Sweet corn: use some in this salad

Corn, tomatoes, radishes -- all are fresh and at peak season at your local farm markets.
Add some creamy avocado and for protein, shrimp.

Delicious, cool (no oven or heavy stove use) and easy.

RECIPE: Shrimp and Avocado Chopped Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the dressing:

2 T prepared Dijon mustard

3 T red wine vinegar

2 T chopped herbs (cilantro, thyme, or dill)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (cooked and cut into bite-size pieces)

1 bag pre-washed mixed salad greens, chopped

2-3 large radishes, chopped or thinly sliced

I cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup edamame, cooked

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 ripe avocado, diced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.      Make the dressing (or use another vinaigrette of your own): in a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and herbs. Add the vinegar while continuing to whisk, stir in the salt and pepper, and set aside.

2.      In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients except salt and pepper (shrimp through cilantro). Add dressing and gently toss to coat. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and/or pepper, if desired.

3.      Serve with tortilla chips (optional)

Gazpacho: Let me count the ways!

While we're still enjoying peak tomato-- and other produce -- season, let's not forget the pleasures of a well made cold, spicy soup. Gazpacho also is a veggie plate in a bowl and super healthy. Traditional recipes often use bread as an ingredient in the blended soup, but there are many other ways to make it.
I was reminded of the versatility of gazpacho by this article in the Health section of the Times last week, which has links to a variety of riffs on this summer standby, most made in a blender but others just chopped veggies in some kind of juice -- or the veggies' own juices.

Included are such delights as Chipotle Gazpacho; Tomatillo, Tomato and Avocado Gazpacho; and Blender Gazpacho with Celery, Carrot, Cucumber and Red Pepper ("essentially a tangy, pungent vegetable smoothie").
Here's one of the recipes!

RECIPE: BEET AND TOMATO GAZPACHO

Ingredients:

2 slices red or white onion

1 large beet (about 6 ounces), roasted

1 small (6 ounces) cucumber or 1/2 long European cucumber peeled and coarsely chopped

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered

2 sticks celery, coarsely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, halved, green germs removed

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus a little extra for the onion

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

1/2 to 1 cup ice water

For garnish:

1/2 cup diced cucumber

Slivered fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

1. Put the onion slices in a bowl, cover with cold water and add a few drops of vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cut in half or into smaller pieces.

2. Working in two batches, blend all of the ingredients except the garnishes in a blender for 2 minutes or longer, until smooth and frothy. Transfer to a bowl or container (a metal bowl is the most efficient for chilling), thin out with more water if desired, and chill for at least 2 hours before eating. Garnish each bowl or glass with diced cucumber and slivered fresh mint leaves.

Yield: Serves 6

Maximizing summer's bounty

Stuffed peppers (poor photo -- sorry!)

Corn, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, peaches, eggplant -- these are just a few of the fresh, local produce now available at farmers' markets nationwide.
I like to make a big pot of succotash -- or what I call "soycotash" because I use edamame instead of Lima beans -- for a delicious side dish, using many of the above ingredients.
It's fairly simple although it does require a lot of knife work. Cut the kernels off a few ears of corn, slice 2 medium zucchini or yellow squashes, dice a red bell pepper, 1/2 onion and mince a few cloves of fresh garlic. Saute all those ingredients in canola oil, add a cup of frozen, thawed edamame along with seasonings (salt, pepper, chopped herbs of your choice) and voila!
With the leftovers, I made this 'tash-stuffed bell pepper as a vegetarian entree. I added a chopped jalapeno pepper to the succotash to give this dish a bit of a kick.

Recipe: Peppers Stuffed with Succotash
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 large red bell peppers (halved lengthwise, stems left intact, seeds and ribs removed)
3-4 cups succotash
1 cup grated Monterey Jack or mozarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peppers, cut side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until peppers just becoming tender. Set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Stir the cheese into the succotash, then divide the succotash among the pepper halves. Place in prepared baking dish.
Add 2-3 T water to the dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes, until heated through. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes longer. Serve!

It's time for a summer treat

When okra shows up at farmers' markets, I crave gumbo. Although you can make the hearty stew with frozen okra, I've always waited for the fresh, local crop. Make extra to freeze some to have when the weather cools down. It's sooooo satisfying and yummy. 
And it uses other peak-of-season produce, too: pepper, onion, garlic and tomatoes, plus thyme and parsley.

Recipe: Seafood and Chicken Gumbo

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lb. okra, trimmed and sliced (about 4 cups)
4 T canola oil or butter, or a mix, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 T flour
4 cups chicken stock, heated
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 T each chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) and parsley
1 large bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 lb. uncooked shrimp (peeled and deveined), crabmeat, or chicken (boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces), or any combination of these
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Tabasco or other hot sauce, or more to taste

Instructions:

1.      Heat 2T oil/butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add okra and sauté, stirring often, for about 8-10 minutes until “roping” (thin strands of white substance) subsides. Set aside.

2.      Heat remaining oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pepper, garlic and onion and sauté until veggies turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

3.      Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, herbs, salt, and reserved okra.

4.      Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5.      Stir in shrimp, chicken and/or crabmeat, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes until meat is tender. Be careful not to overcook shrimp.

6.      Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf, stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Add more salt if necessary.

7.      Ladle into bowls over white or brown rice. Pass more hot sauce at the table.

Note: To kick up the flavor a bit, you can add one large Andouille sausage, diced, during step 2.

Fish Tacos with 2 Fresh Salsas

Whether you prefer meat, chicken, fish or beans/tofu as the protein in your tacos, summer is the perfect time for tacos. You won't overheat your kitchen putting this meal together and -- best of all, I think -- you'll use a lovely array of peak-of-the-season produce in the salsa accompaniment.

Here's the step-by-step for delicious tacos:
1. Be sure to use trans-fat free taco shells. Put as many as you intend to use -- we went with three per person -- on a baking sheet and heat in low (300 degree) oven or toaster oven for 5-7 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
2. Cook fish (I used tilapia) or other protein in a frying pan, seasoning just with salt and pepper.
3. Make fresh salsa #1 (this one is served cold or room temperature): Cut kernels off one ear of corn and mix with one seeded, minced jalapeno, juice of 1 lime, 1/2 cucumber (peeled, seeded and diced) and 1 clove minced garlic. Add salt stir well. Place in serving bowl.
4. Make fresh salsa #2 (served warm or hot): In pan where you cooked the fish, add 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved), 1 minced chipotle or other hot chili pepper and stir well. Cook just until tomatoes heat through. Add 1 cup chopped cantaloupe and 2 T chopped cilantro. Remove from heat and place in serving bowl.
5. Put everything on the table and let folks make their own tacos. Include shredded cheese and lettuce as options, if desired.

Serve with cold beer, iced tea or any other cold beverage of your choice.