Herby salad recipes

Kyle’s Kitchen

Since Mr. Joe has been showing up at the corner of Cameron Avenue and Ackerman every Sunday, we have gotten some good tomatoes which I think he is getting from Florida. Mom made BLT sandwiches with them one night and they sure were good.

We had Caprese Salad for Mother’s Day along with our shrimp boil and it s was delicious. Good tomatoes and good fresh mozzarella are key for this salad. So save this for later when the stores start getting fresh tomatoes if you aren’t getting them from Joe. If you like balsamic vinegar, it sure is good on this salad.

Caprese Salad

1-1/2 to 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick (a serrated knife works best for slicing tomatoes) Kosher salt or sea salt 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves carefully chopped or torn as not to bruise 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Dash balsamic vinegar, optional Freshly-ground black pepper

Sprinkle salt lightly over the tomato slices.

Assemble the salad by arranging alternating slices of tomatoes, basil leaves, and mozzarella slices.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the salad. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar, if using. Sprinkle lightly with pepper.

—kwc— A good, homemade salad dressing to make in the spring is Green Goddess because spr ing is when you’ll get the freshest herbs. We have a lot of these growing at home, but the grocery store will have them all.

This recipe calls for anchovies or anchovy paste which adds a nice umami flavor here just like it does in Cesar dressing. If you don’t want to use it or buy it, substitute a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.

This is a delicious salad dressing, but it is also good as a dip for fresh spring veggies.

Green Goddess Dressing 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 cup roughly- chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup roughly-chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup roughly-chopped fresh chives 1-1/2 tbsp roughly-chopped fresh tarragon 1 tsp anchovy paste (or two mashed anchovies) 1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped Heaping 1/4 tsp salt Heaping 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the sauce is smooth and the herbs are very finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately if you’d like the dressing to be a drizzle-able consistency, or chill for a few hours until thickened to use a dip. (To bring the dressing back to a drizzle-able consistency after chilling, allow it to sit out at room temperature for about an hour and stir well before using.) The dressing will keep well in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

—kwc— Here’s an herby potato salad recipe without mayonnaise using fresh parsley and other good stuff.

Herbed Potato Salad 2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds 1 tbsp fine sea salt 1/4 cup olive oil 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus about 2 tablespoons more for garnish 1/3 cup roughly chopped green onions, plus about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced for garnish 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste 3 stalks celery, chopped In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine sliced potatoes and salt. Cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are easily pierced by a paring knife and pulled out with little resistance, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain. Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl.

In a small food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, 1/3 cup parsley, 1/3 cup green onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic and freshly ground black pepper. Process until the herbs and garlic have been chopped into little pieces. Then, while running the food processor, pour in the reserved cooking water and process just until blended. (If you don’t have a food processor or blender, just finely chop the parsley and onions and whisk the dressing together until the oil is fully incorporated.)

Drizzle the potatoes with the herbed olive oil mixture and gently mix to combine. (It will look like you’ve poured in too much dressing, but don’t worry, the potatoes will soak it up!) Let the potatoes rest for ten minutes, gently tossing every few minutes.

Add the celery to the bowl, along with a couple tablespoons each of additional chopped parsley and green onions. Toss again. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. This salad is best served within a few hours but will keep in the refrigerator for about three days.