Editor's Note: The Busy Kitchen is a Monday column written by two area chefs - Tiffany Poe and Valarie Carter - who also happen to be mothers of young children. They explore nutrition, cooking for kids and more.
Plump berries. Juicy melon. Succulent peaches and plums.
Summer is even more delicious when punctuated with fresh fruit. Fruit so flavorful and luscious that you can't help but let it drip down your chin and into the kitchen sink. Of course, we swoon for fruit dessert, all dolled up with sugar and spice but there are more interesting ways to enjoy it.
Recently, I had the pleasure of picking blueberries at Thunderbird Farm in Broken Arrow. Even though my kids are 2 and 4, it was a fun activity for all of us. We stayed an hour, which is plenty of time to pick enough for eating, freezing and jamming. We left with more than six pounds of berries, three pounds picked and three pounds purchased.
I froze some for future pies, cobblers, muffins, pancakes and the like and we ate plenty of fresh ones right away. We ate berries and granola, berries in salads, and berries in our smoothies. More interesting, though, I started combining fresh fruit with cheese, nuts and other herbs and vegetables for some incredible flavor combinations.
Combining fruit with savory flavors is usually a tertiary thought at best but it shouldn't be. I think the intermingling of fruit flavors with herbs, vegetables and other savory flavors can best highlight fresh fruit. It can emphasize some of its herbaceous and vegetal flavors rather than the sweet ones that we usually seek.
Use taste as your guide. Try these recipes but also experiment with your favorite combination of vinegars, herbs, cheeses and most of all, summer fruits. And don't forget to "deconstruct" the salads for your kids if they seem too intimidating all mixed together.
PEACH & TOMATO SALAD
4 ripe peaches, pitted, sliced or diced
4 small tomatoes, cored, sliced or diced
6 ounces arugula
Almond dressing, recipe follows
1. Place arugula in a large serving bowl. Layer tomatoes and peaches over greens. Toss all ingredients with dressing. This salad would also be wonderful with a grating of Parmesan cheese.
ALMOND DRESSING
Inspired by Romesco sauce.
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1. Combine all dressing ingredients except oil in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour in olive oil in a slow steady stream to form an emulsion.
CANTALOUPE CRAB SALAD
1/2 small cantaloupe cut into medium dice
1 pound fresh lump crab meat - picked through well
3 oz prosciutto - sliced in thin strips
1 rib celery, small dice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Sriracha mayo, recipe follows
1. Combine all ingredients and toss with just enough Sriracha mayonnaise to bind the salad. Save remaining mayo for another use. Add salt and pepper to taste. This salad would also be delicious served in an avocado.
SIRACHA MAYO
1/2 cup Helmann's Mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Sriracha
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and pepper
1. Stir together mayo, Sriracha, lime juice, salt and pepper.
BERRY QUINOA SALAD
2 cups prepared quinoa (any color)
1 cup berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries)
1 cup torn or chiffonade fresh spinach
1/2 cup sliced or diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/3 cup grape seed oil or other neutral vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh, grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1. Place prepared quinoa, berries, spinach, and bell pepper in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together mint, vinegar, oil, ginger, salt and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over other ingredients and allow to rest in the refrigerator for about an hour to allow flavors to meld.
SAVORY WATERMELON SALAD
4 cups medium diced, deseeded watermelon (try red or yellow flesh)
2 small cucumbers or one large - medium diced
1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup crumbled cheese, like feta, blue or fresh goat
2 tablespoons very thinly sliced (chiffonade) Mint, basil or both
1/3 cup sherry or red wine vinegar
A drizzle of olive oil - about 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon salt
A few grindings of black pepper
1. Gently toss together all ingredients. Allow flavors to meld in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.
Note: I found a honeyed goat cheese at Reasors in Bixby and used it for this salad.
A native Oklahoman, Valarie Carter earned a bachelor's degree in English from Oklahoma State University and an associate's degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of Atlanta. She, her husband and their children live in Bixby.
Original Print Headline: Fruit makes refreshing salads
Food
It's apple season again, one of the few times of the year I'm sorry I live in the city, without a car. If only I lived near an orchard, I'd pick my own apples and be happy.
Word has it that OK+ (in excess of 3.2) Budweiser is coming to a liquor store near you.
