Older Bolder Life

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Recipe: Salads

the Older Bolder Life Salad Sunday 8 July: Smashed Cucumber Salad

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Summer brings to mind a host of things, but say the word summer around our camp and before too long we’ll be talking about grilling various proteins and lining up our favorite salads and fresh vegetable sides to accompany them.

A couple of years ago I’d picked up my wife from a long day at her work and dropped into one of our favorite eateries in the DFW metro – Smoke – alas unfortunately now closed; it was there that we first tasted this unique salad.

They featured (back in the day) a fusion of Tex-Mex and old school, low and slow barbeque, and offered up an astounding array of sides, one of which was this Smashed Cucumber Salad.

We’ve tweaked it around the edges a bit, but keep coming back to this version of the recipe; simple, minimal prep, and very tasty make it a winner any time of year.

1 pound English (or Persian) cucumbers
3-4 green onions (scallions), sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, sliced into thin rounds (optional)
1 tsp good salt
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil
1 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
1-2 tbsp chile oil (optional)

Here’s the fun part (after washing and trimming the cucumbers) – grab your rolling pin and (gently) whack the cucumbers until they begin to fracture and break apart. With your hands tear the cucumber pieces into bite-sized chunks, drop them into a colander and sprinkle with the salt.

After resting for 10-15 minutes, shake any remaining water out but don’t rinse the cucumbers. Now pour into a medium bowl and add the rice vinegar, EVOO/avocado oil, green onions, and the serrano pepper pieces (if using), then stir well to combine.

Taste for salt and adjust as needed, hold covered in the fridge for a short time if needed. When serving, drizzle with a good dollop of chile oil and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Sunday 1 July: 1015 Tomato Salad

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Here’s another long time family favorite salad we find ourselves reaching for now that tomato season is in full swing – 1015 Tomato Salad.

The 1015 of course refers to the sweet onion born and bred here in Texas, though I can assure you this dish will be just as delicious with whatever sweet onions you might reach for, whether they be Maui, Walla Walla, or Vidalia. (Brand me a traitor, but after growing and tasting them all over the years, I still think nothing beats a Walla Walla onion.)

The grandmother we sourced the recipe from used to drizzle a teaspoon or so of good raw honey over the salad before serving, but we’ve grown to savor it without; try it both ways if your current routine allows and see what you think…

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (grab some mixed colors)
1 pound various ripe tomatoes, trimmed, cut into wedges
1 small Texas 1015 (or other sweet onion), thinly sliced, start with 1/2
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1/3 cup fresh chives, cut into small pieces (1/2 inch or so)
3 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil
1-2 tbsp good white wine vinegar (perhaps even more)
Good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional: Drizzle of good honey (no more than 1 tsp)

Prep the tomatoes, onion, and herbs; combine in a bowl with the oil of choice and vinegar (drizzle with the honey if using). Stir it up to ensure all the tomatoes are well coated and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Adjust the vinegar and amount of onion to suit your clan.

Cover and throw in the fridge if not using immediately; don’t make more than 4 hours ahead or the tomatoes will soften too much…

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 20 June: ME’s Cauliflower Salad

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I’m not sure where it was that we first enjoyed this simple but delicious raw cauliflower “salad”, though you could just as easily call it a slaw.

Cauliflower is such a versatile workhorse in the kitchen and has been popping up everywhere in all sorts of forms these days; we happen to think it’s under-appreciated “just as it is” raw, as in serving it on your hummus tray, as crudite with your favorite dips or dressings, or in salads such as this.

This is one of those recipes to throw together, adding ingredients “until it looks right”, adjusting for your palate as you go, and you can use whatever olives and cheese float your boat. Try it and I’ll bet it ends up in your summer rotation over the next few months.

1 large head cauliflower florets, trimmed (the tender, small stems are good too)
1/2 to 1 cup good olives (pimento stuffed), chopped roughly
2-3 ounces cheese of your choice, great with a medium or sharp cheddar, or MJ
Approx. 1/2 cup homemade avocado or olive oil mayo (may need more)
1-2 tbsp olive brine
Optional: Jar of chopped pimentos, drained and chopped
Optional: 1-2 tbsp of fresh, coarse-ground black pepper

This one is a piece of cake to pull together – the most time consuming task is cutting up the cauliflower head; be sure to wash the florets well, then let them drain for several minutes before combining with the rest of the ingredients.

The beauty of this recipe, as with just about all salads and slaws, is that you can easily adjust the final amounts of the key ingredients to suit your (family’s) tastes. We never measure the ingredients for this one, and just add olives, cheese, and homemade avocado oil mayo until “it looks right”. (Try it as written to get an idea what it should look and taste like the first time around.)

Hold in the fridge until ready to serve, best made within 2-3 hours of serving.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Sunday 17 June: Versatile Vinegar and Oil Dressings

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Around our kitchen we truly love adding a variety of flavors to the cascade of fresh salad greens that show up in various farmers markets this time of year, flavors that are bright, fresh, and interesting are a cinch to achieve using simple but oh-so-good vinaigrettes made from the workhouse combination of vinegar and oil.

Of course everyone is familiar by now with the classic formula for combining vinegar and oil to make a vinaigrette/dressing – 1 part vinegar to 3 parts (classically olive) oil. Grind in a little fresh pink salt and pepper, whisk it up, and viola, you have a fresh, well-balanced, tasty finish for that salad.

We tend to add a bit more acid – in the form of vinegar(s) or citrus juices – to most of ours as we enjoy a bit more acidity with the salads we prepare; don’t be afraid to experiment and change things up, it’s almost a sure thing you’ll find something you like better than your usual dressing along the way.

Quick Suggestions on Oils for your Dressing

Occasionally we’ll add just a bit of a nice Nut Oil, like macadamia, hazelnut, or walnut to bring a delicious nutty flavor component. Another great one to try is subbing in Browned Butter for something really different; the friend who showed us used fresh lemon juice and white wine vinegar for hers, but a host of vinegars would play here.

A chef friend uses a quarter or half of a Soft Avocado in place of the oil in many of her dressings, with vinegar or citrus juice for the acid; it’s quick and creamy.

And while a good extra virgin olive oil is the gold standard here, we love using a nice Avocado Oil in our dressings too.

Quick Suggestions for Vinegar and Oil Variations

For a quick and easy Italian version, to your basic dressing / vinaigrette, add 1/2 tsp (or a bit more) of a pre-mixed Italian seasoning, and a pinch (or more) of finely crushed red pepper flakes.

For a quick and easy Creamy version, to your basic dressing / vinaigrette, add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil/avocado oil mayo, plain Greek yogurt, or even full fat sour cream.

For a quick and easy Mustard version, to your basic Italian dressing / vinaigrette, 1 tsp (or more) of your favorite Dijon, Cajun, or whole-seed brown mustard, and optionally a tsp of good honey.

For a quick and easy Creamy Garlic version, to your basic Creamy dressing / vinaigrette, add 1 finely grated or pressed garlic clove and a whisper of Italian seasoning.

For a quick and easy Parmesan Cracked Pepper version, to your basic Creamy dressing / vinaigrette, add 1-2 tbsp grated nice parmesan and 1/4 tsp (or more) fresh, coarsely-ground black pepper.

The list could go on and on, but you get the idea. The goal here is to pack a variety of great flavors into simple-to-prepare, uber-fresh dressings and vinaigrettes you can easily craft right at home.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday 6 June: Asian Inspired Cantaloupe Salad

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Inspired by a salad (or a slaw if you’re so inclined) that we had at the now defunct Smoke restaurant in Plano, Texas over a year ago, this Asian Inspired Cantaloupe Salad showed up on a delicious grilled fish taco plate they had on special that evening.

After a bit of research, and poking and prodding our chef friends (thanks Libby!), we tweaked this recipe around the edges a bit and settled on this version. For the prep time and effort required, this salad pays huge dividends, and is a great one to serve friends or family as it’s not something you see everyday.

Root around at your favorite grocery and find the best looking cherry tomatoes you can; they play very with the cantaloupe and the other asian-inspired players in this one. Consider upping the heat with a sliced serrano or jalapeno too.

1 large cantaloupe, halved, seeded, prepped as below
1 and 1/2 cups of the freshest cherry tomatoes you can find
6-7 green onions, trimmed, then thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 fresh red fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced (poblano good too)
1/3 cup (or more) fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp good fish sauce
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp (or more) fresh lime zest (optional)
1/3 cup (give or take) of roasted, salted peanuts, crushed, optional

Slice 3/4s of the cantaloupe into thin slices; grate the remainder on a the large holes of a box grater. Toss both into a medium bowl.

Now halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the onions and chiles, and prep the cilantro; add all to the cantaloupe.

Add the lime juice, fish sauce and EVOO; mix well and chill for a few minutes if not eating immediately, you don’t want to hold this one for too long.

Garnish with the lime zest, cilantro, and optional crushed roasted peanuts and go to it.

Enjoy.