Memorial Day Salad Trio

I decided to celebrate Memorial Day with a salad trio.  

APPLE SLAW

Ingredients:

• apples, sliced thin and chopped
• celery, sliced thin on the diagonal
• golden raisins
• toasted walnuts
• sage
• chives, chopped

    dressing:

• lemon juice
• olive oil
• sugar to taste

Method:

Toss prepared ingredients with dressing.  A light, slightly tart version of the classic Waldorf salad.

I may try this with fresh fennel, thinly sliced, and also (but not with the fennel) with finely chopped fresh ginger.  


KUMATO TOMATOES & GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients:

• sliced Kumato tomatoes
• crumbled goat cheese
• chives
• fresh basil leaves
• balsamic vinegar

Method:

Layer ingredients on tomato slices in order listed.  Sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar.  Use the real stuff, not the red-wine version that's sold at grocery stores. It's expensive but a little goes a long ways and the flavor is much cleaner.



STRAWBERRIES & MINT

Ingredients:

• sliced strawberries
• chopped fresh spearmint
• orange juice

Method:

Toss berries and mint; add a splash of the juice.  Champagne would be lovely instead of the juice.


Notes:

Try one or more of these salads for something light.  The apple slaw is very refreshing; the Kumato tomatoes & goat cheese is a classic and often-repeated blend of flavors; and strawberries -- well, they speak for themselves.

If you haven't tried Kumato tomatoes, I highly recommend them. The seeds are  only available to select growers; the tomatoes have to be grown under specific conditions and protocols. They can therefore be a bit pricey, but they're worth every penny. They're amazingly full of intense, slightly sweet tomato flavor, something I almost never find in a grocery store tomato.   The flesh is firm and juicy; color varies from a brownish-red to greenish-brown. If you don't already know that refrigeration destroys a tomato's flavor, take this as your warning, and do not put these gems in your fridge.

Whatever you eat and with whomever you share it, happy Memorial Day weekend!  Go out and cook, eat, dance, and love!

Ravioli with Brown Butter-Basil Sauce

Here's an easy recipe, although it's better (and considerably more work) if you make your own ravioli. Good alternatives to homemade are fresh pasta from a local pasta maker, or some of the fresh or frozen pastas from a good grocery. In spite of the butter, it's not an overly rich sauce (although it can be if you do more than drizzle it over the pasta). Serve with a fresh green salad and a chewy Italian bread for an easy, light meal!


RAVIOLI WITH BROWN BUTTER-BASIL SAUCE


Ingredients

1 T. butter per serving
1 T. olive oil per serving
fresh basil to taste (I used about 1/4 c. per serving)
1-2 T. walnut pieces per serving

cheese ravioli, amount to your liking/appetite per serving

parmesan cheese


Method

Have water boiling for pasta when you start the sauce.

In sauce pan, heat butter over medium high heat and cook until browned. Add olive oil and reduce heat. Toss ravioli in boiling water; toss walnuts into butter to brown lightly. Fresh pasta only takes a few minutes to cook so watch carefully.

As you're draining the ravioli, throw the basil in the sauce just to wilt. Plate ravioli and pour sauce over. Pass parmesan separately.

Other ideas: if you like more sauce on your pasta, try adding some chicken or vegetable broth to the sauce just long enough to heat -- a few tablespoons per serving. Try different herbs -- rosemary or sage are both excellent. Try different ravioli -- sweet potato or winter squash are good with sage.

And of course, cook, eat, dance, love!