Ball Zucchini and 2 Early Summer Golden Crookneck. Those are just putting on their third leaves. I prepared the other Grow Bed this past weekend, and I plan to put in two Big Mama roma tomato plants and two Black Pearl cherry tomato plants. I also have some Sweet Cal Wonder Orange Bell Pepper seeds from Seeds of Change that I want to try out. I'm a big fan of the red/orange/yellow bell peppers, but I can't stand the green ones.

Last night for supper, we made use of some of the Swiss Chard from my garden and frozen corn from my Granny's garden. I made Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn and Feta Cheese from Deborah Madison's book Vegetarian Suppers. They were delicious, and I'm looking forward to leftovers tonight. I subbed Swiss Chard for the spinach.

These are my first two Molineux (background) and Golden Celebration (foreground) blooms, and Knockout is in full bloom. My first rose bouquets of the season.


We leave on our Napa Valley vacation tomorrow morning, and I really cannot wait to step on the plane. I hope to get in some iPhone posts while I'm there. We'll see... I'd hate to make you all jealous by posting endless photos of chilled glasses of weekday wine and scrumptious plates of fine cuisine. Vacation, here I come!

Semi Circle Bed - Tomatoes

My tomatoes are almost ready to pick! I just have one little plant. I was experimenting, really, because I'd never tried to grow a mater bush. Looking good! Can't wait to try more next year in a raised bed!

On July 28th:
















On August 2nd: