Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

By Jan Kinzel

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy” are lyrics from a popular musical. Summer foods are fabulous. The veggies are crisp and fresh and the fruit is the juiciest! Summertime visits and outings with family and friends beg for recipes using the abundance of the wonderful summer produce. Isn’t God’s creativity so obvious in the variety of gifts He designed?!

The next recipes are loaded with fresh and nutritious produce and the presentations are gorgeous.

 

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

This is a new one for me. It turns out to just look like summer!

2 medium‐ sized zucchini
2 medium‐sized yellow crook‐neck squash
Fresh herbs, favorite combination, torn or chopped

With a good quality potato peeler or mandolin, make thin ribbon‐like slices by drawing the blades lengthwise over the squashes. Let the slices curl up a bit as you place them into a salad bowl. Add in the fresh herbs. Just before serving, dress with a simple mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice and garlic‐flavored olive oil. Add a little salt and pepper and toss lightly to coat. I love the simplicity of this presentation and it looks especially beautiful in a white bowl.

 

Corn Salad

Incredibly delicious!

12 ears of corn, cooked (or 1 bag each of frozen yellow corn and white corn when fresh is not in season…no need to cook as all frozen vegetables are blanched before freezing.)
1 red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
1 red bell pepper, diced (or equal amount of the small sweet peppers in the tri‐color pack cut into rings)
¼ cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 avocados

Remove the kernels from the cobs and place them in a large glass bowl. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and seasonings in small bowl. To the corn, add the other vegetables except for the avocado. Pour dressing over the corn mixture. Marinate at least 2 hours. Dice and add avocados just before serving.

 

Toy Box Tomato Salad

This recipe comes from a wonderful restaurant on Maui and is named for the serving glasses which were painted with a child’s toy box motif. The glasses have long since disappeared but fortunately the recipe is still here. Serve in martini glasses for individual servings, or in a large white pasta bowl for a buffet or family table.

2‐3 baskets of cherry tomatoes – variety of colors
Fresh basil leaves, cut into strips or torn into pieces
½ cup extra‐virgin olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2‐3 cloves freshly minced or finely grated garlic
1 teaspoon super‐fine or regular granulated sugar
Salt to taste
8 ounces feta cheese, cut in small dice
Extra‐virgin olive oil for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper

In a glass jar, place the oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Put lid on tightly and shake to mix and emulsify the ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes and dressing. Just before serving, mix in the basil and spoon remaining dressing over the mixture. Top with feta cheese. Don’t mix the cheese into the salad because the balsamic vinegar will discolor the cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil over the cheese. Sprinkle ground pepper on top. The salad is beautiful with the red tomatoes, green basil and white cheese….and it’s yummy!

 

Taco Salad

1 can ranch style beans
1 can black beans
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded as for tacos
2 green bell peppers, diced, sliced or shredded (or the little sweet peppers that come in the tri‐color package.)
1 small red onion, diced
1 package cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1 bottle Catalina Salad Dressing
1 package Mexican mix grated cheese
½ ‐ ¾ package of original Fritos corn chips

Place rinsed and drained beans in bottom of salad bowl. Set in fridge to chill. Set aside the dressing, cheese and chips. In order, add the vegetables to the beans, mixing with each addition. Just before serving, coat all of the veggies with the dressing. Add the cheese and chips and toss lightly to coat. Enjoy!

 

TIP: Two ways to perfectly peel and enjoy a nice juicy peach:

1. With a good quality potato peeler, draw the blade across the peach toward your thumb.
2. Score the peach with an X at the non‐attaching end, drop for 30 seconds into boiling water and remove. This loosens the peel. Remove the peel with your fingers.

… that you may have life abundant…and have it more abundantly. John10:10