Zucchini, Asparagus and Bean Salad

My favourite part about summer is the produce. Summer is when the best tasting fruits become ripe and the vegetables become more affordable. This summer is especially great because we are reaping the rewards of our first vegetable garden.

Eeeek!

The plant with one massive zucchini and several smaller ones

Summer is also the time to get excited for BBQs. There are few things better than basking in the evening sun to the sound of sizzling meats with a cold beverage in your hand.

Peeling the zucchini

If, like me, you have recently learned that a BBQ without vegetables is a tad uncouth, I suggest you give this recipe a try. 

Please don't be put off by the name of this salad. It may sound boring but I assure you, it is the perfect side for any BBQ you are sure to have in this stonking hot weather. 

This is one of my favourites because it requires minimal preparation.  The yoghurt brings a creaminess to the salad without being too heavy while the honey helps to accentuate the sweetness of the vegetables. The vegetables are also in season so it's pretty light on the pocket too!

Have you broken out the BBQ yet? What are some of your go to sides?

Zucchini, Asparagus and Bean Salad
A Lucyeats Original

Ingredients:

2 medium sized zucchinis, ends cut off
1 bunch of asparagus (about 10-15 stalks)
1 large handful of green beans
Greek yoghurt
Runny honey

Method:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini into thin ribbons and arrange on a plate
2. Cut the woody ends off the asparagus and the stringy bits off the ends of the beans
3. Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the asparagus and beans for 3 minutes
4. Remove the vegetables and plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking process
5. Drain the vegetables and place on top of the zucchini
6. Place dollops of Greek yoghurt atop the salad and drizzle with runny honey

Vietnamese Noodle Salad

With the temperature picking up and the sun coming out, it's finally started feeling like summer -well.. whenever I'm at work, it seems. It must be some weird, unwritten law that it is always too wet to hang my clothes out to dry in the weekend but blindingly sunny when I go out to site..

..So now here I am, typing away while my wet clothes are hanging off the clothes horse next to my dehumidifier while I dream about the past two long weekends that us Aucklanders have just enjoyed -at the least the weather was good then!

The thing that amazes me about long weekends is how much more productive one can be with that one extra day -I would gladly work a few extra hours in the day just to have three day weekends! I would spend all of them cooking up beautiful salads for sunny days like the recent Auckland Anniversary Weekend.

Toss everything together!

I really enjoy the clean, fresh flavours of Vietnamese food and there's nothing better than sitting down to a nice serving of a cold noodle salad with refreshing cucumber and herbs and the slight kick of a chili pepper.

Gluten free too!

This one's a real goody -vegetarian and can be gluten free as well! 

Sorry about the short post, sweeties, I have a work report to write (so I can graduate!) and will be a tad scarce in the next 2 to 3 weeks. But I will be back in full form very very soon!

Vietnamese Noodle Salad (Serves 4)

Ingredients:


200g packet of dried thin rice noodles
1/2 cucumber, roughly chopped
100g snow peas, roughly sliced
1 long red chili, sliced into strips
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
1/4 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
Fried onion bits as garnish


For the Dressing:


Juice of 2 limes and the zest of 1
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 Tablespoons grated palm sugar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil


Method:


1. Cook the noodles according to the packet, plunge into cold water and drain.
2. Toss the noodles with the cucumber, peas, chili and herbs in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the fish sauce, sugar, oil, lime juice and zest.
4. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.
5. Garnish with chopped peanuts and fried onion bits before serving.

Chopped Turkish Salad

I try very hard to eat healthy. I really do. But whatever steps are taken toward green leafy things are inevitably undone when winter rolls around and things like potatoes, cheese and casseroles take priority. Who wants to touch cold salad when nice warm things are around?

Tis a pomegranate!

Enter Summer.

My attempt at an artistic shot

Oh, how I love Summer! Aside from being able to wear dresses and go to the beach, the abundance of juicy Summer fruits makes it incredibly easy to eat nothing but. Among my favourites is the delicious, ruby red pomegranate. 

You eat the seeds

Native to Iran, the pomegranate is one of the only fruits where you eat the seeds and discard the flesh. Each individual seed is a burst of sweet and acidic flavour in your mouth and you can be assured that they're good for your body -high in Vitamin C, and potassium, a great source of fiber, and low in calories as well. It's no wonder they've been heralded as the new super food!

Add 1/4 cup olive oil

I had enjoyed these throughout my childhood, so it was quite funny when Jason's mother approached me with this "new and exotic fruit that could be found at the gourmet food store." I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had already discovered the pomegranate a few years ago..

Yummy!

The Turkish salad she used it in, however, was a complete revelation! The addition of pomegranate seeds provides bursts of sweetness and acidity to the refreshing cucumber and tomatoes. 

It also tastes great for lunch with some crusty bread

 And best of all, it's so easy that Jason doesn't mind making it!



Chopped Turkish Salad from Dish magazine

Ingredients:


2 Large vine tomatoes
1 Cup diced cucumber
1 Cup diced fennel or celery
1/4 Chopped olives
2 Spring onions, finely chopped
Seeds from 1 fresh pomegranate (you can substitute this for 1/3 cup of dried cranberries)
A small handful of basil, finely chopped
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper


Method:


1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.