Right about this time every year, I’m feeling pretty good about my gardening self. So far, I’ve kept up with the watering, and nothing has died of thirst. Plants are looking healthy and have lots of bright yellow blooms. I’ve already forgotten about the radishes I pulled only to discover they were all greens, no radish, and we haven’t yet gotten to the cry of “why is there no zucchini?!”
And the herbs? Well, they are flourishing! And we are having a moment. I’ll walk outside just to brush my hand against the plants so that herby aroma floats up to my nose. I’ll pick a lavendar bloom or a mint leaf and crush it between my fingers to carry the scent with me a while longer. The Kiddo and I even watched a hummingbird get in on the action as it flitted from basil bloom to basil bloom.
(Side story - isn’t a scent memory a funny thing? Every time I cut fresh dill I’m instantly transported to a scratch-and-sniff book I had as a child in which a little bunny follows his nose around the garden and comes across the farmer’s wife making pickles. Apparently I wore that book out. Also, I found that it’s still in print and available on Amazon if you have little ones around the house who also love scratch-and-sniff pickles!)
So here we are, in my herby obession, and I’m throwing them into everything. Chicken salad and tarragon, tomatoes with basil (obvious, I know), cucumbers and dill, anything pork with rosemary and thyme, parsley in everything (it’s more than a garnish!), and the easiest way to elevate a simple green salad and make it something special - a handful of chopped fresh herbs scattered over the top.
This week’s recipes (below!) both show off with lots of fresh herbs stirred in and make great summer time side dishes - perfect for picnics and potlucks and just in time for the Independence Day holiday next week. Both make big batches, and both can be made ahead!
The Fresh Corn Salad is a farmers’ market dream - pops of fresh corn, crunchy cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes with a vinaigrette dressing, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh basil giving a little unexpected but “oh-my-goodness that’s good vibe”. Leftovers are wonderful remade as a pasta salad.
The potato salad ditches the traditional mayo for a honey mustard vinaigrette (which could be a nod to my German heritage), and alongside crisp celery and chopped eggs, stirs in both fresh dill and chives. This salad is good warm or cold - I usually go warm the first day and chilled the next!
Both the corn salad and the potato salad use dressings I’ve posted before, because why re-invent the wheel? But, I went ahead and included the dressing recipes again below so you don’t have to flip back-and-forth, because that’s the worst.
MONDAY - Chicken Tetrazzini and Roasted Broccoli
Chicken tetrazzini pleases just about everyone, so it’s a go-to when I’m making a meal to take to someone else. Plus the recipe makes one for us too! Convenient frozen broccoli roasts up nicely at 425 when tossed with olive oil and parmesan cheese.
TUESDAY - Stuffed Peppers and Salad
Italian style stuffed peppers with ground beef, sausage, tomatoes, and rice (topped with mozzarella cheese of course!) are a favorite around here. They’re also another great make-ahead option, so I’ll make them on Monday when I have more time and dinner will be done for Tuesday!
WEDNESDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Breast, Baked Potato, Brussels
Boneless chicken breasts rubbed with a sweet and smoky rub come out juicy even when baked in the oven. Potatoes can bake at the same temp, and I’ll just do the sprouts in a skillet while the oven works away.
THURSDAY - Fried Rice and Dumplings
Fried rice is another easy dinner idea I keep in my back pocket. It comes together quickly and I can add whatever vegetables we have around here that need to be used up. We have a few frozen dumplings left over from that ramen soup we did a couple of weeks ago - perfect way to add them to a meal!
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-up
SATURDAY - Dinner at YaYa’s (the in-laws!)
Burgers on the grill! Yes, we do burgers often. No, nobody ever complains. We can always change up the flavors with the toppings - Guacamole burger? Hawaiian style with a pineapple ring? Bacon and bbq sauce? They all sound good to me!
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!
Garden dinner! I’m so pleased to annouce that I actually picked a few things from my garden! I guess it heard me complaining that I’m the worst gardener and decided to show off. I have loads of cucumbers, a mess of little adorable carrots, a couple handfuls of swiss chard greens, and 3 beautiful beets! So dad will roast a pork loin, and I’ll braise carrots, roast beets, and saute greens for a summertime feast!
LUNCHES for this week -
Is it weird that I want soup when it’s so hot outside? I came across some vegetable soup in the freezer the other day, and simple soup and salad or fresh fruit lunches felt like they would hit the spot. Light and easy.
EXTRAS for this week
Working on stocking up someone else’s fridge this week (chicken tetrazzini, chicken and rice soup, and muffins) and stocking mine with jars of pickles from all these cucumbers! Oh, and it’s time to cut back my giant basil plants and make my first batch of pesto for the summer. I like Ina Garten’s pesto recipe because it does half walnuts/half pine nuts since pine nuts are so darn expensive! (Start with half the salt…)
Fresh Corn Salad
Makes about 10-12 servings.
· 6 ears fresh Corn, shucked
· 3 medium Cucumbers, seeds removed and diced into half-inch pieces
· 2 large Tomatoes, seeds removed and diced into half-inch pieces
· 6 ounces crumbled Feta Cheese
· Apple Cider Vinaigrette, recipe below
· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Basil
Lightly char the ears of corn. In a large, dry skillet, heat the corn over medium to medium-high heat, turning frequently until lightly toasted in several spots all over. Remove from skillet and cool to room temperature.
While the corn is cooling, make the dressing (see below) and set aside.
Dice the cucumbers and tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Remove the kernels from the ears of corn and add to bowl. Add feta cheese and vinaigrette and mix well to combine.
The salad can be made ahead to this point. If serving later, cover and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, stir in the fresh basil. (If the salad has been made ahead and refrigerated, allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before stirring in the basil and serving.)
Leftovers will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for 3 days.
Cider Vinaigrette
· ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
· ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
· 1 tablespoon Honey
· 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
· 1 clove Garlic, minced
· ½ teaspoon White Sugar
· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl or measuring cup. (Or, shake together in a jar.)
Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Makes about 8-10 servings.
· 3 pounds Red Potatoes, quartered into about 2-inch pieces (cut into sixths or eights for large potatoes)
· 1 tablespoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ¼ cup finely chopped Shallot (about half of one large shallot)
· 1 cup thinly sliced Celery (about 2 large stalks)
· 2 hard boiled Eggs, roughly chopped
· 1 tablespoon fresh Dill, minced
· 1 tablespoon fresh Chives, minced
· 1 recipe Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, below
In a large pot, cover the chopped potatoes by 1-inch of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15-18 minutes until easily pierced with a paring knife.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Cover the pot, and with the lid on, give the pot a couple of gentle shakes to rough up the edges of the potatoes. (Be careful, the pot will probably be hot. Use oven mitts.) Remove the lid and let the potatoes rest in the pot for 5 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking, make the dressing (recipe below) and set aside.
Add the cooked potatoes to a large bowl with half of the honey mustard vinaigrette and stir well. Set bowl aside for 20-30 minutes to let the potatoes cool and absorb the dressing. (You can chop the other ingredients while waiting.)
After the 20-30 minutes, add the shallot, celery, eggs, dill, and chives to the bowl with the potatoes. Stir well. Stir in a drizzle more dressing and taste to decide if you would like more.
Serve the potato salad right away warm, or in a few minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for later and serve cold. My top choices are warm or room temperature, but I’ve been known to sneak bites straight out of the fridge also!
Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette Vinaigrette
· 2 tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
· 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
· 3 tablespoons Honey
· 1 clove Garlic, minced
· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· ½ teaspoon dried Thyme Leaves
· ¼ cup White Wine Vinegar
· ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together whole grain mustard through white wine vinegar. Then slowly whisk in olive oil until dressing is blended.
You may not need all of the dressing for the potato salad. Store any extra in the refrigerator.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)