It’s peak time for summer produce, with a bounty of fruits and vegetables available to inspire the cook. Start with these five new recipes for fresh, seasonal salads.
Pesto is a summer classic, traditionally made with the abundance of fresh basil available now. The herbal sauce is often tossed with pasta, but at Monteverde in Chicago, Chef Sarah Grueneberg cross-utilizes it with potato salad, adding fresh summer beans for contrast.
Chef Jennifer Shearer entered this recipe in a contest celebrating neighborhood restaurants and won the grand prize. This was a popular menu item at PRESS Bistro, her Pennsylvania restaurant which has since closed. Juicy red strawberries stand in for the usual tomatoes and cornbread for crusty Italian bread giving this bread salad a summery twist.
Philippine Grilled Watermelon and Pork Belly Salad
Few fruits say summer as loud and clear as watermelon. Although the large, juicy beauties are available at other times of the year, their popularity peaks with summer picnics and backyard barbecues. This salad recipe uses every part of the watermelon and highlights its versatility as a global ingredient.
Photograph courtesy of California Avocado Commission
Avocado Caprese Salad
Caprese salad has Italian roots, but at the Bruin Plate restaurant at UCLA, the kitchen flavors it with a Thai-accented dressing. The tomatoes are there, but feta cheese stands in for the mozzarella used in the classic version. This cross-cultural prep appeals to students’ adventurous palates.
Photograph courtesy of California Table Grape Commission
Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Grapes
This roasted beet salad gets a sweet spin with the addition of grapes. A tart dressing and slightly salty ricotta salata add flavor and texture contrast. The salad can be served as an entree with the addition of a protein, or as a starter or side, as it is at Red the Steakhouse in Cleveland.