Caprese Salad with Lemon-Basil Ice Cream

As July rolls around, my porch is practically exploding with greenery and I am finally in the privileged position of trying to find a wide range of uses for the enthusiastically bushy basil plant. My thoughts turned to David Lebovitz's excellent recipe for basil ice cream, which I've made numerous times and is fabulous on its own (or with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and macerated strawberries!), but for this post I decided to put the ice cream in a different context and paired it with rounds of fresh mozz and a juicy tomato for an especially refreshing caprese salad. I quite liked it! It certainly makes for a fun spin on a summertime classic.

Caprese Salad with Lemon-Basil Ice Cream
Ice cream recipe produces a quart; salad recipe is for two people

Ice cream recipe adapted from David Lebovitz's basil ice cream from The Perfect Scoop

*1 cup packed basil leaves
*3/4 cup sugar
*2 cups heavy cream
*1 cup whole milk
*5 egg yolks, lightly whisked
*The zest of 1 large lemon (optional, but I like the citrus zip)

*1 large heirloom tomato per two people
*8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
*Freshly cracked black pepper & pinches of sea salt
*Fruity olive oil
*Splashes of balsamic vinegar, if you please
*Palmful of small basil leaves, to garnish

To make the ice cream: blend the basil leaves with the sugar and 1 cup of the cream in a small food processor until the leaves are finely minced. Put half of the basil mix in a large bowl with the other cup of cream and chill. Meanwhile, warm the rest of the basil mix with the milk and salt in a pot until steaming, then slowly temper the egg yolks by pouring the hot liquid into the eggs, whisking all the while - then scrape everything back into the pot and continue to cook over medium, stirring constantly. Cook without bringing to a boil just until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

At that point, remove from heat and pour through a sieve into the chilled cream mix. Add the lemon zest. Stir until cool, then pop in the fridge to chill thoroughly for a least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. Churn the mix in your ice cream maker, then store in an appropriate container to ripen further until you're ready to assemble the salad.

Drape slices of tomato over rounds of cheese and adorn with basil leaves. Sprinkle some salt and pepper across the salad, and add splashes of any oil/vinegar you'd like to use as well. Scoop out two or three little pats of lemon basil ice cream and serve!

Cornbread Panzanella

Since snagging an eyeful of a gorgeous-looking cornbread salad on Beth Kirby's Instagram the idea of a winter panzanella has sat warming on the back burner of my mind. The occasion arose to make cornbread this past weekend when I cooked up a stew, and I saved a couple slices to be toasted up for a salad the following day. The Homesick Texan's cornbread is my go-to recipe, and it held up beautifully for the occasion. Since I usually smear leftover cornbread with a maple-butter mix, I brought some maple sweetness to the table by coating the cornbread cubes with maple & melted butter before toasting them, and swirled some maple into a quick vinaigrette for the salad as well. The final result was incredibly tasty and satisfying - it might even be good enough to warrant baking cornbread for the salad alone!

Cornbread Panzanella
Makes 2-3 servings


*1 scant tablespoon butter
*3-4 cups of cubed cornbread, made the day before
*Handfuls of spinach & arugula
*1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin half moons
*2 cups roasted Brussels sprouts (trimmed, halved, tossed with evoo, S&P at 375 for 30-40 minutes)
*1 scallion, green part sliced
*1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
*2 tablespoons pepitas
*2 tablespoons EVOO
*1 tablespoon maple syrup + 1/2 teaspoon
*1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
*1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
*S&P


Melt the butter with the 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup and toss the cornbread with the mix. Toast in the oven for about 15 minutes, stirring once, until well crisped. Prepare the vinaigrette by shaking together the evoo, a tablespoon of syrup, the vinegar and mustard with pinches of salt & pepper in a small mason jar. Lay the greens in a serving bowl and combine the onion, freshly roasted sprouts, scallions, cheese, pepitas and cornbread to serve over top. A little cracked pepper and salt to finish, and serve with the dressing on the side so people may use it at their discretion.

Spinach & Persimmon Salad with Prosciutto, Pistachios & Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Persimmons are my favorite late-fall fruit followed closely by pomegranates, and I love to throw the two together whenever I can, which leads to a great many fruity salads around this time of year. This is probably my preferred iteration though, because persimmon wedges and swatches of prosciutto make for a heavenly pairing. It looks so festive, too - this salad was actually my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner, and it looked quite nice mixed with with the spread if I may say so! Can't please everyone though; my husband likens persimmons to tomatoes injected with watermelon juice, and no, he doesn't mean that in a good way. More for the 'simmon lovers to enjoy!

Spinach & Persimmon Salad with Prosciutto, Pistachios & Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Makes 4-6 servings

*1/4 cup pomegranate juice
*1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
*1/3 cup fruity EVOO
*1 squeeze honey
*1 dollop (about 1/2 teaspoon) Dijon mustard
*1 small clove garlic, minced
*S&P
*6 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
*2 very ripe persimmons, sliced (I prefer the flatter, squat variety)
*4 slices of prosciutto, ribboned
*1/4 cup pomegranate arils
*1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
*1/4 cup pistachios, lightly toasted and chopped

In a small mason jar, combine the first 7 ingredients to make the vinaigrette. Shake the jar vigorously until everything is well incorporated, and taste for seasoning. Prepare the salad with the rest of the ingredients and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Bagna Cauda Dressing

If it were socially acceptable to bathe in bagna càuda (which, incidentally, means "hot bath" in an Italian dialect), then I'd be splashing around in it right now. Anchovies, garlic and olive oil - was there ever a better trifecta? In the past I've made it as a dip for crudites or crusty bread, but it struck me that it would be excellent on roasted cauliflower because more than most vegetables, cauliflower demands to be paired with rich umaminess. I got the idea of making a whole salad of the affair by cruising around on Epicurious; this recipe was helpful in getting my thoughts together. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of anchovies I still heartily suggest giving this a try - it's less specifically fishy and more just...decadently savory. Especially as we're edging into seriously cold weather now, this will be a repeat visitor to the table.

Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Bagna Cauda Dressing

Makes 4 entree salad size servings or serves 6 as a side

*1 sizable head cauliflower

*1/2 head radicchio, cored and ribboned

*1 small shallot, sliced very thin

*Handful chopped parsley

*1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

*Endive leaves, for garnish (and for dipping extra bagna cauda sauce)

*Scant 1/4 cup good olive oil

*8-9 anchovy fillets, minced

*3 fat cloves garlic, minced

*S&P

Heat the oven to 400. Cut the cauliflower into bite size florets and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with evoo and season with S&P then toss lightly so the florets are all well oiled. Roast about 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are starting to brown, stirring once midway. Meanwhile, make the bagna cauda by heating the oil over medium-low and adding in the anchovies and garlic. Cook both in the oil for about 10 minutes without burning the garlic. Keep warm. When the cauliflower is tender, then it take out of the oven and toss in a big bowl with the radicchio, parsley, chopped shallot, and some of the warm dressing. Arrange on a plate with some endive leaves for garnish, add a little extra dressing and smatter some chopped hazelnuts around. Use up any leftover bagna cauda up by dipping crusty bread slices or endive leaves into it.

Herbed Pearl Couscous Salad

Cold pasta salads are ubiquitous during high summer, but for good reasons - they're excellent vehicles for summer produce, they're delicious, and can be made in advance and left to loiter in the fridge (or in the cooler toted to a picnic) until needed. This is one of my absolute favorites to make; the pearls of Israeli couscous deviate from the well-trod rotini rut, and it is superlatively tasty and cooling on a hot summer day. It's a nice way to showcase all the herbs that are exploding on my porch, too - the basil, parsley and cilantro provide a rich green backdrop for the mint to accent in refreshing little flourishes.

Herbed Pearl Couscous Salad
Makes 5-6 servings

*1 1/3 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous

*1 cup water

*3/4 cup vegetable stock (or, just use 1 3/4 cup water)

*1 small onion, thinly sliced (or, about a half cup of caramelized onions)

*2 packed cups of assorted herbs: my breakdown is 1 cup parsley, 1/2 cup cilantro, a palmful of basil leaves and a couple sprig’s worth of mint leaves, maybe 7-8. Mint is essential, but don’t overdo it!

*1 clove garlic                        

*1/4 cup olive oil

*S&P

*Handful of pistachios, toasted and chopped

*Handful of arugula or nasturtium leaves, chopped

*Healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice
*1/2 teaspoon citrusy hot sauce (I love Chile Spot's Fatalii Fantasii Sauce for this)

In a pot over medium heat saute the onions in some evoo until translucent if you're not using caramelized onions. Remove the onions and add the couscous; saute a few minutes while you bring the water and stock to a boil. Add the boiling water/stock to the couscous, stir well, cover, and cook on low for about 11 minutes. Make the herb pistou by blitzing the herbs along with the oil, garlic and pinches of S&P in a small food processor.  Add the pistou, nuts, onions and greens to the couscous, mix everything together well, and then season with the hot sauce, lemon juice, and S&P to taste. Serve at room temp or chilled.  

Winter Citrus Salad

Currently burdened by a nasty headcold in the midst of an unending winter, I yearned for a big bright hit of vit-C today. Luckily, my fruit bin just happened to be bursting with citrus. Halfway through absentmindedly peeling an orange, I was suddenly moved to cut and pare and arrange ALL my fruit into something pretty and sunny and worthy of a wee blog post. It's barely a recipe, but don't discount the mood-lifting power of a plate of glistening, jewel-like cuts of orange and vermillion and pink!

I whipped up a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt, minced mint, squeezes of citrus and a little honey and drizzled the dressing over the salad as you can see in the bottom picture, but feel free to use some mint infused simple syrup or a mere squeeze of lime to add a little extra zing to your salad.

Winter Citrus Salad
Makes 2 servings

*1 grapefruit
*1 blood orange
*1 orange (or clementine)
*Sea salt
*Palmful of shelled unsalted pistachios or pepitas
*Mint leaves

Cut the fruits into slices and then using a paring knife, remove the pith and rind from the rounds. Arrange the pieces on a platter and dust with a teensy pinch of your best sea salt and scatter some pepitas around on top. Tuck some mint leaves in for garnish.

Pro-tip: zest your oranges before cutting and paring and then either use the zest immediately or freeze for another use later.

Mixed Greens with Black Grapes, Hazelnuts & Manchego

Local, seasonal grapes were on sale at the store the other day, and I could not help but buy a bursting bagful of some very alluring black specimens. Besides nibbling them straight from the woody stems hedonist-style, which is my preferred method of dispatching grapes, I decided to showcase some of the juicy glaucous orbs by nestling them in a bed of green. A simple balsamic and oil emulsion, some shaved Manchego, and a smattering of toasted hazelnuts completed the scene to make a very tasty and exceedingly simple meal, pleasing to both the eye and mouth. A great late-August-grape-harvest salad!
 

Mixed Greens with Black Grapes, Hazelnuts & Manchego
Makes 1 serving

*1 teaspoon very good quality balsamic vinegar
*1 tablespoon of your finest EVOO
*Pinches of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste 
*3 handfuls mixed greens ( I used a spring lettuce mix and some watercress)
*Decent-size sprig's worth of black grapes, some halved
*Shaved Manchego cheese
*1 tablespoon crushed hazelnuts, lightly toasted

Emulsify the oil and vinegar with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle over the greens and toss. Arrange the grapes, cheese shavings and nuts as it suits you.

Blackened Shrimp Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette

The other day I stopped at my beloved local dairy farm, Baily's, to pick up a little pint of buttermilk for weekend pancake dreams. No pints to be found, but the avuncular Mr. Baily sent me packing with a quart for the same price. So, saddled with a largess of buttermilk (a problem anyone should like to face!) I noodled around on chowhound for ideas, and came across the notion of a buttermilk dressing. Instantly I imagined it luxuriously poured over a spinach salad, and the rest came together from there. The buttermilk made for a very tasty, pleasantly sour and tart vinaigrette, which mingled well with the smoky and piquant flavors of blackened seafood. I'm kind of in love with this salad.

Blackened Shrimp Salad
Makes 2 entree size salads or 4 side salads

*8 oz fresh spinach
*A couple slices of stale crusty bread
*1 ear corn, shucked, washed and kernels cut off cob
*A handful of thinly sliced red onion crescents
*10-12 shrimp, shelled and deveined
*2-3 tablespoons blackening spices (you may find my mix recipe here)
*High smoke point oil
*Leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme

Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Loosely adapted from Frank Stitts' Southern Table
Makes about 1/2 cup

*1 tablespoon cider vinegar

*1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

*1 teaspoon minced shallot

*1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

*1/2 teaspoon minced thyme leaves

*1/4 cup buttermilk

*1 heaping tablespoon sour cream

*1 tablespoon evoo
*S&P

Wash and dry the spinach, and prep the croutons. Remove the crusts and then cut the bread into modestly sized cubes. Toss with some sea salt, pepper and olive oil and bake at 300 for about 10-15 mins, flipping once. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the blackening spices and set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette.

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, minced shallot, zest, thyme and pinches of S&P and slowly whisk in the buttermilk and sour cream. When combined, slowly emulsify the evoo within and season to taste. Set aside and heat a cast iron skillet over medium high. When it starts to smoke add a glug of canola oil, swirl around, and then set the shrimp in. Blacken about a minute and a half per side or until cooked through. Beware - there will be smoke! Make sure your exhaust fan is on high or you've got some windows open in the joint.

Throw the spinach, red onions, corn, shrimp, and croutons together, fleck with thyme leaves and then drizzle the dish with the vinaigrette. Freshly cracked pepper and some grains of sea salt to complete.

Fennel & Celery Salad

Well, hello again! Finally disengaging from the vacation mode in which I've been coasting for nearly a month now. Montreal me manque, but after spending 6 days indulging in the most obsenely decadent fare this side of Greco-Roman bacchanalia, I'm in desperate need of a cleanse, a broom to the system. Other household half and I brought back a trunkful of fine, fine Québécois beer, maple products, a whole frozen duck (!), and other edible souviners, but for the time being I'm on a pretty stripped-down, heavy-on-the-green-stuff diet so as to shed the couple extra pounds I also brought back from over the border. Luckily, there are meals like this delicious Fennel & Celery Salad to make the diet not just palatable, but enjoyable. I've loved this combination ever since reading Mark Bittman's recipe for it a long while back, and make it frequently - it's simple, but the flavors marry brilliantly. Whether you're on a similar diet (summer's a'coming), or not, this'll go over well with your mouth.

Fennel & Celery Salad
Makes 2 servings

Adapted from Mark Bittman, recipe here

*1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, some fronds reserved and chopped
*3-4 celery ribs
*2 tablespoons EVOO
*1 tablespoon lemon juice, more to taste
*S&P
*Mica-like shaves of Parm-Reg

Cut the fennel bulb in quarters and toss the outer layer if it's too tough or leathery. Remove the leafier parts and core from inside and discard. Use a mandoline to slice the fennel thinly into a bowl. Slice the celery into the bowl as well. I alternate between shaving down the length of a piece of stalk, and slicing thin crescents. Toss the celery, fennel and fennel fronds together; if the salad seems a little wet, I usually dry lightly with a paper towel before dishing out. Emulsify the lemon juice and EVOO, adding a big pinch of salt and pepper, and drizzle over each portion of the salad. Accent with flakes of parm, a spangling of pepper, and more fennel fronds.

Seared Scallops with Blood Orange Sauce and Bitter Greens

After nearly two weeks straight of soups, stews, and other hearty fare consumed to chase away the flinty chill of deep winter, I felt compelled to make something light and dainty for dinner - especially since the air has warmed and sweetened over the past few days! A flavorful vision of seared scallops, one of my favorite "dainty" foods, and a citrusy, piquant sauce immediately came to mind. My local fine foods grocer has a huge cache of blood oranges right now, so I picked up a few for the sauce cause - it's always a little thrill to slice into a blood orange and see vivid wet crimson, striations of rust and oxblood, when the eyes are primed to expect plain orange.

A small knoll of bitter greens and little ruby-red jewels of pomegranate scattered around the plate completed the scallop scene. It was exactly the kind of delicious and delicate dinner for which I yearned! If you have heavy winter food fatigue as well, you should give this one a go.

 

Seared Scallops with Blood Orange Sauce and Bitter Greens
Makes 2 servings

*6-8 sea scallops
*Juice of 2 blood oranges (about 2/3 cup)
*1 teaspoon dry sherry
*1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
*2 cups assorted bitter greens (I used rocket, dandelion greens and chicory)
*Seeds from about a quarter of a pomegranate
*Tiny lengthwise snips of a scallion, for garnish
*1 1/2 tablespoons butter + canola oil

Wash and dry your greens and winnow the pomegranate seeds out from within the annals of the fruit, set aside. Rinse and thoroughly pat dry your scallops, making sure to trim the muscle off the sides if need be. Lightly toast the peppercorns until fragrant and grind into a powder in a spice grinder.

Meanwhile, melt the butter with a dribble of canola oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium-high and season the scallops with the pinch of peppercorn dust and kosher salt on each side. When the skillet is hot and the butter has foamed, lay the scallops in and sear on each side for about a minute and a half. Remove to a warm platter, reduce the heat and add the the orange juice, sherry, and the rest of the ground peppercorns to the skillet. Stir, scraping the bottom, until the liquid has thickened and reduced, which will likely happen quickly. Divide the greens and scallops between two plates. Pour the pan sauce through a small sieve and over the scallops, and then scatter some pomegranate seeds around the perimeter. Garnish the scallops with snips of scallion.

Chicken Salad Wraps

I have to admit, I'm not too familiar with the quintessential "chicken salad". I may or may not have had chicken salad at some point in my life, but if so, it never made an impression on me. It certainly wasn't anything I thought about making myself! That is, until a number of months ago when I was browsing a really beautiful food blog, What Katie Ate, and came across her recipe for chicken salad. It sounded so tasty that I made it almost immediately after reading the recipe - and it was just as good as it sounded. Over time I've tweaked and prodded at the recipe, and this is my final draft - without knowing the ins and outs of your traditional deli-style chicken salad, I still think I can say with certainty that this is damn good chicken salad. If you have a secret ingredient that goes into your batch though, do share! There's always room for further perfection.

Chicken Salad Wraps
No. of servings vary - I usually get one big wrap's worth plus another sandwich/half sandwich out of this recipe

*1 chicken breast, butterflied or cut into a few strips
*1 tablespoon black peppercorns
*1/2 lemon
*1/2 stalk celery, very finely sliced
*1 heaping tablespoon golden raisins
*1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
*Leaves from one branch of tarragon, roughly chopped
*1 1/2 teaspoons cream cheese
*2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
*S&P
*A couple passes over the microplane with a hunk of good Parm-Reg
*1 wrap skin or large tortilla, OR a couple slices of your preferred bread.

Fill a wide pan with a couple inches of water, enough to cover your chicken breast. Add the peppercorns and a sprinkle of salt along with the juice of half a lemon, and then cut the spent lemon half into a few pieces and throw them in too. Bring to a boil and continue boiling rapidly for a few minutes before adding the chicken. Turn the heat down to low, cover and poach the chicken for about 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred when cool enough to touch.

Combine the celery, tarragon, raisins, toasted walnuts, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and chicken, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate in just a touch of Parm-Reg, stir, and then pop into a container and chill for a while. When ready to eat, assemble your wrap/sandwich, and enjoy!

Fennel, Cabbage & Grapefruit Salad

There are some evenings where my teeth just yearn for the sensational experience of the raw, vegetal crunch. Usually carrots are sacrificed for the cause, but today I decided to make use of the giant head of red cabbage which has been loitering in my fridge and taking up valuable space for a week or so now. I ate this undressed (the salad, that is) but you could dress it with a simple emulsion of lemon and good olive oil. A yogurt-based dressing might not be too bad, either (...she muses to herself). I liked this combination of flavors and crunches a lot, and will be toying with its components in the future. As it stands now though, I find it a great, filling salad entree - I'll be taking the other portion for lunch tomorrow. My teeth can't wait to get their next crunch fix. 

Fennel, Cabbage & Grapefruit Salad
Makes two entree size portions

*1 bulb fennel, inner core removed + some of the threadlike fennel leaves reserved
*1/4 head red cabbage (depending on how large your head is!)
*1 bunch tarragon
*1/2 grapefruit, skin and pith peeled with a knife, cut into sections
*Roasted pepitas
*Golden raisins (not pictured on salad - I sprinkled them on after my camera had died)

Slice the cabbage and fennel thinly and toss in a bowl with chopped tarragon leaves and bits of the gossamer fennel threads. Divide onto plates and garnish with the grapefruit sections, pepitas and raisins. 

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Some people get insatiable cravings for chocolate cake; I get mad cravings for softened rice paper. There are some moments where I just could die for a moistened sheet of chewy, glutinous rice paper, rolled neatly around veggies and herbs. Aum! Other household half blanches at the thought, but I just know there are like-minded folk out there. My recipe is infinitely variable; you can essentially pick and choose among the stuffing ingredients or add in others, to your personal taste. If you've never made Vietnamese spring rolls before, I've tried to write detailed instructions on how to fold them, but there are also numerous videos to consult on Youtube that show the process. Once you've got the technique down, banging out a bunch is a snap. Just make sure to eat them relatively soon after making them, as they don't keep very well. Any leftover filling ingredients get chopped up and thrown into a bowl for a tasty next-day lunchtime salad.


This is the best lighting I can manage when I cook after sunset!

 Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Makes 6-8 rolls; 2-3 servings

*6-8 rice paper wrappers (available in Asian grocers and the International section in most large supermarkets)
*1-2 oz rice vermicelli
*1/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
*1 small cucumber, peeled (optional), seeded, halved, and cut into thin batons
*1 handful of cilantro leaves
*1 handful of mint leaves
*1 handful of Thai basil leaves
*A couple shiso leaves, torn
*1 jalapeno, seeded and cut into thin slivers
*A lobe of mango, cut into slivers
*A couple leaves of romaine or butter lettuce, cut into strips (if using romaine, its helpful to remove the ribs)
*3 scallions, green parts cut into sections

Boil the rice noodles according to package instructions, about 3 minutes. Drain, then add some cold water to the pot, pop the noodles back in and swirl, then drain again and set aside to cool, fluffing every 10 minutes or so. Fill a small shallow pan with enough water to cover shrimp and bring to a simmer. I usually add a bruised piece of lemongrass stalk, a tablespoon of coriander seeds, and a few dried peppers to the water, but plain eau is fine. Add the shrimp when the water is simmering, and cook for about 3ish minutes or until just cooked through. Drain, cool, and slice in half lengthwise. Pick the rest of your ingredients and cut, rinse, dry...whatever is entailed. Fashion all the fillings into an assembly line of sorts, and then pull out the rice paper wrappers.

To assemble the rolls, run your sink tap until the water is flowing warm-but-not-hot, and gently turn the rice paper wrapper under the stream for about 5 seconds per side to soften it. Lay it on a clean, dry surface and then start to add fillings. I usually put in a nice strip of lettuce first, laying it down near the bottom of the circle, and the lettuce acts as a cradle for the rest to come - a bit of noodles, followed by a little bit of everything else, artfully arranged. Just be careful to not overstuff. Start to roll by grasping the bottom edge and folding it tightly over and around the filling. Once you've got a full revolution and a half in, you can fold the open sides of the roll in towards the center, and then lay a couple sliced shrimp on top before continuing to roll over again, sealing the shrimp in. Once you've rolled to completion, place the tube on a platter, wipe off your surface, and repeat the process with the other wrappers. Serve with sriracha, lime wedges and a dipping sauce of your choice (peanut sauce is good here).

Vegetarian Variation:
Nix the shrimp!

Pork Variations:
Poach thin slices of lean pork until cooked, cool and add to spring rolls. OR, fry bacon and cut to fit - I love the salty crunch this variation offers (and it pairs really well with slices of mango).

Also works with tofu, fried egg strips, chicken, crab, lemongrass beef strips, and so forth. What's YOUR favorite filling combination?

Crunchy Chunky Summer Salad

You don't win friends with salad, but this might be an exception to the rule. Inspired by a Chow.com article about summery salads, I raided my cupboard and devised a boldly flavored, attractively colorful Southwesternish hodgepodge of a salad, blanketed in a spicy, velvety chipotle dressing.  I really like the crisp, tarty taste of raw tomatillos, but if you find you're not really a fan, perhaps add a bit of red onion instead.

Crunchy Chunky Summer Salad:
Serves 3-4

*2 good-lookin' tomatoes, seeded and diced

*1 tomatillo, husked and diced small

*1 jalapeno, minced

*1 small bell pepper, any color, diced

*3-4 ears corn, husked, washed, shucked

*1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained well

*1 scallion, thinly sliced

*A handful of cilantro, finely chopped

Drain the tomatoes on a paper towel and sprinkle just a touch of kosher salt over them. Shuck the corn into a colander so that the kernels may drain. After everything else has been diced, drained, etc, toss  together in a large serving bowl or ladle it out into smaller bowls, and drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Chipotle Dressing

*1 ripe avocado, pitted

*Juice from 3 limes

*2 tablespoons olive oil

*2 chipotle peppers in adobo

*2 garlic cloves

*Healthy pinches of salt & pepper

*A bit of water to thin consistency

Blitz everything together in a mini food processor, thinning it with a little bit of water if necessary to make it pourable.