Kyle’s Kitchen
We’re going to talk about some more hot weather foods this week and we’re starting out with a pasta salad. This recipe has you make the ranch dressing yourself, but I won’t tell anyone if you use the bottled kind. Doing so would eliminate half the ingredients. I would also use Kalamata olives instead of black which I find tasteless.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for pasta water and to taste 1 (12-oz.) package bacon 1 lb. cavatappi pasta 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more for topping 1-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 garlic clove, grated 1 tsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste 1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved 6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 1 (4-oz.) container pimentos, drained 1 (3.8-oz.) can sliced black olives, drained 4 green onions, thinly sliced Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning as needed, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. (You may need to cook the bacon in 2 batches, draining the rendered fat from the skillet between batches.) Let the bacon cool to room temperature, then crumble up into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the pasta 1 minute longer than package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, parsley, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper (or use ranch dressing). Add the pasta, tomatoes, cheese, peas, pimentos, olives, green onion, and half of the bacon, tossing until well combined. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Top the salad with the remaining bacon and more dill and serve.
—kwc— Mom made a chef salad the other night and it was so good after a hot day. Hers was a clean-out-the-refrigerator type that included lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, those small bell peppers in three colors, mushrooms, ham chicken, cheese, Kalamata olives and green onions. Most of the recipes I’ve seen have boiled eggs but luckily mom didn’t add any the other night.
Here’s a recipe I found, but you can’t go wrong with whatever you add.
Chef Salad
8 cups salad greens 1 cup julienne cut oven roasted turkey deli meat 1 cup julienne cut smoked ham deli meat 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/2 cup julienne cut Swiss cheese slices 1/2 cup julienne cut cheddar cheese slices 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 English cucumber, sliced 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered 2 tbsp sliced green onions, for garnish 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese shavings, for garnish 1 cup Italian salad dressing Prepare salad greens by tearing or cutting them into bitesized pieces and transfer them to a salad bowl or large serving platter.
Top the greens with the deli meats, bacon, cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggs.
Add to the salad and gently toss to combine.
Garnish with green onions and Parmesan cheese and serve.
—kwc— I may have given this one to you before but it’s so good it’s worth a repeat.
Summer Tomato, Corn, Crab and Avocado Salad
12 oz lump crab meat 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 avocado, diced 2 hot peppers such as serrano or jalapeños, diced fine (seeds removed for mild) 1-1/2 cups roasted corn kernels 1/3 cup chopped red onion 2 limes, juice of (or more to taste)
1 tsp olive oil 2 tbsp chopped cilantro Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper.
Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion.
In a large bowl combine chopped crab meat, avocado, tomatoes, hot pepper and corn.
Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss.
Adjust lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
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