The Marinated Bean Salad is pretty much the reason why I grow lemon flavored sorrel on my farm. I was introduced to this dish by Chef Ted McCormack at one of his cooking classes. He now owns Toot Sweet in Hampton, if you'd like to try any more of his wonderful cooking.
The Kusa meal is not really a summer dish, but the Kusa is available then. I like to freeze the squash, for an easy meal to throw together in the winter. It warms my soul.
The last recipe is a Mexican Red Sauce, from the Moosewood Cookbook, that goes excellent with enchiladas and other Mexican dishes. The tomato crop has been so great this year, this was an nice alternative sauce to make. I also froze quite a bit of it. It will save MUCHO time in the winter for making delicious homemade enchiladas.
Marinated Bean Salad
Serves six
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb fresh green and yellow beans
1 bulb garlic, chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 cup sorrel, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Procedure:
1. Wash and trim stems off beans. Blanch beans in boiling salted water 3-4 minutes, drain and shock in ice water. Drain beans from ice water and reserve in serving bowl.
2. Combine garlic, parsley, sorrel, vinegar, salt, and pepper in mixing bowl.
3. Whisk in olive oil and taste for seasoning.
4. Toss beans with dressing to marinate.
5. Cut cherry tomatoes in halves and mix into bean salad.
Kusa is a middle eastern version of zucchini. I fell in love with it from a past Lebanese neighbor and good friend. An old blog of mine describes it in detail. It's one my of favorite savory meals. The description for the meal is found at Seacoast Eat Local's website/blog.
Mexican Red Sauce
from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
3 cups chopped tomatoes (4-6 medium-sized ones) - peeling and seeding optional
1 cup water or tomato juice
black pepper and cayenne to taste
4 to 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
optional: freshly minced cilantro, for the top
Procedure:
1. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add onion and salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add cumin and chili powder, and saute about 5 minute more.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and water or juice. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and lower heat. Simmer at least 30 minutes (or even longer). Add the black pepper, cayenne, and garlic at anytime during the cooking. (The later you add the garlic, the more distint its presence.) Add the cilantro when you are finished cooking the sauce.
3. The sauce can be left in chunky form, or you can puree all or part of it in a blender or food processor.
Now the sauce is ready to top your favorite Mexican dish!