I believe it's officially summer today... the Solstice - June 21st - right?? A few other signifiers are telling me that summer is here: 1) this weekend it was hot enough to enter the chilly waters at Barton Springs, for my first dip of the year; 2) today felt like a LOOONNNNGGG day, with so much daylight that I still sit here, typing this entry at 11:34 and not feeling tired, and 3) my taste for food has definitely shifted to easier-to-make, lighter fare, since slaving over a hot oven is the last thing anyone feels like doing right now in Austin.
Unfortunately, my aversion to the oven has meant that we've not been eating at home as much lately - it just seems to easy to go grab lunch or pick up dinner on the way home. As a result, I've kind of lost track of where we are in the seasonal selections. I can't remember exactly when the tomatoes are tops, or when the summer squashes arrive. (Peaches - I will never forget - are always best mid-July, so I know I have something to look forward to.)
Tonight I finally broke my no-cooking streak, and threw together a salad worthy of the first day of summer. It's a modern take on a succotash, which is simply a combination of seasonal vegetables, cooked separately but tossed together. For this combination, I tied it together with the Saffron Basil Vinaigrette from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and it really worked to introduce some bold and colorful ingredients to the otherwise modest combination.
You could dress up the salad a bit with feta cheese, but I avoided it this time since I seem to put feta cheese on everything, and it was time to let the lima beans & almonds shine.
Quinoa Salad with Summer Veggies & Saffron Basil Vinaigrette
1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed well
1 cup water
20 stalks asparagus
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh off the cob)
1/2 cup lima beans, frozen
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
(vinaigrette ingredients below)
1. Preheat the oven to 450.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with twice as much water, add a dash of salt, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and let steam for 15 minutes or until absorbed. Remove the cover, fluff, and let the quinoa cool off.
3. Cut the red bell pepper in half lengthwise, and set cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes (alternatively, you could buy pre-roasted peppers, or roast these outside on the grill). Toward the end of the cooking, you can add the almonds to the pan for toasting. Remove, let cool, and then peel the skin and seeds away from the peppers. Slice into thin strips.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Throw in the asparagus and boil for 2 minutes, then remove to an ice bath (just a big bowl of cold water with ice in it). Keep the water boiling for the next ingredients. Drain the asparagus on a kitchen towel so they're nice and dry.
3. Bring the water to a boil again, and add the corn. Remove to an ice bath after 1 minute. Repeat with the lima beans. Dry both of these on the kitchen towel.
4. Arrange all the ingredients on a serving platter, and dress with the Saffron Basil Vinaigrette (recipe below).
Saffron Basil Vinaigrette (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp snipped chives
1/2 tsp grated or minced orange zest
salt & freshly milled pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch saffron threads
2 tbsp snipped or torn basil leaves
In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, chives, orange zest, 3/4 tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Warm 2 tbsp of the oil right over the heat in a small measuring cup, crumble the saffron threads into it, and let stand for a few minutes. Add the oil to the dressing and whisk in the remaining oil. Add the basil just before serving.
This dish also works well for leftovers - perfect for lunch the next day!