Summer is also a great time to find fresh fruit, and if you haven’t yet ventured into combining greens with fruits, nuts, and cheese, you should give it a try! Veggie salads are tasty, but fruit and veggie salads are juicy, delectable, crave-worthy treats. For this salad, I use strawberries, mango, toasted pecans, and chévre, with a pomegranate shallot vinaigrette. The result is a sweet, creamy, crunchy salad with accents of bitter greens and a delicate onion flavor from the shallots.

Ingredients:
strawberries
mango
mesclun (also known as spring greens)
pecans, chopped and toasted
chévre
fresh ground pepper

Dressing Ingredients:
pure pomegranate juice
extra virgin olive oil
shallot
salt and pepper

Guidelines:

For the dressing, combine equal parts pure pomegranate juice and extra virgin olive oil. Finely dice about ½ tsp. shallots for every ¼ cup of dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well.

For the salad, use the ingredients in whatever amount you like. For my salad, which fed two as a side salad, but could easily feed 3-4, I used about 6 strawberries, quartered, 1 mango, diced, a medium salad bowl filled ¾ full of mesclun (4-5 cups would be my best guess), ¼ cup toasted pecans, and about 1 ounce of chévre, crumbled.

Add all salad ingredients in salad bowl, along with fresh ground pepper, if desired, and pour dressing over top. I refrain from tossing, as the ingredients are delicate.

I’m not a traditional Panzanella maker, either. For one thing, I always toast and salt my bread. I love the crunchy texture of toasted bread in contrast to soft vegetables. It’s very satisfying! And, well, I kind of have this other obsession with Sel Gris and Pink Himalayan sea salts, so I tend to use one of the other (probably) more often than I should. Luckily, I have very good blood pressure. Most Panzanella recipes also call for vinegar, but I opt out of this ingredient, and stick with olive oil, salt (see above), pepper, and plenty of fresh garlic. In my Artichoke Panzanella, however, I did use lemon zest.

The best part of Panzanella is, as long as you’re not a traditionalist, its versatility. Mix and match vegetables with different styles of bread, and you have an entire new dish! For this version, I roasted zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, and onion, then tossed in fresh grape tomatoes and basil. If you prefer your tomatoes roasted, too, however, toss them into to oven, as well. I highly suggest experimenting to find new Panzanella recipes that make you swoon!

Ingredients:

*Note: One 9×13 pan will easily feed 4 (or more) as a side dish. It also feeds my husband and I as a main dish with a green salad on the side.

1 baguette of plain, crusty bread
1 zucchini, sliced and cut in half moons
½ red pepper, diced
½ yellow pepper, diced
½ sweet onion, diced
½ crate grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil, slivered
olive oil
Sel Gris, or sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Guidelines:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In small roasting pan, toss vegetables (except tomatoes and basil) with a splash of olive oil, the rest of the minced garlic, and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until they reach desired texture.

Cut bread into large cubes. Toss with plenty of olive oil, sel gris or sea salt, and half of the minced garlic. Toast in oven for 12-15 minutes or until edges turn golden brown, tossing occasionally.

Toss the toasted bread, roasted veggies, fresh grape tomatoes, and fresh, slivered basil, in a large bowl.

Serve.

When: On a warm but mild spring or summer day.

Where: Outside! Sitting in the garden, or on your patio.

How: If you can find Jumbo Gulf Tiger Shrimp, serve this salad alongside them. Devein the shrimp, but leave the peels on, and stick those gorgeous babies on the grill. They only need a few minutes on each side…

Why?: Because Jumbo Gulf Tiger Shrimp hot off the grill are phenomenal, and the Chopped Greek Salad is refreshing, light, and packed with wonderful flavors, and spending time outside on a nice day with good food and good company is always a special treat.

But you know, however you want to go about it…

Dressing Ingredients:
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
zest of 1 lemon
olive oil, triple the amount of olive oil to lemon juice
fresh dill, several sprigs, or to taste
pinch or two of sugar, or to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Salad Ingredients:

½- 1 head romaine lettuce (depending on size)
1 cucumber
1 package cherry tomatoes
red wine and herb marinated Kalamata olives (such as Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro)
Feta cheese, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Guidelines:

Make dressing.

Wash, dry, and chop romaine.

Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, and using a spoon, remove the soft center with seeds. Cut the cucumber halves into slices of desired thickness.

Halve cherry tomatoes.

Halve Kalamata olives.

In a large salad bowl, toss the romaine with just enough dressing to lightly coat the greens. Add vegetables, olives, feta to taste, and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

I made this salad as a light main dish. If you need a more substantial dinner with plenty of protein, however, it would make a great side salad. Pair it with roasted chicken or pork tenderloin, perhaps a loaf of country bread on the side, and you’d have a great, full meal.

Ingredients:

(Note: These portions are for two light meal main dish salads. Adjust the ingredients as necessary to fit your purpose and portions. )

spring greens (two full plates)
1 apple, cored and sliced
½ cup pecans
3 thick (about ¾”) slices of aged White Cheddar Cheese
1-2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs
several cups of canola oil for frying
a pat of butter

Dressing Ingredients:

(Note: The amounts you see below are only approximates. I rarely measure. Apologies!)

¼ cup hazelnut or walnut oil
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1-2 tbsp. brown mustard
1-2 tbsp. honey
a couple sprigs of fresh thyme

Guidelines:

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad, then give a final vigorous whisk before serving.

In a small sauté pan, heat enough canola oil to fry the cheese sticks.

In three separate pans (I use pie pans), place the bread crumbs, flour, and eggs. Beat the eggs well. Cut your cheese into thick slices (about 3/4 of an inch), then cut them in half length-wise, and width-wise, if you choose. Dip the cheese sticks first in flour, then in the eggs, then in the bread crumbs. Fry until crisp. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.

In the meantime, slice and core your apple. Sauté the slices in a pat of butter until just softening. You can add the pecans to the apples at this point, and let them heat through, or toast them separately.

To assemble the salad, place a healthy serving of spring greens on your plate. Arrange the apple slices around the perimeter, sprinkle the pecans over everything, and drizzle with dressing. Don’t toss. Mound the cheese sticks in the center and serve.

*Note: If you can’t find olive bread, use any country-style crusty bread and throw some Kalamata, or Green olives, into the artichoke mixture.

Ingredients:

½ loaf Kalamata olive bread (or Green olive bread, if you prefer), cut into large cubes
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
feta cheese, to taste
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper (optional)
lemon zest

Guidelines:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large ovenproof casserole dish, toss the cubed bread with plenty of olive oil and sea salt. Bake in the oven while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium skillet, sauté the garlic in olive oil just long enough to release its flavor. Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and lemon zest. Cook until just heated through. Add the fresh parsley and fresh ground pepper (optional).

Remove the bread cubes from the oven. Toss the artichoke heart mixture into the bread cubes. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top, and return the pan to the oven. Bake for about five minutes, just long enough to warm the cheese, or if you prefer your bread crispier, bake until you reach your desired texture.

Serve with herb roasted chicken breasts, and/or a glass of your favorite wine.

Enjoy!

This is one of those super simple and satisfying snacks or side dishes that will leave you craving more. (Kind of like popcorn, but healthier. I think. )

To make for the ultimate cheesy experience, buy bread from your bakery that has cheese baked into it. Oh, yeah! You can also substitute the aged white Cheddar that I used for another cheese of your choice. I’m interested in trying Gorgonzola, but my other half isn’t into blue cheese. For a milder flavor, Fontina might be nice.

For a light summer meal, serve this salad with a bowl of assorted summer fruits, such as peaches, cherries, and plums, and a glass of red wine. Maybe Dan the wine editor will do a pairing for us…

Ingredients:

quality, bakery-style, crusty bread (preferably cheese flavored; I used Asiago cheese bread)
Parmesan cheese
aged white Cheddar cheese
fresh mozzarella
cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
olive oil
fresh ground pepper
sea salt

Guidelines:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cube the bread. I used about 6 thick slices for the two of us. If you’re serving more, adjust as necessary. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss. How much olive oil? You don’t want the bread to be wet, but you want to be able to see a very, very light coating. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Grate the Parmesan cheese and the aged white Cheddar. I used about a ¼ cup of Parmesan, and ½ cup of Cheddar. Again, adjust as necessary. Toss the bread cubes with the cheese.

Place in the oven and bake until the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Let cool slightly.

In the meantime, half the cherry tomatoes and chop the fresh basil. I used a large handful of each.

Cube about half a ball of fresh mozzarella.

In a large bowl, toss the toasted bread cubes with the cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, and fresh mozzarella. Add another splash of olive oil, and a generous grind of fresh ground pepper.

I also added spelt berries to the salad. I often add whole grains in lieu of meat, as a healthier alternative. If you prefer meat, however, I suggest adding a few grilled shrimp. Just a few… Shrimp are very high in cholesterol.

Spelt is an ancient, mild flavored grain. It’s related to wheat, though most people with wheat sensitivities find they can tolerate spelt, and it’s often used as a wheat alternative. It does contain some gluten, however, so those on gluten free diet should opt for a different grain. Spelt berries, in addition, to being high in fiber, are high in a variety of minerals, including manganese and niacin. They also contain some protein, so those of you worried about eating this as a main dish, don’t have to worry as much.

I don’t have exact measurements for this salad. They are more like guidelines. Add more or less of the ingredients you like. One large bowl of salad usually feeds both my husband and I. Sometimes we have a slice of bread on the side, or a smoothie to go along with it, but more often than not, the salad alone satisfies us. The same is true of the dressing–adapt it to fit your taste buds.

Ingredients:

1 bunch spinach, washed and spun dry
1 or 2 avocados, peel and pit removed and sliced
1 large grapefruit, sectioned, pith removed, then diced
½ jicama, peeled, julienned
6 large radishes, sliced
½ cup spelt berries, cooked according to package directions
honey poppy seed dressing (below)

Guidelines:

Toss spinach with honey poppy seed dressing.

Top plates with dressed spinach.

Top the dressed spinach with a handful of each of the above ingredients. Toss lightly.

Serve.

Honey Poppy Seed Dressing:

3 tsp. honey
¼ cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Whisk all ingredients together. Taste. Adjust as necessary.

asparagus
green beans
peas
snow peas
spinach
watercress
mint
strawberries
mandarins
pineapples
papayas
melons

How did I want to put these together? I came up with several ideas, but the one that stuck was this idea for a hollowed out cantaloupe half stuffed with fruit and herbs. I wanted to turn this into a main dish salad, however, so I started adding elements. Ribbons of spinach. Almonds. And to give it more depth, more backbone, more meat, if you will, I added quinoa.

If you haven’t yet heard of quinoa, I’ll give you the lowdown. It’s an ancient grain that dates back to the Incan empire. It’s wheat-free, contains all eight amino acids, is rich in vitamins and minerals, has a slight nutty flavor, and a nice texture. Plus, it only takes about fifteen minutes to cook. It’s gaining in popularity, so some well-stocked supermarkets may carry it, especially if they have a bulk section. If not, check the health food store.

I planned this meal for later in the week, when the weather was supposed to be nice, because what’s better than eating a light, fresh dinner outdoors in the sunshine? Unfortunately, a cold front swooped down from Alaska, and our expected 60 something degrees turned to low 40s. Blech. But I made the bowls anyway, and we grubbed them under the lights of our kitchen, ignoring the weather outside.

One more note. I don’t have measurements for this recipe. As I’ve said, I’m not a big fan of measuring. All I can offer you are guidelines. The basic rule, for me, is to balance. But if you prefer more of something, less of another, by all means—make it your way!!

Cantaloupe Bowls

1 cantaloupe
strawberries
mint
spinach
sliced almonds
quinoa
*lemon poppy seed dressing (see below for additional ingredients you may need)
croissants (optional)

Special equipment: melon baller

Prepare your favorite lemon poppyseed dressing, or purchase from a store. I use the recipe out of The Essential Cookbook, with a few tweaks. *They key is to always use fresh lemon juice and zest if you’re making your own!

Cook the quinoa. The basic method is as follows, and is similar to rice. Double the amount of water to quinoa. If you use 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water will be required. Rinse your quinoa well, then bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Cover. Turn the heat down, let simmer until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is tender. 15-20 minutes. For this recipe, use ¼ to ½ cup quinoa. Let the quinoa cool.

Wash the cantaloupe. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I know many people who don’t wash their produce. No, you won’t be eating the outer rind, but your knife slices through it, right? And besides pesticides, think of all the nasty that’s on the conveyer belts at the grocery store. Don’t believe me? Ask the cashiers. So, please, folks, wash your produce!

Cut the cantaloupe in half, and remove the inner pulp and seeds. Using a melon baller, remove most of the fruit, transferring it to a large bowl.

Cut the strawberries into quarters. Place them in the bowl along with the cantaloupe.

Chop a handful of fresh mint. Add to bowl.

Cut the spinach leaves into thin ribbons. Add to bowl.

Add a handful of sliced almonds to the mixture.

Once quinoa has cooled, add to the fruit, herb, and nut mixture.

Drizzle the lemon poppyseed dressing over the ingredients and lightly toss.

Using tongs, transfer the salad into the hollowed out cantaloupe halves.

Serve immediately. Serving size: 2. Serve with croissants.