Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest (from about 1 lime) 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes) 1 tablespoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Tortilla or pita chips, for serving

3 cups seeded and finely chopped watermelon 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped 8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:
1 Stir together the lime zest, lime juice, sugar and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Add the watermelon,
cucumber, mango, jalapeno, onion and basil and toss gently. Chill the salsa until ready to serve.
2 Add the garlic salt just before serving. Serve with chips.

Classic Matzo Brei Recipe - NYT Cooking

Best with sautéed onions and served savory. The sweet version is less appealing, to me.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018671-classic-matzo-brei

apple and berry crumble (gluten-free and good!)

apple and berry crumble

LINK here.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

For the crumble: - 85g hard margarine (or butter if not dairy-free)

- 170g gluten-free plain flour

- 70g light brown sugar

- 3 tsps ground cinnamon

- 50g gluten-free oats (if you can’t tolerate oats these can be removed)

-40g pecan nuts, chopped (optional)

For the fruit:

-300g cooking apples (you can use other apples if you prefer)

- 30g hard margarine (or butter if not dairy-free)

- 30g light brown sugar

- 70g blackberries

- 70g raspberries (you can change the berries up if you want)

-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Step 1: Rub together the margarine (or butter, if not dairy-free) and gluten-free plain flour. Do this until it forms a breadcrumb texture. Step 2

Step 2: Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, oats and pecans (if using). Put to one side while you tend to your fruit. Step 3S

Step 3: Peel and chop the apples. (The smaller you chop them the more of a compote texture you’ll get. You can leave them a little chunkier, but they still totally soften once cooked.) Step

Step 4: Place 30g hard margarine (or butter) and 30g sugar into a saucepan and gently melt them together. Once melted, leave on a medium heat for a couple of minutes so it starts to caramelise a little. Step

Step 5: Add the chopped apples and .1/4 tsp of cinnamon to the saucepan. Stir for 2-3 minutes before adding the berries. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes – some of the berries will start to break up a bit. St

Step 6: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Step

Step 7: Place all your fruit and any juices in an ovenproof dish (you can use a skillet but any dish would be fine). Top with the crumble mixture evenly and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The top should be a little golden and the fruit all cooked. Step

Step 8: Serve with your choice of custard, ice cream or cream. 

Blueberry Cream Pie (refrigerator!)

1 1/4 c. whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
9-inch graham-cracker crust

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, cook milk, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in vanilla and 1 Tbsp. of the butter. Transfer custard to a shallow dish, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate 2 hours.

1. Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup blueberries with remaining 2/3 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. cornstarch and the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 2 minutes to thicken, stirring often. Stir in lemon juice and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter; remove from heat and let cool. Gently stir in remaining 3 cups berries.

1. Spread cold custard into the bottom of the graham-cracker crust. Top with berry mixture and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

https://inspiredbycharm.com/a-year-of-pie-blueberry-cream-pie/

spring salad with new potatoes

2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a mix of reds and yukon golds)
1 pound asparagus
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced

Pickled spring onions
3 spring onions (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand; use less if you’re using Morton or table salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Sharp mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille make a whole seed one I’m tremendously fond of)
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they’re almost room temperature. You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.

Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions. Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar together in the bottom of a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Cover and put in fridge until you’re ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, even better. Reserve the onion greens.

Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here’s to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus. One minute later, add the sugar snap peas. Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled. Drain the vegetables and spread them out on towel to absorb excess water.

Slice the cooked asparagus spears and sugar snaps into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl. Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Cut the radishes as thinly as possible, with a mandoline if you have one. If they’re especially big (mine were), you can first quarter them lengthwise. Cut some of the reserved onion greens into thin slivers (no need to use all of them, as the onion flavor might take over) and add them to the bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste. (You may find you don’t want to use all of it.) Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please, save the rest for anything and everything. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Eat and enjoy!.

Do ahead: Pickles can be started in the day or days before. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables. Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but I might wait until the last minute to toss it with the vegetables as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.

from Smitten Kitchen: https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/spring-salad-with-new-potatoes/

pasta salad with roasted tomatoes

Serves 8

Roasted tomatoes
4 cups (about 680 grams) grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt

Oregano dressing
1 big clove or 2 small cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano (if you can find it, Sicilian is my favorite)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil

Assembly
1 pound (455 grams) dried pasta, a bite-sized shape of your choosing (I used reginetti), cooked until 1 to 2 minutes before doneness and drained
6 ounces (170 grams) crumbled salty cheese, such as ricotta salata, feta, queso fresco
1/2 cup (70 grams) pine nuts, well-toasted and cooled
1/2 cup (70 grams) pitted and rough-chopped olives of your choice (I used gaeta here, but like them even more when oil-cured)
Salt and pepper
Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Roast tomatoes: Heat oven to 300°F (150°C). Cover 1 to 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Cut each small tomato in half lengthwise and arrange cut side up in a single layer on prepared sheets. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven for approximately 90 minutes, until somewhat shriveled and dry to the touch, but not fully dehydrated. Set aside until needed, letting them cool. [Note, if you pine nuts are not yet toasted, you can place them in the oven for the last 10 minutes, shaking them once or twice for even coloring. Let cool as well before using.]

Make dressing: Roughly chop the garlic on a cutting board, then add oregano, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Mince the mixture with your knife until it’s a grainy herb paste. Transfer to a small bowl, whisk in lemon juice and vinegar, then slowly drizzle in oil, whisking the whole time. Taste and adjust as needed; you might need more salt or vinegar. You want a strongly flavored dressing that won’t get lost in that big bowl of ingredients.

Assemble salad: In a giant bowl, place drained pasta, roasted tomatoes, cheese, pine nuts and olives and toss gently to combine. Add dressing to taste, along with any extra salt and pepper needed. Finish with basil. Salad can be eaten right away, but will keep in the fridge up to 3 days. This is also perfect for picnics and potlucks, as it can handle being out in the sun without going south.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/05/pasta-salad-with-roasted-tomatoes/

Corn Salad with Chile and Lime from SmittenKitchen

If you cannot find cotija, use queso fresco, ricotta salata, feta, or another crumbly sharp cheese. Most cotija is salty and a little funky; I didn’t need any salt in my sauce below the corn, but with a milder cheese, you probably will.

• 1/2 a small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Slightly heaped 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 medium ears corn, shucked
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 ounces (heaped 1/2 cup) crumbled cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1 lime, halved
• Tajín seasoning or chile powder
• Handful of fresh cilantro leaves

Combine red onion, red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons cold water, salt, and sugar in a bowl or jar. Set in fridge until needed. Onions will be very lightly pickled by the time you’re done assembling the salad, but if you can give it 1 to 2 hours in the fridge, they’ll be moreso.

Heat a grill to medium-high. Lightly oil grill grates and place corn cobs directly on them. Cook corn until charred in spots all over, turning as often as needed. Transfer them to a cutting board to cool slightly. Don’t have a grill? I have often charred corn directly over the gas flame on my stove (be careful; it will crackle and spatter a little). You oven’s broiler, should it be more robust than mine, might also work for the task.

While you’re grilling your corn, combine sour cream, mayo, and cotija cheese. Spread on the bottom of your serving plate. Cut corn corn from cobs with a sharp knife and heap it over the cheese spread on the platter. Squeeze the juice of half a lime all over, then scatter the corn with pickled onion rings from the fridge. Generously shake Tajín or chile powder all over; if you’re using plain chile powder, season with salt and an extra squeeze of lime, too. Top with cilantro leaves. Cut remaining lime half into wedges and serve alongside. Eat right away — while the dressing is cold and the corn is hot

Link: https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/07/corn-salad-with-chile-and-lime/