Shakin' Up Your Summer Salad

Salads are a great summer side because they are easy, versatile, and full of different flavors. For a long time, I thought of salads in a few simple categories such as greens, coleslaw or fruit salad. Why do we yearn for these salads? Well, such salads or sides often hold up well in during travel -- from home to an event, stay cold for extended periods of time, provide a great way to bring in some new flavors and textures, and by golly -- they can be lots of fun!

Personally, on hot day there's nothing I love more than diving into a cold, refreshing fruit salad to help keep the body heat from rising. Additionally, the crunch of the coleslaw and the richness and tang of the right dressing can really provide a great contrast for all your classic summer treats.

Imagine my surprise when a year ago or so, my in-house copy-editor asked if I had ever tried a watermelon salad with bell peppers and feta cheese. Immediately my mind began to calculate the odds of this being a successful side dish before I even managed to say "no." We quickly realized that executing this salad was the only course of action.

Now, in fairness, the recipe had a lot of great ideas and flavor combinations, but it was important to make sure the salad was truly ours at the end of the day. So, with some changes, a little bit of adventurousness, and some basic ingredients, we are going to put this salad into your arsenal of unexpected but delightful summer dishes. Plus, this is so light and refreshing, you hardly know you are eating a salad at all.

This recipe has been adapted from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen who adapted the original from Bon Appetit. For the original recipe, click the on this link http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/07/chopped-vegetable-watermelon-and-feta-salad/. 

Ready to take your summer salad to a whole new level? Let's do this!

Watermelon Salad
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Bon Appetit

Note: You might find you want a little more watermelon or less bell pepper, so adjust according to your preferences.

1 cup diced seeded watermelon
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/2 large cucumber cut into 1/3-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves, rough chop
1-2 tablespoons of basil, rough chop
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 oz (1/2 cup) of feta cheese, broken off into chunks, which can be added on the side for service.
4-6 tablespoons of dressing of your choice

Toss first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.

So, here is everyone in the pool together. The colors on this salad are amazing!!



Stir to combine. Check seasoning and adjust if needed. Add cheese and dressing and toss until coated.

Here is your finished product! This salad is so simple, but such an unexpected treat. Once you add the feta cheese, give the salad a gentle mix so you don't break the feta chunks up too much.

If you are curious about what your dressing options are, well, it could be anything. My preference is a simple vinaigrette for this salad. Big surprise, huh? My go-to vinaigrette is balsamic, of course. The balsamic provides much needed tartness and helps cut through the salty, richness of the feta cheese. Because this salad is so vibrant I don't want to use my normal dressing because it would overshadow these great ingredients with a heavy dressing. Instead, just mix about 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar(or vinegar of your choice), a pinch of salt and pepper, and whisk until combined and emulsified. That is all you need to dress this salad. Start with a few spoonfuls of dressing, mix and taste, and add more if needed. As I said, you really want all those ingredients to shine, so a little less dressing is okay for this application.

Honestly, this salad speaks for itself and is a great option for quick salad anytime of the year. This is dish best served cold! Seriously, on hot days like today, you can't beat this salad. As usual, this is so customizable and you could certainly add a myriad of other seasonings, fruits or vegetables that fit your flavor profile. For me, this salad hits all the notes, and for that reason it doesn't need to be fussed with too much. In fact, I have simplified the recipe quiet a bit myself because of how nice the flavors come together. This salad is sweet, crunchy, refreshing, salty, a little bit tart, and a welcome change to all of your usual summer salad suspects.

Enjoy!

Tis Strawberry Season!

We are at the height of strawberry season here in the ole' Pacific Northwest. So it is no surprise that in practically every direction you can find fresh, local strawberries that are perfectly ripe and can be used for a variety of applications. But, let me just say that the strawberry jam I made a week ago has been such a big hit in my house that I've been tasked to make more. So, I decided to turn these amazing berries into some awesome jam.

As the strawberries were perfectly ripe I was able to use less sugar than I previously used, and I really wanted to make sure that the berry flavor was front and center. I also ended up using about half the amount of lemon juice as well. The jam was still amazing and delicious even with these adjustments! Just follow the usual steps in the strawberry jam recipe, just click the  link http://patrickstable.blogspot.com/2015/05/your-summer-jam.html here to review the recipe -- but if you have very ripe strawberries you may wish to reduce the sugar and use about half as much lemon. Remember, flavor balance is key, so adjust as needed.

I thought I would share a couple of pictures so you could see the beauty of these incredible berries. Ready? Lets do this!

This looks like a familiar sight doesn't it? This shot was berry important. Yeah, I know I had to use that line. Seriously, these strawberries deserve their shot in the limelight, so here they are. I did peel off a few bits of lemon peel as well.  Isn't the color on these strawberries amazing?? I will say nothing makes me happier than when I get to cook with really spectacular ingredients.

Mash the berries a little bit, and reduce until thickened. This is what you want to see.

This is truly berry bliss. The color of this jam is so vibrant and it really stands out. If you can find local strawberries, go get some, and make some jam! I promise, you won't be disappointed.

I did spend some more time working on my recent pasta palooza, but in the midst of this little heat wave we are having, I learned that pasta dough doesn't do well at very warm temperatures. Who knew? :)

Anyway, stay tuned for that and some much more!

Enjoy!

Pasta Palooza Update

Alright, I wanted to give you all an update on my pasta palooza adventure. I think it should start with the fact that I bought a 25 pound bag of flour. Yes, yes I did. If you need some, just let me know and I can ship some to you. Okay, just kidding. I digress, I bought this giant bag for a couple of reasons, a small bag of flour goes so fast when you are making 2-3 balls of pasta dough at a time. Plus, flour gets used for everything like making the dough, finishing the dough, cleaning your hands after making the dough, and of course, wearing some of that flour too. Perhaps I'm too deep into this pasta quest? Oh well, on with the show!

So, what have I been working on? Well, I have been working on getting the dough to the proper consistency so it can be cut into pasta shapes or used for ravioli. Yes, for the last two days I have been making and testing dough. I am making good progress, but I have just a few things left to work out.

Oh, I decided to take this to another level since I was so inspired by the pasta class, so I acquired a hand crank pasta roller. Let me say, it is an awesome piece of kitchen equipment and worth having if you want to make fresh pasta. The down side is that the first one I purchased had a pasta cutter that didn't want to work. Heck, it wouldn't cut a sheet of wax paper. If it can cut paper, it won't cut anything, certainly not pasta dough. The pasta machine has 3 functions, it will roll the pasta out to various levels of thicknesses, you can can cut angel hair pasta(super slim spaghetti), and it will cut fettuccine. So, I am waiting to receive my replacement and then I can share more about it. But, it is important to know that if you don't have one of these machines, don't worry, you can still roll the dough and cut it into noodle shapes just as easily.

Am I spending a lot of time on this? Yes, I am. However, there are a number of elements that have to work in concert together in order to have the perfect pasta. I don't plan on giving up on this, because I am super excited to share with you what I have learned. That is the point, right? I am sharing my passion and I want all of you to be able to make your own homemade pasta. Also, learning new skills can take time and that is part of the fun of being in the kitchen.

Stay tuned and keep checking back as I will be posting more on this pasta venture soon!

Enjoy!

Perfectly Practical Pasta Fundamentals

There are few things in the world that are more satisfying than sitting down in front of a nice, flavorful bowl of pasta. Seriously, I love a good bowl of pasta! It is a perfect symphony of flavor, texture, aroma, and pretty well speaks for itself. Of course, at the core of any good pasta dish is, well, the pasta. So, that is the focus of this post. We aren't talking just any pasta, but homemade pasta.

I am always up for learning new techniques and tricks when it comes to all things cooking. So a few months ago I decided to sign up for a cooking class learning how to make fresh homemade pasta. Needless to say, I had always been curious how this could be done, but I was uncertain if I could master the skills needed to make my own pasta.

The ingredients from fresh pasta are simply flour, egg, water, salt, and oil. That is it. The real trick was bringing the dough together. This is a little more challenging, but like our mayo recipe, you just need to trust the process and you will be okay. Your trust, Grasshopper, will be rewarded with delicious, easy, and super-versatile pasta.

Ready to get after it? Let's go!

Homemade Pasta:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
3-5 tablespoons of water -- as needed only* (please note the asterisk included below)
1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of your choosing


On a clean surface on your kitchen counter, combine salt and flour into the shape of a mountain. You can do this in a bowl, but you might find it easier to work with more open space. Do what works best for you here as there is no right or wrong way to make dough.

Form a well (or a slight pocket) in the top your mountain of flour, and add the beaten egg and oil to the well. Sprinkle kosher salt and ground pepper on top of the oil and egg, as well as around the rim of the well in your flour. Slowly, with a fork, start to bring the flour together with your egg and oil in order to combine.

Combine the egg and flour mixture using the fork until the dough begins to clump and you can't use a fork to combine the mixture any further. You will want to use your hands to begin incorporating this initial stage of the dough together, and it can take a little time to get the ingredients incorporated so be patient. Also, don't worry if all the flour doesn't get worked into the dough at first.

**If you notice the dough looks dry and isn't absorbing the remaining flour you should add a 1 tablespoon of water at a time to help moisten the dough and incorporate the additional flour. Don't add all the water at once otherwise your dough will be far too wet. It is easier to add a little at a time until the dough is incorporated with all the flour rather than ending up with a lot of wet dough!


Once the dough begins to form a ball and all the flour is well combined, knead the dough and look out for little bubbles of flour or other substances that haven't mixed together thoroughly yet. If the dough is sticking to your bowl or surface, just add a little bit of flour to keep it from sticking. Keep kneading until you get one smooth dough; it will feel like the consistency of play-doh when it is combined properly. If the dough feels dry from absorbing any extra flour just add a little more water by wetting your fingertips and work that into the dough to moisten it. I don't expect you will need very much water, but it is good to have if you feel you want a touch more moisture for your dough.

Here is the dough as it starts to come together.This dough was pretty wet, so I did have to work in more flour to get it to the proper texture.

When the dough is finished ball it up into a roughly shaped disc of dough on the counter and either wrap it in plastic or simply cover the dough with a towel and leave it on the counter to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. At this point you can roll the dough out and prepare it for cutting into pasta, but only if it will be used right away. If not, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Note: After 24 hours you may notice the dough in the fridge will begin to oxidize. Although it won't impact the the flavor of your dough and your ability to roll it out, it could give the dough a grayish hue.

To roll out the dough successfully, I suggest starting with half of your dough as the whole ball can be hard to work with and you may not have the room for the entire ball once rolled out. I suggest using a dough blade or a bench scraper to section your dough. If you don't have one, I recommend getting one or two as it is simply a flat, thin, plastic blade that allows you to scrape the counter when combining the dough ingredients, move or cut the dough easily. You can find these very easily, even at the dollar store and it is such a useful tool for any type of dough or pastry. I find it particularly useful when I am forming the dough and some of the egg and flour haven't yet been incorporated together.

If you don't use the other half of your pasta dough right away sprinkle it with flour to keep it from drying out on the counter, or wrap it in plastic and throw it in the fridge to use later.

Next up,  we will cover rolling the dough out to proper thickness for pasta and raviolis. It is going to be amazing!

Here is a shot of the rolled out dough. Although I am going to get into cutting pasta and crafting raviolis next time, and the different types of pasta you can make by hand, this gives you an idea to start with.

One last note, even if you follow the recipe, the dough can be impacted by the humidity and temperature in your home, altitude, and the amount of any moisture in the flour you're using. So, keep this in mind, as you have may to adjust the recipe with more flour or water even though you have followed it exactly.

Be sure to check my next installment in Pasta-Palooza!  Enjoy!

Pasta Palooza Part 1

Today I spent the morning taking a homemade pasta cooking class. Yes, because I love pasta!

Alright, so homemade pasta is pretty easy and just requires some very basic ingredients. However, it can pose a challenge for an average home cook, but we aren't your average home cooks. Having said that, I am going to break my pasta adventures up into a few posts since I am still working out a few details regarding the recipe(s).

What pasta making adventures have I undertaken? I have made gnocchi and ravioli so far. I made the Garlic & Herb ravioli with a homemade tomato sauce, and it was spectacular! The gnocchi is ready, the only question is how we should enjoy these pillowy pieces of potato?

Finally, I am continuing to refine the recipe on angel hair/spaghetti and fettuccine style pastas. I will share those just as soon as I have the details sorted out a bit more.


Here is the ravioli in process before being covered with the top sheet of pasta.

Looks amazing, right? Don't you wish you could have some? Too bad, I only made 9 -- just enough for two!

To be continued when more pasta palooza adventures has been had......

Cooking Misadventures

Face it, we all have those dishes/foods that strike fear in the hearts of all home cooks. We all have our own "El Guapo" that we must face. Yes, the Three Amigos reference seemed appropriate there and if you haven't seen it -- Google it, then my crazy reference will make sense.

So, this inquiring mind wants to know, what ingredient or dish strikes fear into the mind of your inner cook?  Seriously, I want to know and perhaps I will take it on and see how I can help you go from culinary catastrophe to culinary champion.

Ready? Set. Go!!

Summer Jam Reloaded

Alright, the raspberry jam is complete and it is amazing! It is thick, sweet, rich, tangy, and it is ready to go! So, just follow the recipe and you should have raspberry jam in no time.

 Okay, I do want to share a couple of quick notes that will help aide in the jam making process. First, the raspberries have enough water that they will break down on their own so no mashing is required. Good, right? That means less work for you and more time to enjoy the process. Second, the raspberries have more tartness that the strawberries do, so don't add the juice of the entire lemon. You might find that it is too tart, but you can easily correct this by adding a bit more sugar or you can cut back on the lemon juice and that should work. Remember to taste as you go, but taste with care, okay? The same molten lava theory is applied here as well.

Maybe we should look at a couple of photos, sound good? Let's go!

Just like before everyone in the pool. To recap we have raspberries (2 1/2 cups), 1/4 cup sugar, a few slices of lemon peel, a pinch of salt, and the juice of one lemon.

Over medium to medium-low heat, our cauldron of goodness reduces until thick.

Here is the finished raspberry jam as it cools.

Again, we are in a little jar and ready to head to the fridge. This jar is about 5oz or about half a cup.

Remember to be creative with how you use this jam. But, I promise, even on a simple piece of toast this jam speaks for itself.

Enjoy!