Anytime Summer Salad

As someone who has lived in Canada his entire life, I'll never understand people who like winter over summer. My hometown is the world's coldest capital city more often than not. You would think by now I would get accustomed to all the ice, slush, and snow that make every winter seem rougher and more frigid than the last, far from it.  I'm one of those people who never complain when the mercury rises above 30 degrees Celsius.  Mainly because I know windchills below 30 degrees Celsius will soon be a regular part of the forecast. For me, it's much easier to enjoy the weather when it's hot and sunny than when it's cold and dreary. Yes, there are bright days in the winter, but the cold saps any desire to be out in it for any longer than I have to. For those who also prefer the weather hot and muggy over bone-chillingly frigid hopefully, this recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks can take you back to the dog days of summer, or at least be a sweet and salty treat for after you're done shoveling your walkway.

Ingredients:

300 g fresh watermelon, cubed or scooped (yes, this would be better when watermelon is in season)
120 g feta cheese, cut into small pieces
40 g red onion, sliced as thin as possible, soaked and drained (water or vinegar will work)
15 g extra virgin olive oil
3 g balsamic vinegar (or 6 g lime juice)

•  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, making sure everything is coated.
• Play with the tastes by adding black olives for more saltiness; red pepper flakes for more heat; and mint leaves for their refreshing cooling effect.

The One With Jennifer Aniston's Favourite Salad

"Friends" was such a huge hit that it seems impossible to not have seen the trials and tribulations of three guys and three gals who hung out way too much at a coffee shop in New York. The show launched the careers of its stars, with Jennifer Aniston's Rachel character getting a lot of the attention for her haircut and her on-again-off-again interaction with her onscreen love interest. I watched the show for the first few seasons until I realized I didn't care if she and the love of her life were "on a break" from their relationship or not. I only drifted back near the tail end of the series because I already knew all the characters' names and I couldn't find anything better to watch. But I do find it fascinating that Aniston ate the same salad for ten years when she and her female co-stars would have lunch together on the set. If you're still pining for "Friends" after the recent reunion special, or you've just discovered the show on Netflix, the recipe below will be there for you to whip up before your next visit with the gang from Central Perk.

Ingredients

180 g bulgur

• Bulgur is a nutritious whole grain that can be used as a substitute for brown rice or quinoa. You can find it with the grains and rice in the international aisle of your supermarket or in the bulk section of Whole Foods or your local health food store.

2 cucumbers, diced
1 425 g can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
150 g crumbled feta cheese
50 g shelled pistachios
13 g red onion, minced
8 g fresh parsley, chopped
1.5 g fresh mint, chopped

1. Bring 475 mL of water to a boil. Add the bulgar and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the bulgar cook for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Stir every five minutes.
2. Let the bulgar cool for another 20 minutes until it becomes room temperature. In a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Serve or put into an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready.

The Need To Know Classic That Is: Vinaigrette

With the E.coli warning on romaine lifted, why not welcome it back into your meal rotation with the use of a vinaigrette? You'll never be without a salad dressing as long as you remember the formula of three parts of oil to one part of vinegar/something acidic. Mix that with or without seasonings, and thanks to the process of emulsion, you've got salad dressing. Try it in this recipe that's a great alternative to the regular go-to use for romaine that is the Caesar salad:

Ingredients:

180 mL olive oil
45 mL lemon juice (fresh, if possible)
10 g chopped fresh dill
5 g Dijon mustard
2.5 g teaspoon salt
1.25 g teaspoon granulated sugar
1.25 g teaspoon pepper
1 romaine lettuce
40 g shredded radicchio lettuce
40 g thinly sliced radish

1. Mix everything that isn't lettuce or radish together in one of three ways:
• in a blender on the appropriate setting
• whisked briskly in a bowl
• poured in a sealed container, and shaking the hell out of it for about 15 seconds
2. Tear the romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, toss the romaine, radicchio, and the radishes together. Add the dressing, then toss your salad to give everything a good coating, and serve.

What’s in Season: Esquites – Mexican Street Corn Salad

You don't have to love fruits and vegetables to take advantage of the local farmer's market. Do it to support local business and farmers; do it if reducing your carbon footprint is a concern to you; or do it to try a new recipe using produce you can certain of its freshness and quality. This month's featured ingredient is the diet staple around the world that is corn. Central to Mexican cuisine, corn appears in almost every dish. This adaption of this easy to made corn salad recipe is based on the Mexican street food recipe esquites, enhancing the grain's natural sweetness some creamy, cheesy goodness, along with a little bit of heat. If you feel the need to hire an authentic Mexican to make this for you in order to enjoy it, do whatever you have to do to make yourself comfortable, but please do not bring your cultural appropriation guilt here.

Ingredients:

Kernels from 4-5 ears of corn (3 cups of frozen corn can also be used)
60 g feta (cotija or ricotta salata cheese if possible), finely crumbled
60 g cilantro, minced
30 g  mayonnaise
5 g ancho chili powder
30 mL of a neutral cooking oil (I used canola)
15 mL fresh lime juice (about ½ a lime)
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 small or ½ 1 large jalapeno, minced

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and a pinch of salt, and leave it alone for two to three minutes, allowing the corn to char. Toss, stir and repeat until charred on all sides for about eight to ten minutes in total. 
2. Transfer the corn to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the corn, and stir until everything has been blended together. Salt to taste, and serve immediately as either a side dish or on its own.
   
   Note: The corn can be cooked up to a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring the corn to room temperature for about 15 minutes before you assemble the salad.
   
   Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Esquites – Mexican Street Corn Salad