Barley Salad

With all the local vegetables available now, there’s no better time for a barley salad. Whether you use tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, zucchini, carrots, onions, mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, or green beans, the general technique is the same.

Boil a cup of barley in some lightly salted water for about 25 minutes, or until tender, then drain. Make the dressing by whisking together about a half a cup of olive oil with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, a couple splashes of red wine vinegar, a minced garlic clove, and salt and pepper.

Prep your vegetables by cutting up the ones that can be eaten raw, and sautéing the others until cooked through. You can serve it warm, room temperature, or right out of the fridge the next day, simply combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with a generous handful of chopped parsley. Feta, parmesan, or toasted nuts never hurt if you happen to have some around.

Lebanese Tarator Sauce

I read about this tahini based sauce a few months ago and have since served it over lamb, fish, chicken, and vegetables….I love it! And it lasts in the fridge for up to 10 days, so make lots.

In a food processor combine a ½ cup of tahini, a 1/3 of a cup of water, the juice of two lemons, three chopped garlic cloves, a half a teaspoon of salt, and a pinch or two of cayenne. Run until very smooth, about a minute. Add a generous handful of chopped parsley and quickly pulse two or three times. Use liberally.

Tomatoes, Basil, and Ricotta

The hot days of summer are here, as are the tomatoes. They’re so good you really don’t need anything more than some extra virgin olive oil, basil, and salt. But give yourself a treat, and next time throw on a big spoonful of Maplebrook, or any local ricotta. Tomato season is a short one, don’t let a day go by without some.

Coconut Rice

Being pretty much all white, it’s hard to make coconut rice look good in a photo on its own, so here it is under some fried swordfish. But whatever you put it under, it rocks! And the spicier the dish, the better it tastes  with the rice. I can’t believe I had never made it before, super easy too.

It works best to make at least a cup and a half of rice so you use a full can of coconut milk. Measure out the coconut milk, then add enough water for a total of 3 cups of liquid. Pour it into a small pot and bring to a boil. Add a cup and a half of white rice and stir. Once it starts to boil, cover, turn down the heat, then simmer for approximately twenty minutes. Once all the water is absorbed, stir in a generous handful of shredded coconut, turn off the heat, and let sit covered for another five minutes.

Any leftover rice will last a week in the fridge, and cooked up with some pineapple and veggies, makes a great summer fried rice.