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)

Tomato season, Part 3: Roasted with fennel and mixed with white beans

Here's a one-dish dinner -- we had it with the zucchini salad at right and toasted Italian bread -- that uses farm-fresh cherry tomatoes and delicious fennel (a.k. a. anise). Near the end, add a can of drained and rinsed white beans. I adapted the recipe from a recent issue of Bon Appetit. For wine, we opened a bottle of Sicilian red, a fruit-forward wine called Pinocchio (like the puppet).

Recipe: Roasted Tomatoes with Fennel and White Beans (Serves 2, can easily be doubled)
Ingredients:
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, cut in half vertically and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, any color
3 T oregano leaves (or 1 T dried oregano)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 T chopped fennel fronds
Salt, if needed

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add fennel wedges and cook until fennel browns on one side. Turn carefully with tongs and brown the other side.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Stir in tomatoes, garlic, oregano and red pepper; add a little salt, if desired.
Place pan in oven and roast until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Remove pan carefully, stir in beans and half the fennel fronds and return pan to oven to let the beans heat. (That should only be another 5 minutes or so.)
Take pan out of the oven and transfer contents to a large serving bowl, sprinkling remaining fennel fronds over the top.
The dish can be served warm or at room temperature.

Tomato season joys, Part 2: In a salad with avocado dressing

I had a very ripe avocado -- too ripe to toss cubes in a salad -- and thus I mashed it into an impromptu "green goddess" dressing to drizzle over slices of farm-fresh tomatoes, lemon cucumber (but any cuke will do) and a few spinach leaves.

Recipe: Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Avocado Dressing Serves 2

For the dressing:
1/2 very ripe avocado, peeled
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup half-and-half (I use fat-free)
Juice of 1/2 lime (tip: heat in microwave for 10-15 seconds to extract more juice)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
Salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with a spoon until it's fairly smooth. Stir in next 4 ingredients (yogurt through oil) and mix well, using a whisk or a spoon.
Stir in tarragon, salt and pepper

For the salad:
1 large, ripe tomato, cut in half and thinly sliced.
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
3 cups baby spinach leaves
4-6 small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut in half if desired

Gently toss tomato, cucumber and spinach in a large bowl and divide into serving bowls. Sprinkle the cheese over each serving and drizzle with the dressing.

Revel in tomato season, Part 1: Pasta w/ fresh tomato sauce

This simple recipe combines sauteed zucchini, bell pepper and garlic with chopped fresh tomatoes (uncooked) and seasonings, tossed with cooked pasta and topped with crumbled cheese.

The pure flavors of the tomatoes -- a combination of red and yellow ones here, but you can use all red or all yellow -- really comes through loud and clear.



Recipe: Bow-tie Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
2 scant cups bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock/broth
2 T chopped basil
1 T chopped parsley
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles

Instructions:
Cook and drain pasta; set aside and keep warm.
In a large skillet, saute zucchini, pepper and garlic on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, until zucchini starts to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in reserved pasta plus the stock or broth. Stir gently until dish is heated through, about 3 minutes, then remove pan from heat.
Add tomatoes and herbs to skillet and stir gently.
Spoon mixture into serving bowls, adjust seasoning as needed, and sprinkle with cheese.
Pass more cheese at table, if desired.
Serve with crusty Italian bread and a green salad.

Wine pairing: A crisp white wine or a dry rose will go great with this dish.

Cantaloupe Caprese

Tomato-and-mozzarella salad (caprese) is one of the simple pleasures of summer. This week, I added cubes of cantaloupe and we loved the sweet flavor boost. With a minimum of oil -- actually, I didn't add any -- it was a low-calorie delight.

Recipe: Cantaloupe Caprese
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3-4 large heirloom tomatoes, any variety, cut into wedges (I like a mix of varieties)
1 cup, more or less, fresh mozzarella cubes
2 cups cantaloupe cubes
2 T chopped basil, or mint, or a mix of both
2 T good quality balsamic vinegar
Drizzle of olive oil, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:
In a large bowl, gently stir the tomatoes, cheese cubes and cantaloupe. Sprinkle the basil on top, then the other ingredients. Toss gently and serve immediately.

Note: You can refrigerate the salad for a couple of hours if you need to, but tomatoes are never as good once they've been refrigerated. The whole thing tastes best at room temperature!

What to do with all these marvelous tomatoes?

Lots of fresh tomatoes: it's a great problem to have.
Tomato season is so short, really -- just a couple of months at most. Here in Ohio, the many beautiful heirloom varieties are showing up at all our farmers' markets and even in some supermarkets. I buy some twice a week: on Saturdays at Findlay Market, and a supplemental supply at the Northside Market on Wednesday afternoons.

Most of the time, we eat them sliced with a little salt and pepper, maybe some olive oil. Once a week or so I'll cut them into wedges, add chunks of fresh mozzarella and drizzle the dish with olive oil, high quality balsamic vinegar and chopped basil.
However, there may be times when you'd like to use your lovely tomatoes for something a little different. Check out this recipe for tomato and corn pie.

EASIER VERSION:
Note: If you're not up for making a crust from scratch, buy a good quality, whole-wheat crust from a good grocery store, such as Trader Joe's or Bigg's (my favorites where we live). If you're not making a crust, start the recipe at Step 4, but be sure to bake the crust before you add the filling.

Recipe: Tomato-Corn Pie
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Crust

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear; see Tip) or frozen
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. To prepare crust: Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add oil and water and gradually stir them in to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, preferably deep-dish, and press into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any overhanging crust. Line the dough with a piece of foil or parchment paper large enough to lift out easily; fill evenly with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil or paper and weights. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
4. To prepare filling: Whisk eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Sprinkle half the cheese over the crust, then layer half the tomatoes evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle with corn, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Layer the remaining tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
5. Bake the pie until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.