Beet and Arugula Salad

The sweet richness of the beets pairs beautifully with the sharp bite of arugula in this fast, simple salad.

Prep time (Not including cooking the beets!)  10 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
3 cups cooked beets cut into 1/2" chunks (about 2 large beets)
1 cup chopped fresh arugula
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss the beets, arugula, almonds, and Parmesan with the lemon juice and olive oil.  Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Real Greek Salad

 






In Greek mythology, Prometheus deceives Zeus by giving him the choice between two offerings. One offering was skin and bones, covered with snow-white fat. The other was the edible beef, covered with unappetizing entrails. Zeus chose the pile covered with fat, and was angry to find the contents. Today some local restaurants seem to offer a similar choice, where a seductive layer of cheese in a “Greek” salad hides greenish tomatoes, soggy cucumbers, and (sacrilege) Iceberg Lettuce!

For years I thought this was what a Greek salad should be, but then happy chance brought me to the real thing. I remember it like it was yesterday. At the outdoor Greek restaurant, we were served what I thought at first was a simple platter of vegetables, resplendent with chunks of juicy tomato, cucumbers, savory onion, and crisp sweet peppers, all topped with fresh basil and Kalamata olives, and glistening with olive oil and wine vinegar. On this masterpiece reclined a wedge of feta so creamy I wanted to eat it alone. I looked around at other tables: one man carefully assembled a bite that included every ingredient. We attempted the same. It was the best Greek salad I’ve ever tasted, and since then I make them (and eat them) the same way.

Prep time:  15 minutes
Serves:  6-8 (can easily be scaled up or down)

INGREDIENTS
2 fresh tomatoes cut into bite size chunks
2 fresh green bell peppers, seeds removed, cut into bite size chunks
1 fresh cucumber, half peeled into “stripes”, split lengthwise, and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 a large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut into 1/4" pieces
Fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
About 25 Kalamata olives
4-5 ounces block Feta cheese, cut into chunks
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, and basil, drizzle to taste with vinegar and olive oil, and mix. Top with olives and wedges of Feta, and salt and pepper to taste.

Devour while contemplating the origins of democracy.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Salad Martini

Want to serve gorgeous fresh salad vegetables in a new way? Make that salad something to toast! Obviously this is more about presentation than recipe, but isn't fun part of the objective?

Prep time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 8+ (depending on the size of your glasses!)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 of a small head fresh green cabbage (about 2 cups, shredded)
2 apples, cored and roughly sliced
5-6 radicchio leaves
2-3 carrots, scrubbed (peeled if necessary)
1 small sweet onion (about 1/2 cup when shredded
Vinaigrette (your favorite)

DIRECTIONS
Run all these ingredients through a food processor using the thin slice wheel. Toss with vinaigrette and serve as a toast to farm fresh produce.

Variations: Wow - limited only by your choice of processor-friendly vegetables. Or add chopped chicken, hard boiled egg, and/or bacon can call it a meal.

Photo & Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbs and Feta

This colorful salad looks as good as it tastes. 

Prep time:  15 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch chunks (about 3 cups)
1 - 1 1/2 cups greens and herbs, coarsely chopped.  I used:
3/4 cup chopped arugula
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt to taste
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Place the tomatoes and greens in a serving bowl, drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil, and gently toss.  Serve, sprinkling with feta, salt and pepper.

Note:  Vary the herbs, and the proportions, according to your taste.  As long as the total volume is between 1 and 1 1/2 cups, you'll reach the right balance.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Harvest Season Slaw

Can you say Crrrrunch?

Prep time:  25 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 bulbs (about 2 cups) shredded fennel bulb and lower portion of the stems
2 apples, cored, sliced, and shredded
2 ears cooked corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded sweet onion
mint leaves, one leaf for each year of age of the cook, chopped
juice from two lemons (about 4 TB)
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Get busy with your food processor, using the thin slice disk.  Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl, and toss with lemon juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Then crunch.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Black Bean and Corn Salad

--> Submitted by Karen Manor

Served at the Powisset Barn Dinner, August 24, 2013


2 16-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 bag frozen corn, thawed (or fresh corn in season)

1 green pepper, sliced into 1-inch strips

2 stalks celery, sliced

4-5 scallions or red onion, sliced/chopped

1-2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/8 cup olive oil

½ cup mild or medium salsa

Freshly chopped cilantro, to taste

Salt/pepper to taste



Prepare up to 2 to 4 hours in advance, if possible. I like to add the tomatoes just before serving. Enjoy!

Beet Salad with Fried Capers & Sage

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick









Cooked beets are a terrific foundation for many dishes.  This quick salad brings a melange of flavors, and could serve as either a side dish or a light entree.

Prep time:  10 minutes (not including time required to cook beets!)
Cook time:  10 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
4-5 TB olive oil3 TB chopped fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup capers, drained
3 cups cooked beets, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 large or 4 medium-size beets)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat and cook the sage for 1-2 minutes, or until sage leaves are crisp.  Add the capers and beets and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beets are heated through.  Add the walnuts, salt, and pepper, and stir to mix (this can be done in a serving bowl.)

Serve, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese. 

Corn, Cucumber, & Escarole Salad

Simple is good.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Serves:  4 as a salad side dish

INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
5-6 large leaves escarole, coarsely chopped(or lettuce/endive/arugula, etc)
1 cup cooked corn
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 TB pine nuts
2 TB shredded Parmesan
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine cues, escarole, corn, parsley, pine nuts, and Parmesan in your serving bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, and toss lightly to combine.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Tip:  one ear of cooked corn, leftover from last night, yields just enough kernels for this salad.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Salad of Arugula, Apple, Cabbage, & Carrots

Parsley & Apple Salad

For years I fell into the trap of looking at parsley as a garnish, when really it deserves the spotlight as a primary ingredient. It's pungent flavor and crunchy-chewy texture marries beautifully with the sweetness of fall apples and the richness of toasted almonds.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch parsley, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 large crisp apple, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Vinaigrette (your favorite)

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Fresh Veg Chef Salad

Crunchy-creamy and satisfying, this hearty salad will keep you going.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2, easily scaled

2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 sweet pepper, 1/4 inch dice
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup toasted almonds (or other nuts)
Your favorite vinaigrette
Parmesan for topping

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Fennel & Chicken Slaw

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










This crisp, cool, savory salad is perfect for summer weather.

INGREDIENTS
1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 fennel bulb, sectioned, rinsed, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup parsley, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
1/4 cup dry toasted, sliced almonds
a handful fresh basil leaves, minced (about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
DIRECTIONS
Mix the chicken, fennel, parsley, onion, almonds, and basil in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix the garlic, mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, and dill. Scrape this dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to mix, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a dry rose' or dry white wine and enjoy this salad, as you survey the view from the shade of your Provencal farmhouse. Or, in our case, as you survey the tailgate lot outside of Gillette Stadium before a Revs game.

Tip: A food processor equipped with the thin slice disk is a good tool for preparing this salad.

Salad of Beets, Cucumbers and Greens

Beets are nutritious and versatile. Keep a container of cooked beets in the fridge, and you're a few chops away from a colorful salad like this.

Flower Bed Salad

Who says you have to just look at flowers? Plant the right ones, and you can EAT them.

This salad changes with the season, but the ingredients below are a fair representation. This colorful mixture is filled with flavor and just shouts “healthy!” Italian or oil-based dressing may be used in place of the vinegar & oil. Make sure the flowers have not been treated with pesticides you wouldn't want to eat!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

1 head lettuce, washed and dried, leaves chopped into 2 inch pieces

2 cups spinach leaves, washed, dried, and chopped

1 apple, cored and sliced thinly

10 grape tomatoes, halved

1 handful arugula leaves, washed and dried

2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

8 fresh, young Nasturtium flowers. (Or the small single marigolds known as "signet")

Mix all solid ingredients except the flowers in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with vinegar and olive oil; arrange the flowers on top, present for multiple compliments. A handful of toasted nuts adds magic.

Very Green Salad

 





If you're not shy about assertive flavors, try a combination like this.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Serves:  4 or more

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch arugula, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1/2" sections
About 1 cup Parsley, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, cleaned and chopped into 1/4" sections (white, light green, and as much of the dark green section as you like)
a handful raw sugar snap peas, for entertainment
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries. (Dried cherries can be found at Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
Your favorite vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS
Mix.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Sliceapalooza Salad

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










"Salad" is a matter of interpretation. Its most common form includes leaves and the color green, but this salad has neither. This does, however, offer great flavor and texture, and makes good crunchy use of fresh vegetables.

Prep time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 4

1 fennel bulb, cut into chunks small enough for a food processor feed tube.
1 small sweet onion (about the size of a pool ball)
A handful of fresh carrots, scrubbed, or scraped if necessary
1 apple, cored and cut into slices
1-2 cooked beets, cut into chunks as above.
2 TB shredded Parmesan cheese
Your favorite vinaigrette

Run the fennel,onion, carrots, apple, and beets through a food processor equipped with a slicing disk. Scrape into a serving bowl, toss with the parmesan and dressing, and serve.

Crunch, crunch, yum, yum.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Fennel, Cucumber & Fresh Greens Salad

 






A crunchy, savory salad that is hard to stop eating.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-4

INGREDIENTS
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
4 cups fresh spinach (or other greens)
1 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1 small sweet onion, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
2-3 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine solid ingredients, and toss with lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Roasted Pepper, Basil, & Fresh Mozzarella Salad

 






This easy, hearty salad can serve as a side dish or an entree perfect for a summer night.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-4

INGREDIENTS
2 red peppers, roasted and chopped (or one 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers)
1 pound Ciliegine (cherry size) fresh mozzarella, drained
1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 small (pool ball sized) sweet onion, diced
4 fresh sage leaves, minced (optional)
lemon juice
olive oil
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine the peppers, mozzarella, basil, onion and sage, and dress with lemon juice and olive oil.

Variation: Add 1-2 cups of grilled chicken, chopped into 1/2" pieces

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Warm & Cool Salad with Beets, Caramelized onions, & Mozzarella

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










There's a lot going on in this salad, with its balance of warm & cool, crunchy & tender, tart & sweet.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 as a light entree, 8 as a side dish

1 head lettuce, rinsed and prepared as you like for salad
2 cups mixed salad greens for spice and bitterness
1 cup cooked beets, 1/2 to 1/4" dice, warm
1 cup caramelized onions, warm
3TB Toasted walnut pieces (optional)
Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, or your favorite vinaigrette
freshly-ground black pepper

Toss solid ingredients and dress to taste.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Arugula, Broccoli, Scallion & Radish Salad

Photo:
Tod Dimmick











Add a handful of toasted nuts and your favorite vinaigrette, and you're in business.