Garden Salsa

This is a pretty basic recipe, but we've been enjoying it quite a bit this week. If I didn't kill my cilantro, as usual, I would have put some in, but it was tasty without it.


Garden Salsa
6-9 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
1 small cucumber, cut in small dice
1 small bell pepper, cut in small dice
2 jalapenos, seeded, minced
1 tblsp lemon juice (I would have preferred a little more lime juice, but didn't have any limes)
ground cumin to taste
salt
Place cut tomatoes and cucumbers in a small colander over a bowl. Toss with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and mix with remaining ingredients. Let sit for at least an hour to let flavors combine.  

Fall Salad

I made this for dinner at a friend's house this weekend. There are not a ton of what I consider to be "normal" salad vegetables available at the farmer's market in November, so I opted to roast all the delicious vegetables I found. I also found some very spicy arugula. This recipe also marks the first time I successfully purchased, cooked, and consumed beets. I'm not convinced of the greatness of the beet, but it was up against some stiff competition in this salad.

Fall Salad
1 bunch arugula, chopped
3 radishes, sliced
1 purple potato, sliced into thin disks
1 yellow potato, sliced into thin disks
1 head kohlrabi, peeled and sliced into thin disks
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin disks
8 beets, scrubbed and trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine arugula and radishes and set aside. Put all remaining vegetables, except for beets, in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Toss beets with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on a separate baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until fork tender. (I put the beets separate so that the other veggies would not turn red. After removing beets from oven, let cool for 10 minutes and then peel and slice (I actually served them whole, but probably slicing them would have been prettier). Vegetables can be served on the salad hot or cold (I went with cold). Serve with mustard vinaigrette.

Mustard Vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
4 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 heaping tblsp coarse ground mustard
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp dried thyme
pinch salt
fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Mix all ingredients except olive oil in a small bowl. Add olive oil while stirring with a fork. Transfer to serving container.

For Kevin

I'm posting this for Kevin, who once made fun of his uncle for not being able to remember "/ethan" but can't remember this simple recipe.

Chipotle Mayo
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Blend until smooth.