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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Late summer may be the most relaxed cooking time of the year. All it takes to put together a beautiful salad is a basket of heirloom tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a bright dressing, in this case my basil blue cheese vinaigrette. Soon we will be slicing squash and roasting pumpkins, but for now, we still have brilliant tomatoes in yellow, purple, and green, with stripes and ridges that make you miss summer just a bit before it even ends. Perfectly ripe summer tomatoes can be enjoyed with a bit of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, but they shine just as much with a scattering of herbs…
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Tomato Salad with Fresh Apricot Vinaigrette
Ripe heirloom tomatoes are at their finest when dressed simply, in this case with a fresh apricot vinaigrette. Paired with ricotta salata and basil, you have a light side dish that’s packed with flavor or a delicious lunch that makes use of the season’s best picks. Often people ask how I decide what to make for meals in any given week, knowing that the dishes I share with them on Thirsty Radish are what I’m enjoying at the moment. As I walk around the market, I’m guided by whatever looks freshest. In this case, brilliant yellow heirloom tomatoes caught my attention followed by other brightly colored varieties stacked in the…
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Orechiette with Pesto and Crumbled Sausage
“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” – Henry James In the heat of a summer afternoon, I was struck by the almost embarrassing amount of basil accumulating in my kitchen garden. As one of the more prolific herbs, basil growing tends to go like this: Prune it carefully, and it will thrive. Allow it to form a basil jungle, and it still seems to thrive. If you grow basil, there will be more than enough for batches of this delicious pesto. Alternately, you can find quality sweet basil at the market. Pick the most aromatic bunch since pesto…
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Summer Bruschetta
As we head into summer, everything takes sweeter and brighter. Now is the perfect time for bruschetta, simply dressed toasts that highlight the chopped produce piled on top. Classic bruschetta features chopped tomatoes, garlic, and basil, but I take it one step further by adding strawberries into the mix. Marinated with the rest of the ingredients, they contribute sweetness without lending a strong strawberry flavor. This is a savory appetizer, so don’t let the berries fool you into serving it for dessert. If you serve this bruschetta without mentioning the strawberries, you will find guests asking where you found such deliciously sweet tomatoes. Rather than highlighting the contrast between the…
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Green Goddess Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Whether it is the crumb on a muffin or the chile chive drizzle on a piece of freshly grilled fish, I love a good topping. This green goddess buttermilk vinaigrette has become my latest go-to dressing for salads, smoked salmon, and sandwiches. If you’re looking for a healthy and incredibly delicious way to add an extra layer of flavor to a dish, this recipe will not disappoint. Green goddess is traditionally made with mayonnaise and sour cream, but I lightened it up a bit. In the form of buttermilk vinaigrette, the dressing is thicker than a typical oil and vinegar emulsion, but healthy enough that you can use it liberally.…
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