Fruity Farro Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

HI all– I’m hoping summer is cooling down here– but we are still big on summer salads and with nectarines and strawberries beautiful and ripe these days, here was a recent supper.  A splash of farro and sprinkling of garbanzos gave it some heft and balanced out the sweet fruit and creamy avocado.  With the tart lime dressing and a chunk of walnut Levain bread– delicious!

FRUITY FARRO SALAD WITH HONEY LIME DRESSING

Salad:
1/2 cup farro
3 cups greens
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup garbanzo beans
1 nectarine, cut to small chunks
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 avocado, cut to small chunks
1/4 cup salted almonds, chopped

Dressing:
3 tab. olive oil
1  1/2 tab. lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. honey
salt & freshly grond pepper to taste

Cook the farro according to the directions on the package (mine simmered 10 minutes with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt).  Drain off any extra water.  Cool.

To make the dressing, put the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper into a container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake briskly until it’s thoroughly combined.  (If you let it sit, the honey may sink to the bottom, so shake it again just before you pour it on the salad).

Layer the greens, cilantro, garbanzo beans, farro, nectarine, strawberries, avocado,, and almonds on a platter.  Pour on the dressing when you are ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Advertisement

Fresh Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad

Hello there– Do you have a summer favorite dish??  Laurel made this for us on our stay with them in Wisconsin and I’ve made it twice already since we’ve been home!  Tonight it was on the table for a cookout at our neighbor’s house– my new summer favorite!!

Sweet charred corn, creamy avocado, summer ripe tomatoes– flavored with just a hint of lime.  Perfect!

FRESH CORN AVOCADO & TOMATO SALAD

Salad:
3 ears of sweet corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lage avocado, peeled, pitted, chunked
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1 jalapeno, ribs & seeds removed, minced
zest & juice of 1 large lime
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil

Cut the corn kernels from the cob, slicing down the cob with a knife. Heat 3 tab. of olive oil in a skillet and drop in the corn for about 4 minutes, until some of the kernels are charred, stirring a couple times while it cooks. Take off the heat and cool the corn.

To make the dressing, carefully removed the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno, then mince it finely.  (I use a plastic bag on the hand holding the jalapeno, to prevent pepper burn!).

Put the jajapeno, lime zest & juice, salt, garlic and oil into a container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake until the ingredients are well blended.

Add the cut cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and green onion to the cooled corn.  Mix in the dressing and refrigerate until you are ready to serve it up.

Simple Spring Salad

Hi all– This was the salad on our Easter table–bright and fruity and just right with ham and Aunt Lu’s marvelous potatoes!  It was a good day with grand-girls and their great grandparents around the table.  Hope you have a lovely Easter with people you hold dear.

SIMPLE SRPING SALAD

Salad:
6 cups greens
3 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups blackberries
2 cups mandarine oranges, peeled and sliced
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tab. tarragon vinegar (or your favorite mild vinegar)
1 tab. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Layer the greens on a platter.  Then pile on the strawberries, blackberries and oranges.  Sprinkle on the feta.

Pour the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt & pepper into a container with a tight fitting lid and shake until it’s thoroughly combined.  Drizzle over the salad.

Blackberry Avocado Salad

Hello there– We had another important celebration at our house last week– Larry’s folks came in to celebrate their 69th anniversary!!  It’s a joy to watch them together.

So we made toasts and ate lasagna (Stu’s favorite) and Larry’s cheery sister brought in a magnificent cake. It was a great time together.  Stu & Helen, you’re the best!!

Oh, and with our supper, we dug into this bright salad– sweet berries, creamy avocado, crunchy almonds, salty feta– tossed with a mustard & maple dressing.  Just fine on the plate with our lasagna.

BLACKBERRY AVOCADO SALAD

Salad:
6 cups salad greens
2 small Persian cucumbers, sliced
2 avocados, cut into chunks
6 oz. carton of blackberries (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup roasted salted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cut feta, crumbled

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tab. tarragon veingar
2 tab. maple syrup
1 tsp. seedy Dijon mustard
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Layer the salad ingredients in a shallow bowl.  When you are ready to serve it up, shake together the dressing ingredients in a container with a tightly closing lid until they are all blended and drizzle over the salad.

Pear Vinaigrette Salad

Hello there–Are things winding down at your house??  We just took our Laurel and John to the airport to fly back to Wisconsin.  And now we’re all lazing in the family room.  Grand-girls coloring or stitching on Christmas craft kits.  And grown ups are reading phones in the sunshine.  I think we’re all Christmas-ed out!

And ready to eat something besides Christmas fudge and party dips– like this salad.  We had it with our Christmas Eve lunch– add a little chicken or ham and it could be a complete meal.  The star of the salad is the puree pear vinaigrette.  Delish!

PEAR VINAIGRETTE SALAD

Salad:
4 cups of your favorite greens (we used a head of green leaf lettuce)
2 pears, cored and chopped
1/2 cup hazel nuts, chopped in half
1/2 cup feta

Vinaigrette:
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. seedy Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Layer the greens, 2 chopped pears, hazel nuts and feta in a bowl.

To make the vinaigrette, use a blender (or stick blender) to blend the 1 ripe prepared pear, vinegar, mustard, oil and garlic to make a creamy dressing.  Season with salt & pepper until it tastes perfect– sweet and tangy.  Pour over the salad when you are ready to eat!

Lulu’s Famous Broccoli Salad

 

Hi there– I’m pretty sure you’ve had some version of Broccoli Salad– me too.  But this one is my favorite.  Got the recipe from my sis, Lulu.  She served up this broccoli salad last summer at our Laurel’s wedding and it was the best!  (The secret is not a secret ingredient– it’s chopping the broccoli fine to soak up all the dressing).

LULU’S FAMOUS BROCCOLI SALAD
3 pounds of broccoli, stems trimmed off and chopped to small bits
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled to tiny pieces
3 oz. sunflower seeds
1/2 red onion, chopped fine

Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup sugar

Mix together the broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds and red onion.

In another bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar.  When you’re ready to serve it up, stir the dressing and broccoli mixture together.   Delish!

 

P.S. This recipe above is not the one we actually made– here’s her original version, meant to serve 70 people! (She used to be a caterer!)

LULU’S FAMOUS BROCCOLI SALAD– ORIGINAL RECIPE
10 to 12 ponds of broccoli< chopped fine
3 pounds bacon, cooked & crumbled (or 1 Costco size bag precooked bacon crumbles!)
1  1/2 7oz. jar sunflower seeds
2 red onions, chopped fine

Dressing:
1/2 gallon jar of mayonnaise
4 cups sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar

So next time you’re feeding a really big crowd–here’s your super broccoli recipe!!

Here’s my sis Lulu and me at Laurel and John’s Wisconsin Wedding in the Woods last August.  She and her husband Ted cooked up meals for the 120 wedding guests!!  Thanks Lulu!!

Apple Broccoli Salad

Hello friends–  Here’s the old favorite, Broccoli Salad, with a bit of a fresher taste.  Sweet apples and carrots add crunch and flavor.  And a bit of red onion sharpens up the taste.

We had it at a salad pot luck here a couple weeks ago and there were just a few shreds left at the bottom of the bowl by the time we all served ourselves up!  I think you’d like it too.

APPLE BROCCOLI SALAD

Dressing:
1/2 cup unflavored yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tab. sugar
1  1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt

Salad:
4 cups chopped broccoli
1 apple, cored and cut to small bits
2 carrots, peeled and cut to match sticks
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup red onion chopped

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and salt to make the dressing.

Add the chopped broccoli, bits of apple, cut carrots, walnuts and chopped red onion to the dressing and mix well to coat all the veggies.   Chill about 30 minutes before serving.  Delish!

Peachy Tomato Salad with Honey Tarragon Dressing

 

Hi there– I’ve been reading some of my favorite bloggers talking about what’s coming out of their gardens this summer.  Fun to see your kale and summer squash and spicy peppers!  Our humble little garden (besides sprouting lots of weeds!) has produced tomatoes a plenty and nice healthy basil.

So tonight for dinner I wanted to use some of those tomatoes that are piling up in the kitchen!  And here’s the result.  Fresh and bright, colorful and so simple– fine for a summer supper.

PEACHY TOMATO SALAD WITH HONEY TARRAGON DRESSING

Salad:
4 ripe Roma tomatoes
1 large ripe peach
2 -3 tablespoons feta, crumbled
basil sprigs

Dressing:
3 tab. olive oil
2 tab. tarragon vinegar
1 tab. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the peach in smallish chunks.  Spread them on a platter and crumble the feta over the top.  Sprinkle on the basil leaves.

For the dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, honey and salt & pepper in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake it until the ingredients combine thoroughly.  Pour it over the salad when you are ready to serve it up.

 

Cherry Citrus Salad

 

Hello friends– Have cherries turned up at your market yet??  I walked over to the Farmers Market in San Francisco last week with little Lois and there were cherries galore!  So dark and sweet– we bought a bagful for a treat.

And back home there are piles of Cherries at the market too– So when Jenni invited us over for a bar-b-que, we arrived with this salad in hand.  Bright and sweet and hearty.  Just right for a summer night eating grilled chicken & sausages with a table of friends.

CHERRY CITRUS SALAD
8 cups mixed salad greens
14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
2 avocados, cut into chunks
3 cups fresh cherries, pitted
2 oranges, peeled and cut into sections

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tab. Champagne orange vinegar*
1 tsp. sugar
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Spread the greens into a large salad bowl.  On top, layer the beans, avocados, cherries and oranges.

Shake the dressing ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid until they are thoroughly blended. Drizzle the dressing over the salad when you are ready to serve it.  Enjoy!

*They have this luscious Orange Vinegar at Trader Joe’s– but I’ve seen it other places too.

A couple pics from our trek to the SF Farmer’s Market  (San Francisco City Hall in the background)–
   

Steak Salad with Peruvian Peppers

 

Hello there– This year they put a Whole Foods Market in our little suburb– chuck full of beautiful food!!  But a little over my price range.  So this week I dropped in to get a couple nice candy bars for a little birthday treat for a friend– and indulged myself with a loaf of crusty bread, 3 perfectly ripe peaches, those candy bars and from the olive bar–a handful of olives and these brilliant little red Peruvian peppers!  Total– $12.90!  I happily clutched my little bag of treats and headed home…

The Peruvian peppers inspired this salad– sweet and just a little spicy– and so pretty on the plate.  With that loaf of crusty  bread– dinner ready!

STEAK SALAD

Salad:
2 small beef filets
1 tab. olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper
4 cups salad greens
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/2 cup cucumber sliced thin
1/4 cup Peruvian peppers (petit poivrons)*
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
a little red onion, sliced

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tab. tarragon vinegar
1 tsp. seedy mustard
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.

Heat the olive oil in s skillet on high heat.  Liberally salt & pepper the beef and drop it into the hot skillet.  Cook the beef for 3 or 4 minutes on each side for medium rare (depending on the thickness).  Remove it from the pan and slice against the grain.

Layer the lettuce, sliced avocado and cucumber and beef on 2 plates.  Sprinkle on the feta and little peppers.

To make the dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, slat & pepper in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake it until the ingredients are well blended.  Pour over the salad when you’re ready to serve it.

*The peppers are available from Amazon as petit poivrons.

Blueberry Broccoli Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Ranch Dressing

Hi all– Should I apologize for the extra long title of this salad??– I just wanted you to know the yummy components and plus also the lovely dressing on top!

Took this salad along to my brother’s house for our Easter dinner.  And liked it so much we had it again last night!  It’s bright and fresh and I can say it works well with Easter ham or a slice of mushroom pizza!

BLUEBERRY BROCCOLI AVOCADO  SALAD

Salad:
5 cups of your favorite salad greens
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Poppyseed Ranch Dressing:
1/2 cup unflavored yogurt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. tarragon vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Layer the salad ingredients in a pretty bowl.

Then stir together the ingredients  for the dressing until they are thoroughly blended.  It makes more dressing than we needed on our salad, so there’s more in the fridge for another day.

Simple Salmon Salad

 

Hi fiends– Here’s Sunday lunch.  Trying to combine 2 things we should be eating more of– salad and fish.  So when I picked up 2 small salmon fillets at the market, I imagined a nicoise salad– but ended up with simple, quick version.  With a chunk of sturdy bread it’s a fine lunch.

SIMPLE SALMON SALAD

Salad (makes two servings):
4-5 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup petit peas (fresh or frozen)
6 Baby Dutch yellow potatoes*
2 small salmon filets
1 to 2 tab. olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Dressing:
5 tab. olive oil
2 tb. red wine vingar
1 tsp. seedy Dijon mustard**
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

To start, slice the small potatoes into thin slices and cook them 4 to 5 minutes in a bowl of salted water in the microwave.  Drain and set aside.

If you’re using frozen peas microwave them just long enough to defrost them–not cook them!

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Cook the salmon 3 to 4 minutes on each side, adding salt and pepper as it cooks.  Let it cool a few minutes.

Then layer the greens, salmon, potatoes and peas on 2 dinner plates.

For the dressing, shake together the dressing ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid until they are thoroughly combined.  Pour over the salad when you’re ready to serve it.

*red skinned or small purple potatoes would work well too.

 

Mandarin Pomegranate Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

 

Hi all–  A couple weeks ago we had friends in for a wintery night dinner.  There was honey crusted pork loin, wild rice and Brussel spouts– and this bright sweet salad to start us off.

The real hit of the evening was after dinner, when our friend Mark pulled out his little bag of tricks and did an amazing magic show!  How did the nine of hearts jump from that stack of cards to the other?? Or the coin go right through the table??  You had us totally mystified Mark.

MANDARIN POMEGRANATE SALAD WITH POPPY SEED DRESSING

Salad:
4 cups of your favorite greens*
3 mandarin oranges
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1 avocado, cut to neat chunks
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tab. orange vinegar**
2 tab. honey
1 tab. poppy seeds
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel and break the mandarin oranges into neat segments.  Then layer the greens, mandarin segements, pomegranate seeds, avocado and almonds onto a pretty platter.

In a container with a tight fitting lid, shake together the oil, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds. salt & pepper until they are thoroughly blended.  Pour over the salad when you are ready to serve it up.

*I used baby arugula– spinach, green leaf lettuce, bib lettuce are all great.
** Love love Trader Joe’s Orange Champagne Vinegar, but red wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar would be terrific too.

 

Ham, Pear, Goat Cheese Spinach Salad

Hey there– I picked up one of those heavy, foiled wrapped spiral hams at the market last week, the kind you glaze with caramel and serve on a platter pink and salty.  It was for a Saturday brunch with friends– along with mimosas and yeasty waffles.  And the happy news is that there were leftovers!

So Sunday lunch turned into a green leafy salad with slices of that ham, pear and a few extras to round out the plate.  With a toasted chunk of whole grain bread, it was a cozy lunch sitting around the coffee table on a quiet Sunday.

HAM, PEAR, GOAT CHEESE SPINACH SALAD
5 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup farro
1 pear, cored & sliced
10 slices of ham
sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese
pecans
dried cranberries

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tab. cider vinegar
2 tab. maple syrup
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.

Layer the ingredients for the salad on a platter.  When you are ready to serve the salad, put the ingredients for the dressing in a container with a tight fitting lid and shake it until it is thoroughly blended.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad and dig in!  (makes 2 dinner salads)

Kale Salad with Chicken, Peaches and Pecans

Hello there– We’re enjoying the last hot summer days with salads like this flavorful bowlful.  We liked it so much I made it again when our kids came down this past weekend.  Add a sturdy loaf one whole grain bread and some iced tea.  Set it all out on the backyard table and you’ve got lunch.

KALE SALAD WITH CHICKEN, PEACHES & PECANS

1/2 cup farro, cooked*
4 cups kale, chopped fine**
1 chicken breast, cooked & cubed
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 ripe peach, pitted and cut to chunks
1/3 cup goat cheese crumbles

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tab. thick Balsamic vinegar
1 tab. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Layer all the salad ingredients into an ample bowl.  Shake the dressing ingredients together in a container with a tight fitting lit until it’s well blended.  Pour on the dressing.  Done.

*The package of farro I bought said simmer in water for 10 minutes– then I rinse it with cold water to cool it for the salad.
**I like the packaged kale from Trader Joes– nice and tender

P.S. The good thing about this salad is that it’s sturdy enough to pour on the dressing and set it into the fridge for a a while while you get everything else on the table and it won’t get soggy.  That’s helpful.  Enjoy!

Crunchy Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

 

Hi all–  I like this bright friendly salad– All that sturdy kale, hearty farro and those crunchy almonds.  But the real star is the dressing!  So much flavor from the cilantro, tahini, cumin, garlic…

Actually I had the tahini in the fridge, because I got it for a humus recipe that was grand failure (lumpy, bumpy and bland).  Add that to the list of not so great cooking attempts that never made it to be blog posts!!   But happily, the tahini was just what I needed when I came across a version of this salad (thanks Pinterest!). I think you might like it as much as we did…

CRUNCHY KALE SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tab. red wine vinegar
2 tab. cilantro, chopped fine
2 tab. tahini
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
several grinds of freshly ground pepper

Salad:
1/2 cup farro, uncooked
5 cups, kale, chopped to bits
1 carrot, shredded to strips
5 radishes, sliced thin
1 avocado, cut to small pieces
1/4 cup toasted almonds

Whisk together the salad dressing ingredients until they are thoroughly blended, set aside.

Cook the farro according to the package directions– mine said boil with 1  1/2 cups slightly salted water for 10 minutes.  Drain in a sieve and rinse with cold water to be cool enough for the salad.

Then layer up the kale, farro, carrots, avocado, radishes and almonds.  Pour on the dressing when you are ready to serve it up.  Crunchy good!

Asian Pork Meatballs

 

Hello all– It’s really full on summer here– so around dinner time I’m looking for something fast, light and fun to eat.  I think this qualifies–sort of a banh mi sandwich disguised as a salad.  We ate it with a chunk of french bread (the sandwich!!) and a bottle of Sweet Chili Sauce at hand.  It was fresh and delish!

ASIAN PORK MEATBALLS

meatballs:
1 pound ground pork
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tab. cilantro, chopped fine
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. lime zest (about 1 lime)
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

salad:
finely shredded green cabbage
shredded carrots
thinly sliced radishes
red pepper, cut in thin strips
sprigs cilantro

dressing:
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tab. lime juice
1 tsp. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
And a bottle of sweet chili sauce to splash on those meatballs!

In a mixing bowl thoroughly mix the pork, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, lime zest and breadcrumbs.  Form the mixture into 16 medium size meatballs and set them on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Pop them in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, until they are nicely browned.

Arrange the salad ingredients on 4 plates.  Shake the dressing ingredients together in a container with a tight fitting lid and drizzle it over the salad ingredients.

Add on the meatballs when they come out of the oven.  Done and delish!

 

 

Strawberry Chicken Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

Hi friends– I don’t know if you’ve watched the cross country weather news this week, but we are roasting here in Southern California!!  Today it was 105 degrees in our little town!  And being the frugal (cheap!) people that we are, we have our air conditioning on a plan that cuts off on super energy use days to save money on our monthly bill.  Ugh.

When dinner time rolled around, I sure did not want to spend a whole lot of time in a hot kitchen– so here’s dinner. A sweet berry salad with chicken and a chunk of sour dough bread on the side.  Just about right on a hot night.

The good news– only 90 degrees predicted for tomorrow!!!

STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD WITH HONEY BALSAMIC DRESSING

salad:
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tab. olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper
4 cups glad greens*
8 oz. strawberries, cut into bites (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1 oz. feta, crumbled

dressing:
3 tab. olive oil
1 tab. white balsamic vinegar**
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the 2 tab. olive oil in a skillet. Cut the chicken horizontally to make 2 or 3 filets.  Then drop it into the hot oil.  Salt and pepper the chicken liberally and cook about 3 minutes on each side until it’s nicely browned. Remove from the pan to cool.  Then slice into thin strips.

Layer the salad greens, strawberries, chicken on 2 dinner plates.  Then sprinkle the walnuts and feta over the top.

To make the dressing put the 3 tab. olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme and salt & pepper into a container with a tight fitting lid and shake it until the dressing is thoroughly blended.  When your ready to serve it up, pour the dressing over the salads and set them on the table!

*I use red leaf lettuce. Spinach would be great or any other favorite lettuce.
**Or whatever vinegar you have in the cupboard.

 

Simplest Summer Salad

Hi all– Wanted to layer up a quick salad to go with our Thai Peanut Chicken (see previous post) and this is what we had in the fridge.  It was on the table in 5 minutes– and thanks to a great peach, tasted like summer.  Here it is:

SIMPLEST SUMMER SALAD
2 handfuls of bag baby spinach
1 peach, pitted and cut into chunks
a handful of pecans pieces
2 tab. good olive oil*
2 tab. of thick rich balsamic vinegar**

Layer it up in that order.  Done.

*I love the Spanish Olive Oil from Trader Joe’s — it smells like a summer evening in Spain!
** Our kids gave us a couple bottles of the thickest sweetest balsamic from Westridge market in Ojai (thanks Jodi)– almost like vinegar maple syrup!!  It makes my normal balsamic looks tired.  So now I’m looking for the richest version I can find around here…  It really made the salad.

P.S.  I’m almost embarrassed to post this as a recipe.  It’s so simple.  But we really liked it and hope you do too!

Ginger Peanut Broccoli Slaw

Hi there– I am an avid cole slaw fan.  I’m always up for a new version, especially with summer right around the corner.  Lately I’ve been buying this bagged Broccoli Slaw at our market.  So much crunch and more veggie flavor than the cabbage I usually chop up.  And it’s easy!  Just open that bag and pour it into the sauce.  5 minutes.  Done.  And delicious!

GINGER PEANUT BROCCOLI SLAW
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts
1 lime, juice (about 2 tab.)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tab. canola oil
1 tab. rice wine vinegar
2 tab. sugar
1 tsp. ginger, peeled and minced fine
1 bag “Broccoli Slaw”*

In a mixing bowl whisk together the cilantro, peanuts, lime juice, salt, oil, vinegar, sugar and vinegar until it’s all well blended.  Then mix in the bag of broccoli slaw and set it on the table!  What could be easier than that?!

*If you life in So. California, Broccoli Slaw is available at Stater Brothers.