What's for Dinner Archive

2006: Spring Early Summer

What’s for Dinner?

In the summer, with an abundance of fabulous vegetables available, I concentrate my cooking on the side dishes. Nightly, I’ll throw something on the grill, chicken breasts, flank steaks or fish, and then put together a bunch of veggie dishes to go along with that. Keeps your house cool by not turning on the oven and highlights the season’s fare! Here are some ideas…

Tomato and Green Bean Salad

6 med. Tomatoes, cut into wedges
salt
4 thin slices prosciutto
12 oz. green beans, cut into 2” pieces
3 T. chopped summer savory or thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. sherry vinegar
1.4 c. olive oil
pepper
1 ½ c. halved cherry tomatoes

Put tomato wedges in a colander in the sink, toss with 1 T. salt and let stand 30 min. Slice prosciutto into ½” strips and sauté over medium heat until crispy. Cook beans in boiling, salted water until tender, about 4 min. Drain and cool. Wisk together the herbs, garlic, and vinegar and then add  the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the tomato wedges, beans, and cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette. Season to taste, sprinkle with prosciutto and serve.

Grilled Summer Squash with Lemon-Balsamic Vinaigrette

About 1 lb summer squash
Salt
2 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
½ t. chopped fresh thyme
½ t. grated lemon zest
pepper
3 T. grated parmesan

Trim and quarter squash lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and let sit about 10 min. Blot dry with paper towels. Heat grill to medium high. Wisk together 2 T. olive oil, vinegar, thyme, zest, ¼ t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper. Toss squash with 1 T. olive oil and grill until browns on all sides. Drizzle vinaigrette over squash, sprinkle with the parmesan and serve.

Mexican Street Corn

A great way to use corn that is overripe (not from heybayles!farm!!!)

Strip corn off outer husks, leaving a few inner husks attached. Remove silks. Soak corn for about 10 min. in water, drain and grilled over medium heat until slightly charred on all sides. Mix about 1 T. chili powder with ½ c. mayo (amounts for about 6 ears of corn). Slice a few limes into wedges and provide grated parmesan. Eaters rub their corn with a wedge of lime, spread with the mayo and sprinkle on the parmesan. YUM!

Very Quick Slaw

This is great with fajitas or burritos.

Toss ½ head of cabbage (cored and thinly sliced) with 3 T. fresh lime juice, 1 t. sugar and 1 t. kosher salt. Let sit in the frig for about 30 min. and serve.

Asianish Cucumbers with or without Cherry Tomatoes

Another nearly nightly staple at the farm…great with any Asian grilled meat

1 large, very thinly sliced cucumber
cherry tomatoes, halved, as many as you like
¼ c. rice wine vinegar
1 T. sugar
1 t. kosher salt
2 T. olive oil
Japanese pickled ginger, if you’d like, to taste

Toss all the ingredients together and chill at least 1 hour before serving.