It looks like we have a spell of unseasonably hot weather coming up, which can make even the most died-in-the-wool home cook want to forgo the range and the oven. Thankfully, there are lots of easy ways to prepare seasonal produce that don’t involve any cooking! See below for a few ideas.
Thai Cucumber Salad
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1 T basil, chopped
1 T cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
1/2 C rice vinegar
1/2 C water
4 T sugar
1/2 t salt
Mix dressing ingredients until dissolved. Combine salad ingredients and marinate in dressing 30 minutes before serving.
Spinach and Smoked Salmon Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon chopped dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups spinach (7 ounces)
6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch ribbons
1 medium English cucumber-peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon chopped dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups spinach (7 ounces)
6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch ribbons
1 medium English cucumber-peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and dill and season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach, smoked salmon, cucumber, radishes and scallions to the bowl and toss well. Transfer the salad to plates and serve.
(Adapted from Foodandwine.com)
Raw Zucchini “Noodle” Salad with Hazelnuts
2 small zucchini
Salt
Handful dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 bunch of fresh mint, chopped
Juice from one lemon
Handful dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 bunch of fresh mint, chopped
Juice from one lemon
Using a vegetable peeler or spiralizer, make long thin strips of zucchini. Add to a a bowl and toss in salt. The salt will draw water out of the strips, so let it sit for about 5 minutes, and drain off water. Add the cranberries, mint and chopped nuts. Drizzle in lemon juice and serve.
(Adapted from Treehugger.com)
