Summertime is for... cold salads!

Between the local farmer's market and my garden, delicious fresh produce abounds this time of year! All this beautiful food inspires me to be creative in the kitchen. But with hot weather and no air conditioning, heating up my kitchen never sounds like a very good idea. Grilling is always wonderful, and we do that a fair amount. But lately, we have been eating a lot of cold salads. What I love about these scrumptious dishes is I can prepare them in the morning, when the house is still cool and Clara is napping, then whip them out at dinner time with no prep necessary. I also love that they provide a well-rounded, filling yet refreshing supper that leaves us saying, "Mmmmm, that was good..."

But enough talk about them, let's get down to business! Here are a few of the salads we've been enjoying lately:

Raw Kale Salad - we first tried this on a recommendation from my mom, and it is delicious! We put in mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and raw almonds.

Lentil and Brown Rice Salad

This one is based off a recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

1/2 c brown rice
1/2 c dry lentils
2 c water
1/2 c shredded carrot
1/4 c diced onion
(1/2 c diced red or green pepper - optional, I didn't have any)

3 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1/2 t finely shredded lemon peel
1 T chopped fresh basil
1/4 t salt

Simmer rice in water for 20 minutes. Add lentils, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes more, until lentils and rice are al dente (you don't want them mushy). Remove from heat, let stand 5-10 minutes and then drain and rinse with cold water. Combine in a large bowl with remaining salad ingredients.

Combine dressing ingredients in a screw-top container and shake well til combined. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and chill until dinner! (Best if it has at least 3 hours or so.) Serve garnished with tomato wedges and cheese slices if desired.

Note: this salad is so easy to "bulk up" for more people - simply increase the lentils and rice and add a little more dressing. The amounts are really flexible.

Barley and Bean Salad

Also based on a BH&G recipe.

1 c barley
1 1/4 c chicken broth or water
1-2 c cooked garbanzo beans (how much you add depends on how "beany" you like your salad - I use the larger amount. You can also just use 1 15-oz can if you don't normally cook your own.)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 c diced onion
1 T snipped fresh rosemary (or 1 t dried)
1/2 c Italian Vinaigrette*

Simmer barley in broth or water til cooked through but still chewy, 20-30 min (depending on your barley). Combine with remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

*You can use any italian-style dressing you want. Here is the recipe for the dressing I used:
1/3 c olive oil (or oil of your choice)
1/3 c vinegar (I used red wine, you can use white wine or whatever you prefer)
2 t sugar
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t paprika
1 t mustard
2 T parmesan cheese
1/4 t celery seed
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

Combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake til well mixed. This makes more than what you need for the salad, so use the rest on fresh greens, as a marinade for chicken, whatever. :)

Waldorf Quinoa Salad

3/4 c quinoa
1/4 c millet
(or omit the millet and use 1 c quinoa)
2 1/4 c water
1 large apple, chopped

3/4 - 1 c red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 c raisins
dash salt
3/4 c walnuts, toasted and chopped

3 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil


Rinse quinoa well. Combine quinoa, millet and water in a saucepan, bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer until just cooked through, 20-25 min. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let sit for 5-10 min. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine with everything except walnuts in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil and toss to coat. Cover and chill. Just before serving, add walnuts and toss well. (You can add the walnuts earlier, they'll just get a little soft.)

I made this one for the first time on Saturday out of things I happened to have on hand. I'm still playing with it and thinking about maybe adding some yogurt to it next time. Craisins would also be good. If you make it, please let me know and share any ideas you have!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

My mom has always been the master of this salad. Like her, mine doesn't really have a recipe. This is one of our all-time favorite summer salads though, and we make it often with lots of variations. Below is a rough sketch of what I do.

1-2 cans black beans (or 2-4 c cooked black beans)
2-3 ears corn, kernels cut off (or about 1 c frozen corn kernels)
1/2 an onion, chopped
Any combination of the following:
Diced tomatoes (2-3)
1 red pepper, diced
1 avocado, peeled and diced (our favorite addition!)
1/2 c cheddar cheese, cubed
1/4 - 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro or basil (we prefer cilantro, but I made it with basil over the weekend and it was good too)

Juice of 1 lime
A couple tablespoons olive oil
dash salt
Any of the following:
balsamic vinegar
cumin
chili powder

Combine black beans, corn, onion and any of the optional additions you're using in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with dressing, toss to coat, cover and chill.

Here is one more I haven't tried yet but want to, again from BH&G:

Brown Rice and Vegetable Salad

1 1/2 c cooked brown rice
1 1/2 c coarsely chopped tomato
2 medium carrots, julienned (1 c)
1/2 c frozen peas
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions (2) (I often sub regular onion since I don't keep these on hand)
1 T snipped fresh parsley
1 T snipped fresh dill or basil
Lettuce leaves

3 T olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
2 t dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 t sugar
1/8 t pepper

In a large bowl stir together salad ingredients (not lettuce leaves). Combine dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour over salad and toss lightly to coat. Cover and chill. To serve, line a salad bowl with lettuce leaves. Transfer salad to bowl.

Yum!

The timing of this post was inspired by Kelly - if you want more cold salad ideas, head on over to her Coldsaladpalooza!