Easy & Delicious Farmer's Market Salad

Last Friday I stopped by the Whittier Farmer's Market and was reacquainted with one of my favorite salads. When I worked for Taguchi Farms back in the '80s, one of the vendors at the market would make this salad and have a bowl of toothpicks next to it to make it available for tasting. The ingredients are simple--pick several summer veggies--and the preparation is easy--chop into bite-sized pieces and dress with lemon/lime juice and sea salt.

This salad is perfect for the hot, hot, HOT weather we've been having here in Southern California--I've been keeping a big bowl of salad in the refrigerator, so it's nice and cold.

Some of my family members like it with a little shoyu on-the-side, or with some chopped jalapeños sprinkled on top. It's also good with a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes

1 red pepper (I ended up not using the green pepper)

1 small yellow pepper

1 small red onion

6 cucumbers

8 curly peppers (they're mild)

1 bunch cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime

sea salt & pepper to taste

The key to making this salad good is to use vegetable you like. I really like cucumbers, so I use a lot of them. Homegrown tomatoes or ones from a farmer's market will make the salad better since those tomatoes will have a lot of flavor. I like the curly peppers because they're mild and everyone in my family can eat them, I'll serve jalapeños on the side. Red onion gives the salad a little bite of spiciness. The lemon and/or lime juice with a little sea salt keeps the salad light, tasting fresh and mellows out the red onion a bit.

Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

I used 3 different kinds of cucumbers because I saw them at the market--Persian, pickling and Japanese--they all looked so good.

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently. I take the leaves off the cilantro--chopping them is a lot faster, but I don't think the stems look as nice as the leaves. Is that a little OCD? 

Chill thoroughly and serve.

Itadakimasu!

***

Remember Isamu? You first met him in the Gail's Stew post.

He's keeping cool in this heat.

 A few months ago he had a birthday! He's growing so fast!

 Isamu LOVES trucks and LARGE vehicles.

The whole family gathered not too long ago for his baptism.

Proud parents, Eugene and Maria.

Isamu loves Obaachan. Absolutely LOVES her! Obaachan is Isamu's best friend. She teaches him a lot of Japanese words--his parents call it "Bachanese". He says "Yanna." "Yanna go see Mommy." He talks a lot, but can also be quiet. Early on he learned "Dude" and "Sweet" from his cousins Tyler and Colin (who are in their twenties). Isamu is learning Spanish, too. He loves trucks, Duplos and playing with water. He's smart and has a good sense of humor--he likes to be funny and make us laugh. Sometimes he calls his dad "Eugene," but mostly he calls him "Poppy." He can do impressions of Obaachan, Eugene and Rufina, his babysitter. Isamu loves guacamole--and eats it like a main dish. I love to hear him shout, "Guacamole!" when he comes over. 

Isamu brings a lot of joy to our family.

***

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes

1 red pepper (I ended up not using the green pepper)

1 small yellow pepper

1 small red onion

6 cucumbers

8 curly peppers (they're mild)

1 bunch cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime

sea salt & pepper to taste

optional: drizzle of olive oil

chopped jalapeños

Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces. 

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently.

Chill thoroughly before serving.

Quick & Easy Pasta with Asparagus & Grape Tomatoes

Sometimes, when I'm doing my thing cooking--combining this and that--it comes out really good.

I think this is one of those dishes!

Using a rotisserie chicken makes it quick and easy, and the price--$4.99 at Costco--is about the same for one in the fryer pack, so you're saving time and money!

The asparagus and grape tomatoes give the pasta dish a really fresh taste!

Here's what I used, and it will make enough to dress two pounds of pasta.

Quantities and printable recipe are at the end of this post.

I used the whole bag of asparagus from Costco, washed them and snapped off the tough ends.

I saved the ends.

Maybe I'll make cream of asparagus soup...or something.

I made the first cut at the tip, then rolled them a quarter turn and made another slice, down the whole stem.

I used the boiling water for pasta to blanch the asparagus for a minute or so, until they turned bright green.

I removed all the asparagus, put them in a bowl, and set aside.

Bring the water back up to a boil and add the pasta.

I'm using spaghetti.

Next, take the rotisserie chicken and take the meat off the bones.

I just used the legs, thighs and breasts.

The rotisserie chicken is really tender, so it's easy to separate the meat and bones.

I'm going to make chicken soup with the bones.

Cover the chicken so it doesn't dry out, and set aside.

Chop 4 cloves of garlic.

Chop one onion.

Saute the garlic and onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Make sure your pan is hot, then add the olive oil, garlic and onions.

And about a 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes.

This is 3 cups of grape tomatoes.

I thought I maybe should have cut them in half, but I liked them whole as I was eating the pasta.

While stirring, I thought...

Capers!

Capers would be good in here!

While looking for the capers, I found pesto and thought the same thing...

Pesto sauce!

That would make it really good!

As soon as the noodles are done, drain them and put them into a large bowl.

I added half of the tomato mixture.

While tossing, I thought it could use another scoop of pesto sauce.

I added half of the blanched asparagus and shredded chicken.

Have a closer look...

It's looking good!

Toss gently to combine.

Taste it.

I added a pinch more chili flakes and a little salt and pepper.

This dish turned out fast, simple and tasty!

This batch went to my sister-in-law with the newborn.

Then I boiled another pound of spaghetti and made another one for us!

Itadakimasu!

***

Yesterday, I got a surprise package in the mail.

My friend Carol was returning a shirt, and decided to fill the box with goodies!

Carol and I love umeboshi.

When we went to Japan together several years ago, we were fascinated with all things umeboshi there.

It's nice to have a friend that shares a passion.

She also sent a package of ginger candy.

I love ginger candy too.

But not as much as I love ume.

I really like these, too.

But my favorites are the dried kaki--persimmons--that Carol makes.

The bag on the left is dried fuyu persimmons, and the one on the right is dried hachiya persimmons.

Every year, Carol works so hard to pick and dry persimmons.

It's one of her passions.

I immediately had to eat one of the dried hachiya.

The white on the outside is the sugar from the persimmons.

They are so yummy!

Thank you, Carol!

I appreciate your thoughtfulness and all the delightful treats!

****

Quick and Easy Pasta with Asparagus & Grape Tomatoes

This recipe will dress two pounds of pasta.

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken

2 lb. pasta--any kind

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 2.25 lb package asparagus

3 cups grape tomatoes

1 generous tablespoon capers

3 generous tablespoons jarred pesto sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil for the noodles. Wash and snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and cut them into bite-sized pieces. When the water boils, blanch the asparagus for about 1 minute, remove from water and drain. Set aside. Reboil water and add the noodles.

Saute onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil until onions are wilted. Add the grape tomatoes and saute until tomatoes begin to wilt. Add 1 tablespoon capers and 3 tablespoons jarred pesto sauce.

When the noodles are done, drain and put into a large bowl. Add half of the tomato mixture, asparagus and chicken--or all if you're cooking 2 lbs. of noodles. Toss gently. Taste and adjust flavors, salt and pepper to taste.