I found some
beautiful tomatoes, green onions, lettuces, and fresh basil... the latter of
which became the inspiration to the simple bruschetta below. All of these
recipes can be made in under 30 minutes and use the best of the season with few
additions. I did hit Trader Joe's the following day to add in fennel,
cauliflower, and avocados.
Simple
Bruschetta
Ingredients
2-3 large vine
ripened tomatoes
1 tablespoon
minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin
olive oil
1/2 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil
leaves, chiffonade
Freshly ground
pepper and salt, to taste
Thick slices of
your favorite bread, toasted (I used Flying Apron's white bread)
Mix all the
ingredients together and let marinade for 30 minutes. Toast the bread and top
with the bruschetta. Garnish with additional basil leaves, or drizzle with
balsamic vinegar or oil for plating.
Farmers Market Basil Salad with Tofu
Ingredients
1 block extra
firm tofu from Trader Joes, pressed and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tablespoons
rice bran oil
5 sprigs of fresh
green onion
6-8 fresh basil
leaves, chiffonade
4 large radishes,
thinly sliced
mixed greens
lemon juice and
olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat the rice
bran oil over high heat. When the oil is bubbling, toss in the tofu and fry,
turning consistently for an even brown on all sides for about 12-15 minutes or
until the outside of the tofu is a golden color and the inside is cooked
through. Remove tofu from heat and use tongs to place the tofu on a paper-towel
lined plate to absorb the extra oil so the tofu stays crispy. Season with salt
and pepper while hot.
Toss the salad
fixings together and season with lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I use
about a 50:50 ratio of lemon to olive oil, though I prefer a more acidic
dressing, especially for this light summer salad.
Plate the salad
and top with tofu. Serve immediately and store any leftover tofu in an airtight
container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Rosemary Balsamic
Tofu Salad
Ingredients
1 clove of
garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons
dried rosemary
1 lemon, juiced
(or 1/4 cup lemon juice)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar
Fried tofu (see above recipe)
1 large head of
fennel, sliced
1 large tomato,
chopped
5 sprigs of green
onion, sliced
1 large avocado,
diced
mixed greens
Whisk the
dressing ingredients together and set aside. Toss the vegetables and then add
the dressing. Fold in the avocado carefully at the end and plate the salad. Top
with fried tofu and serve immediately.
Easy Grilled
Cauliflower
Ingredients
1 large head of
cauliflower, destemmed and sliced into 1-1 1/2" steaks
4 tablespoons
olive oil
Salt, pepper, and
cayenne pepper
Drizzle the
cauliflower steaks with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of
cayenne. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but ideally all day.
Remove from fridge and let come to room temperature while the grill heats up.
BBQ for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is charred with some black spots. I
like mine to be a bit crispy. When it's done, it should be fork tender in the
middle with crispy edges. Eat immediately or set aside and serve at room
temperature.
