A Cool Summer Salad of Rice, Fresh Corn, Cherry Tomatoes and Red Onion

Rice has so much potential.  It's not just a side, but available for pudding, main dish, or even sushi.  Usually I cook a blend of white Bismati, brown long grain and wild, just for interest's sake, but often have a bunch left over.  That can become fried rice, or just be re-heated as an accompaniment, however my salad was a delightful development, especially in this weather, when I don't want to turn my oven on at all.

 We've been getting some wonderful fresh corn in our market, so when I thought of a rice salad, the combinations of mesoamerica came to mind.  Corn, yes!  Lovely little tomatoes, olives and yellow bell pepper all started flying out of my fridge.

Avocado Pineapple Salad with Mint and Hawaiian Chili Pepper

This was the best curry accompaniment.  There were extra avocados from my sister's tree, and of course our fabulous white pineapples are happening at the moment, so with Eggplant Curry on the menu for dinner, I got inspired by what was on hand for side dishes.  Okra from my garden, and this chutney thing.  Mint goes so well with pineapple, and a bit of chili gave it the right amount of zip.  I'm thinking this salad would also be perfect with Mexican food, say a big dish of enchiladas or carnitas.  Oh yes.

A very small pineapple was used.  Some of mine are very large, and some are like this.  I've heard that a plant will produce smaller fruit in years following the first.  Don't know for sure, but it seems that way.  I let the chopped pineapple macerate overnight with a minced Hawaiian chili pepper.  Also very small.

I'm combating some strange virus at the moment, so will keep this short.  Just whip yourself up some

Avocado Pineapple Salad or Salsa

1 large or 2 small avocados, roughly mashed
1 small red chili pepper, seeded and minced
2 cups pineapple, cored and chopped into fairly small pieces
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

You can let the pineapple sit in a glass jar with the chili pepper overnight if you like, but it's not absolutely necessary.  Just mix everything together and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.  This goes over to Week-end Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Chris from Mele Cotte.  Check out the round-up next Monday for some very interesting and delicious posts.

Making Kefir, for Salad Dressing, Lassi, Cheese, Curried Pumpkin Soup

The latest exciting discovery around here is the awesome benefit of keeping a kefir culture going, drinking and doing stuff with it.  On the benefit subject, Bob has had stomach problems for over 20 years, taking Zantac, Prilosec, Tums, antacids, baking soda, etc. etc., daily, and still waking up at night with indigestion.  He has no more of that!  As a side note, he also says it has eliminated his sugar craving. Of course, this solution is of no monetary value to the drug industry.  Sorry you doctors out there, but I do think you should take your heads out of the drug basket, and have a look at other solutions. 

A client of his had mentioned making kefir in front of our grandson, who declared an interest in doing it himself, and was given some of the starter culture (pictured above).  Then, when the boy went off to camp last month, I agreed to babysit his new pet, and Bob started drinking kefir (the client had told him it was good for indigestion/acid reflux).  So, now we have our own culture going and his stomach thing is over.  Sleeping through the night and able to eat without constant indigestion.  An answer to prayer.

Cold Borscht with Chive Blossoms and Dill for Cook the Books Club

Garden Spells, by Sarah Addison Allen, our current Cook the Books Club selection, is another CTB pick in the tradition of food as magic, such as The Last Chinese Chef and Like Water for Chocolate.  I am a sucker for a bit of the miraculous in life, and, this little gem of a novel certainly cast it's spell.  I went right out and read every one of her other books, after finishing it.  Got to love a book that mixes up a spellbinding plot with romance and good food.

Allen's story line about a magically gifted Southern family was unique enough to hold my interest, and her characters were well conceived, not at all predictable, but flawed, believable yet sympathetic human beings, who struggle with the emotional baggage we all carry, grow and come out changed for the better.  Even the apple tree had personality.

There was plenty to inspire our culinary interest as well.  My first thought was to do stuffed zucchini flowers, but the snails got all of the starts we put out.  I should cook them, the little devils.  But her mention of chive blossoms was a revelation.  I'd had no idea you could eat the flowers, or that they would be so delicious, carrying a more assertive jolt of the chive flavor.  I will never pass up that opportunity again.  Mine are garlic chives, sometimes called Chinese chives, and have white flowers, rather than the lavender blooms of standard chives.

I thought how lovely they would look floating on a bowl of chilled beet soup.  In the Russian/Estonian/etc. tradition with dill and cucumber, it would be perfect for our summer weather.  And, anyone with hurt feelings at dinner might be soothed.  Also the dill helps digestion and was thought to ward off any evil eyes lurking about, as per my Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs.

Tamale Pie with Cacao Sprinkles and Pina Colada Sorbet

Pineapples are making their presence known around here, so we'll be making jam and sorbet and upside down cake, salsa, but best of all is just fresh, sweet and juicy.  If it gets to be overwhelming, I make wine.  These are Hawaii's select White Pineapples - on top of the pineapple charts, ambrosia really.  I have quite a few planted, in borders, around trees and in their own patch.  Every time I pull off a top, it gets planted somewhere, so over the years the numbers keep increasing.

I thought a Pina Colada Sorbet would be just the perfect dessert Sunday after my Tamale Pie.  Coconut cream, pineapple juice, some agave nectar and a bit of rum.  Outstanding really, it was light, refreshing, and tasted just like a Pina Colada.

Grilled Brats with Sauerkraut and Apples on Egg Noodles

We Daring Chefs were busy this month whipping up homemade noodles.  Mine were fun.  First I did Fazzoletti with Pesto and fresh corn.  However, not being all that happy with the result (my pesto was a flop), went on to this dish.  It is definitely something you can do with any extra brats you grilled on the week-end.

 Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks' July hostess.  Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine.  She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with!

I have come to the conclusion, after this noodle experience, that you want to make your pasta early in the week, or the day.  As I did with the second batch.  Then, after freezing or chilling, when you are not in the middle of  your dinner prep,  the pasta is just a part of your mise en place.  A done deal...almost.

I made the Fazzoletti right along with the rest of my dinner, and it does jam things a bit.  The remainder of the batch waited until early the next day, when I rolled out some wide tagliatelle for the Brats with Apples dish.  I used a classic egg noodle recipe, though 1/4 cup of the flour was whole wheat spelt.

Fried Green Tomatoes and Salad of Arugula, Avocado, BBQ Chicken Slices and Gorgonzola

I didn't even get everything in that title.  This salad also had romaine and radishes.  Altogether a nice combination, especially with the side of Fried Green Tomatoes.  I loved that movie, and have been (in the back of my mind - the food file) wanting to give them a try ever since.  So, humming along the produce aisle the other day, I came upon the fruit and veggie guy unloading tomatoes into a bin, and there were these green ones in with the ripe reds.  Why would anyone pick tomatoes that green, unless for this dish?  Tell me that.  Tomatoes should ripen on the vine, shouldn't they?  Am I naive?  At any rate,  you now have the back story on my supper.  I'm sure you all were curious.

As for our salad,  I had  left-over Teriyaki Chicken, since Bob has been Barbecuing almost every weekend, some fresh arugula and Gorgonzola, which sounded like the perfect accompaniment for our fried side.  You do not need to buy prepared barbecue sauce.  I am going to divulge my secret Teriyaki Chicken recipe here (this is almost a staple in Hawaii).  We'll start with that.  Cooked chicken is not all that photogenic however, so just imagine the scent and flavors coming off your grill.  Unbeatable really. 

Daring Potato Salad?

At first thought, Potato Salad doesn't sound like all that much of a challenge.  I decided to re-think the same old same old, and see how my regular recipe could be improved.

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

Normally, I boil the potatoes, add some chopped veggies and toss everything with mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper, etc. before refrigerating.  Just for the heck of it I checked my old Joy of Cooking to see how far off I've been from a standard.  Low and behold, the correct technique should be to toss the still warm potatoes with vinaigrette, let them cool a bit, add the vegetables if any, refrigerate, then add your mayonnaise dressing when the salad is cold.   Brilliant idea, as the oil and vinegar, plus herbs can be absorbed by the warm potatoes, before adding any mayonnaise.

Coriander Scallops with Passionate Ginger Dressing

Sometimes I post more during a given month and sometimes less.  Perhaps less to say, fewer outstanding recipes to pass on, or just lazy?  Anyway, it is better to say nothing, when you don't have something worthwhile to share.  There are a few old proverbs attesting to that.  In this case, the recipe is fine, I just didn't take many photos, not being all that happy with my camera.  Blame it on the Scotch in me, but as long as the thing is actually working, there is absolutely no justification for purchasing a new one.  Then my daughter had to demonstrate the camera on her Droid, which it turns out, beats out most decent CAMERA cameras.  And, this is a phone? 

At any rate,  I am continually trying out new recipes, either from magazines, other blogs, or from my cookbook collection, though Bob would rather I stuck with some tried and true favorites.  But, he's usually a good sport, and the ultimate recipe critic.  If a weency bit of whatever is being pushed around on his plate, the verdict is pretty obvious.  Doesn't need to say a word.  Sometimes I'm in agreement.  Most of the time, actually.  So, last night two recipes were tried.  One for Stuffed Artichokes, which sounded delicious in the write-up, but were on the ho hum side.  Then there was this salad of scallops seared with a crushed coriander coating and zippy dressing of passion fruit and ginger.  A "keeper", folks.