Farmers Kitchen Sink Summer Salad

Farmers Kitchen Sink Summer Salad with Peaches, Tomatoes, Corn and Citrus

*this salad can also be eaten as a salsa with tortilla chips
*taco topping, anyone?
*on crostini with fresh mozzarella
*serve over grains and with a slab of grilled meat or fish or load it on a burger with gooey cheddar - not very meatless Monday, but enjoy it on a Tuesday ... (drool)
*recipes below

Tomorrow I head back to New York after two weeks of being in the south.  I love being with and around my family, close to the beach, the smell of salt water, rainy concrete, morning bike rides with swan sightings and cranes in the distance - I think you get it.  My mom still isn’t feeling herself, which worries me because life is fragile and she’s my world. Having this time to be with her, although it scared me to go to school this summer, continue to live off of my savings and answer my heart with cooking and writing - I feel beyond grateful I’m able to be here.

She didn’t eat dinner tonight, so there’s sadness to this salad.  I hope, should you choose to make it, you have a happier memory attached to it.  It’s one of those kitchen sink salads cause I was cleaning out the refrigerator so when my aunt arrives on Wednesday she didn’t have bruised peaches, tomatoes, 3 ears of corn and a few old clementines on her hands.  I went a little crazy with the local peaches and tomatoes on my last trip to the farmers market and the heat here makes everything ripen so quickly. My mom admitted the corn has been in the refrigerator for well over two weeks and  I found battered clementines under the lemons that were on their way out - as I was making my salmon last night. Hence a post to come on clementine curried cauliflower rice, it’s not in me to wasted a drop of produce - ever. I also unearthed some furry carrots in the vegetable drawer, and since it’s not soup season, I peeled them well, cut them meaty like thick and roasted them to serve at room temperature on tonight’s veggie plate.

Mom had saltines for the first time in two weeks, but my father and brother enjoyed this spread for  meatless Monday - alongside a Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger, which is a weeknight lifesaver.

Recipes below for my farmers kitchen sink summer salad and the most basic and easiest citrus guacamole for dipping those carrots and spreading on your veggie burger.

XO

Farmers Kitchen Sink Summer Salad + Citrus Guac

*this salad can also be eaten as a salsa with tortilla chips
*taco topping, anyone?
*on crostini with fresh mozzarella
*serve over grains and with a slab of grilled meat or fish - not very meatless Monday, but enjoy it on a Tuesday or load it on a burger with cheddar ... (drool)

• 1 head of bibb lettuce, romaine will also do - you can fill up the leaves!

• 3 ears of fresh corn removed from the cobb

• 2 peaches, diced

• 4 small celebrity or roma tomatoes diced, cherry tomatoes will also do the trick

• ¼ cup of red onion

• 1 avocado

• 3 clementines

• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• Prep all vegetables and put aside to assemble

• Heat a large non-stick skillet with 1 T. of olive oil, dd corn and brown over high heat for 7-8 minutes *you can also grill if you have access, but it was pouring rain during dinner time in Myrtle Beach tonight

• Add a pinch of salt and set aside

• Place peaches, tomatoes, red onion, the juice of 2 clementines and additional 1 T. of olive oil in a large bowl, add corn and toss to coat - sprinkle with additional salt to taste and a shake of freshly ground black pepper

• Spread lettuce leaves on a large platter and place spoonfuls of peach, corn and tomato salad into leaves and put aside

• Cut avocado lengthwise, remove pit, scoop out flesh and place in a bowl - adding juice of 1 clementine and a sprinkle of salt, mashing until smooth and combined, top with a clementine slice

Roasted Carrots

• 1 x 2lb bag of carrots, peeled and sliced in half so as to bring a thick/meaty texture to this meatless Monday salad platter

• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil

• Salt + freshly ground black pepper
  

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

• Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil

• Roast for 25 minutes until brown

• Cool, adding salt and pepper

• Finish with orange zest for an added zing or leave as is