SUMMER VEGGIE SALAD SIDES

Outdoor meals and/or cold or semi-cold ones, in general, have a “fun” connotation. We look forward to sampling side offerings, ideally lively combinations, which add zing by providing a sharply contrasting taste. These dishes often make you remember that meal.  I’m talking about a healthy vegetable or fruit based dishes with low impact on the caloric intake. Perhaps that fact increases our enjoyment, but most accompanying sides are eagerly anticipated, and quickly consumed.

The funny thing about cold or semi-cold meals, especially if served and/or cooked outdoors, is that we get the featured item on our plates, a burger for example, and immediately look around for other foods to add on. If we were inside, we’d probably calculate the carbs and protein in the burger, and limit portions of the other offerings, focusing on veggies. Outdoors, we think nothing of second helpings. This is why these accompaniment recipes are so helpful. They can satisfy that desire to eat more.

Accompaniments have other attributes too.  Many pickled and made into salads, simply dressed with oil and vinegar will remain stable and safe in hot weather.  Most have a pleasant, crunchy texture and chilled, provide a nice contrast to the other foods being served.  All the recipes below are easily prepared and can be made ahead.

Moreover, they are rather inexpensive to make and I’ve included the shelf life for most. Anyone who’s shopped for produce recently knows that the prices per pound now rival that of many meats. Add a large tomato to a head of lettuce and the “simple “salad costs than most cuts and the individual item pricing is topsy-turvy. Easily grown, prolific ‘garden’ vegetables like cucumbers are at ’boutique’ cost, nor are prices projected to lower by summer.

So what’s a meal planner to do to keep interesting fresh side dishes on the menu without it costing? One solution is to study the produce section and try to find things that haven’t skyrocketed. Regular carrots, for example, cost little, are tastier, more versatile than the dwarf variety and make a great slaw. Compare the prices on all greens that are salad friendly. They’re usually interchangeable. For advice see my post for April 23, 2020. Try to find new uses for other items too. One small zucchini, for instance, sliced paper thin goes a long way as an ingredient.

Another solution is to cut down the amount of lettuces or bedding greens, by using frozen vegetables to form the base of the salad. They cost less and go much further. Cut green beans, and broccoli are good selections. Snow peas and edamame are great “fillers”. Canned beets or asparagus are useful salad bases too. Properly presented side salads built around these ingredients, with harmonious dressings, become clever creations, not economic measures.

I’m listing favorite suggestions for these kinds of salad solutions below, with dressing suggestions but please don’t forget all foods have limited tolerance for amount of time they can sit outdoors. Stay safe-check the dishes frequently and don’t save any leftovers which seem ‘iffy’.

RECIPES
Mushroom Salad: Serves 6
1 lb. button mushrooms
2 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. white vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Clean the mushrooms by wiping with a damp cloth and snap off stems. Save for another use or cook with caps. Toss mushrooms with the next 2 ingredients and bake on a foil lined sheet in a 350 deg. oven until they release their juice, about 5 min. Mix the other ingredients.to make a marinade. Drain the mushrooms, cool and toss with the marinade. Allow flavors to meld in the refrigerator several hours or overnight. Serve at room temperature. Keeps for several days chilled, but discard after serving.

Chinese Cucumber Pickle: Serves 4
1 lg. (at least 10 oz.) cucumber
1 jicama about 3/4 lb.
1 small carrot in 2 inch matchsticks
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. vinegar—preferably rice but white or cider will do
1 clove garlic-chopped
¼ tsp. each cayenne pepper and salt
Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, seed it and slice in ½ inch pieces. Peel and cut the jicama in ½ inch dice. Spray or heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until sizzling; add vegetables and toss until cucumber is bright green. Add other ingredients and stir to incorporate. Chill in glass or plastic for at least 3 hrs. before serving. Keeps for several days chilled, but discard leftovers.

Melon Salsa: Serves 4- 6
½ cantaloupe- meat cut in 1 inch cubes
½ green bell pepper in ½ inch dice
1 small onion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
½ tsp . lime zest
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. chopped fresh min.
1 Tbs. fresh mint leaves—a few extra for garnish
Toss all the ingredients in a salad bowl and chill for 30 min. before serving to let flavors meld
NOTE: Especially good with other meats than beef. Serve at once.

Pickled Red Beet Salad; Serves 4
15 oz. can sliced beets– drained, juice reserved
1 small onion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. cider vinegar – or to taste
1 tsp. sugar- or to taste
4 large leaves of red leaf lettuce or baby spinach
Dressing of choice*
Pour beet juice into a saucepan. Add vinegar and sugar tasting and adjusting until desired sweet-sour flavor is reached. Add beets and onions, heat through and let cool. Place in a covered container and marinate at least 2 days. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces, divide among plates and mound drained** beets and onions on top. Drizzle or dollop dressing, depending on consistency, over all.
*Suggested dressings; a Raspberry-nut vinaigrette drizzled over OR topped with dollops of
1/3 cup sour cream with 1Tbs. vinegar and 1 tsp. sugar –or quantities to taste-mixed in
**NOTE: Shelled hard-boiled eggs can be pickled in the beet juice for up to 3 weeks. Delicious alone, sliced in sandwiches or cheap viagra from canada deeprootsmag.org A doctor is the best person in such situation you need psychological therapists, and not some pills or supplements. It is often used to tadalafil 20mg no prescription improve the heart condition. The drug is available in cialis levitra viagra 50mg, 100mg and 150mg. Patients with essential hypertension have been found to have low production of http://deeprootsmag.org/category/christinesantelli/?feedsort=rand cialis without prescription nitric oxide by the arteries of the heart due to atherosclerosis. chopped in salads.

Onions Rosemary: Serves 4-6
14oz. bag frozen pearl onions thawed OR 1 lb. fresh, skinned
1 Tbs. oil
2 tsp. powdered rosemary
Fresh rosemary for garnish – optional
If using fresh onions drop into boiling water for about 2 min, until water returns to a boil; drain and dry. Pour oil on a foil lined baking sheet; roll onions in oil to cover and sprinkle with rosemary, rolling to make sure they’re covered. Roast in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 15 – 20 min until beginning to brown. Serve at room temperature. If making ahead, store chilled. Add to salads or serve alone. Serve within 2 days and discard leftovers.

Pickled Baby Corn: Serves 4-6
(2) 12 oz. jars of baby corn cobs
1 whole roasted red pepper (from a jar) halved crosswise and julienned
1/3 cup green “salad” or chopped olives
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. white vinegar
½ tsp. Dijon or spicy brown mustard
½ tsp. honey
Pinch turmeric—optional

Fresh ground black pepper to garnish
Place first 3 ingredients in a salad bowl; whisk next 5 together and pour over the corn mix. Toss gently and add a bit of the reserved corn juice if dressing seems stiff. Chill to marinate, tossing occasionally until ready to serve. Garnish with pepper. Keeps for weeks chilled, but discard after serving. Can be served with/on a lettuce.

TOMATOES 2 WAYS
Tomatoes Basil: Serves 4
2 large “beefsteak” tomatoes OR 3 medium ones—ripe
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. garlic powder – or to taste
Salt to taste
2 tsp. dried basil OR
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil leaves
Core and cut tomatoes in 1 inch dice . Toss gently with the other ingredients and ½ the fresh basil, if using.  Marinate, chilled, for at least an hour, tossing occasionally. Serve garnished with the rest of the fresh basil. Serve at once.

Pennsylvania Dutch Tomatoes: Serves 4
2 large “beefsteak” tomatoes or 3 medium ones
1 ½ Tbs. cider vinegar
1tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Peel tomatoes by plunging in boiling water for a few seconds. Remove the cores and cut each tomato into 4 thick slices. Begin layering slices in a flat bottomed dish or soup plate and top each layer with a bit of vinegar, then salt pepper and sugar, ending with the seasonings . Chill for several hours to marinate. Serve at once.

Carrot Slaw; Serves 4
4 medium-small carrots
1/3 cup raisins dried cranberries or blueberries—optionally plumped in water
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts- optional
¼ head of iceberg lettuce
Choice of dressing*
Peel carrot skins and using a vegetable peeler, slice them one half the length at a time, into a “slaw”. Toss with the dried fruit and set aside. If not using right away, keep chilled Cut the

lettuce into very thin slices and then cut them in half lengthwise, removing the tough core pieces . Arrange the lettuce equally on 4 plates. Toss the carrots with choice of dressing and divide among the plates. Garnish with nuts.
*This salad goes well with several dressings. French, Peppercorn Ranch, Vadalia Onion, Cole Slaw, Caesar Raspberry vinaigrettes.

Green Bean and Mushroom Salad: Serves 4
8oz. frozen cut green beans
4 oz. sliced raw button mushrooms or a 4oz. can mushrooms sliced or stems and pieces-drained
1 small onion halved and thinly sliced – optional
4 large Romaine leaves, optionally torn into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing OR 3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar + 1 Tbs. oil
Cook the beans as per package directions until just crisp-tender; drain and toss with mushrooms, onions if using, and balsamic dressing Marinate chilled for at least 2 hours . Toss with the Romaine pieces and serve or optionally line each plate with a Romaine leaf cut in half and mound bean mix on top. Garnish with chopped chives, fresh or dried parsley, cilantro or dill.

Tomato -Watermelon Salad: Serves 4
1 slice of watermelon half about 1 inch thick–rind and seeds removed– cut in ¾ inch cubes
1 medium tomato – in large dice
5-6 green leaf lettuce leaves – torn in bite-sized pieces
Orange dressing*
¼ cup Feta or blue cheese crumbles – optional
Make dressing a day ahead and chop vegetables just before assembling salad. Toss all ingredients together with the dressing and serve from a bowl or on plates garnished with the cheese if using.
*Orange Dressing
3/4 cup orange juice
1Tbs.poppy seeds
2 Tbs. oil
Sugar if needed
Slowly boil the juice and poppy seeds together until the juice reduces to about ½ cup; add oil and sugar if needed. Allow to cool and store covered, chilled at least 1 day. Shake well and toss with salad ingredients just before serving.