Thursday Recipe - Quick Salad Rolls

I love summer. It's full of fresh produce. I'm loving living in Washington, too. We picked our own blueberries last week. They were huge and so sweet. Nothing beats eating fruit picked fresh and fully ripe. Vegetables are pretty good here, too. We've been enjoying our local farmer's market. So much food. So good.

This was what I threw together for my lunch today. It went great with my grilled Havarti cheese and roast beef tortilla. (Yep, I'm getting gourmet. If you haven't branched out beyond cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan, you're missing out. Havarti is a mild, creamy cheese that melts into oozy goodness.)

Don't let the name of this recipe fool you. There is no bread in it. I called it that because you roll up the lettuce leaf for forkless eating. Feel free to add in whatever ingredients you like in your salad. I kept it simple and plain this time.

A word about vinegars - Don't use regular old white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Both are much too strong for this. Try a good red wine vinegar or rice vinegar if you can't find champagne vinegar. They are milder in taste and have a sweetness that is really delicious with the tomato and feta.

Quick Salad Rolls

Butter lettuce leaves, or green curly leaf lettuce - don't tear them up, keep them big
Fresh tomatoes - sliced thin
Feta cheese crumbles
Champagne vinegar
Salt and pepper

Wash the lettuce leaves and shake off excess water. Lay out a large leaf. Place 2-4 tomato slices down the center. Add a teaspoon or so of feta crumbles. Sprinkle a dash of vinegar over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Roll up the lettuce like a burrito and enjoy!

Add whatever other vegetables you want to this. Some that came to mind are:
Carrots, shredded
Daikon (large white radish with a very mild flavor but lots of crispy crunch), slice thin
Green onion or sweet onion
Basil leaves
Sweet peppers, sliced into thin strips

The vinegar, salt, and pepper are to taste. If you like them stronger, add more.

Thursday Recipe - Tuna Noodle Salad

Summer is here and it gets hot. Who wants to cook in the heat? Pasta salads are a nice fix-ahead meal that you don't have to worry about. Nice and cool, they hit just the right refreshing note on a hot afternoon or evening. With the right ingredients, they aren't a side salad, they're the main attraction. And the variations are endless.

This one is lighter than most, it uses a vinaigrette dressing and lots of vegetables. Use tuna packed in water for an even lighter salad.

Tuna Noodle Salad

1 12 oz package salad macaroni or small elbows or other smaller pasta
2 6 oz cans tuna, packed in water
1/2 c. bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. radishes, sliced
1/2 c. red onion, finely minced
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 12 oz can olives, drained
1/4 c. dill pickles, finely chopped
1 c. pickle juice
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2 c. oil
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. rosemary, crushed

Cook macaroni according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Mix pickle juice, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Whisk to combine.
Put macaroni, tuna, bell pepper, radishes, onion, cucumber, olives, and pickles in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over the top. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes a really big bowl of salad.