Summertime Cuisine

Time to stash the soup pots and hot cocoa....summertime is upon us. In our house, this is when cocoa turns to iced sun tea and soups turn to salad. In the last couple of weeks, we have planted our very own backyard vegetable garden full of zucchini, squash, fresh herbs and even pumpkins that will ready to harvest just in time for fall! So with this in mind, we plan to be 'designing' and eating a lot of fresh vegetable salads this summer. The only thing that has been bothering me is the though of picking all of the delicious, organic vegetables right outside the back door and pouring on some store bought dressing. It seems criminal doesn't it? So I have been testing some homemade dressings that can be made with the herbs from the garden. Here is the one that I made today that I thought was delicious and definitely for anyone who likes their dressing tangy!

Thyme Mustard Vinaigrette

3/4 c olive oil
2 T minced fresh thyme
1 shallot, peeled (I like to use 2 or 3)
1 garlic clove (I like to use 2)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T whole-grain mustard

Directions:

1. Heat 1/4 c oil with 1 T of the thyme in medium saucepan over medium heat until thyme turns bright green, about 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and steep 5 minutes.

2. Process shallot, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and remaining thyme in blender until shallot and garlic are chopped fine. Add in remaining oil and steeped thyme and process until smooth. This dressing can be refrigerated in air tight container for up to 3 days. So, in order to make the most of it don't limit yourself to salads, you can put this on roasted veggies, chicken, etc.

I encourage all of you to plant some fresh produce in your yard as well. It is a rewarding experience that also saves money! This is a great activity to do with kids too...it will teach them the responsibility of maintaining their garden, where the food on their plates come from and might even get them a little more excited about eating those greens! At the very least, go grab a couple of inexpensive terra cotta posts and plant some fresh herbs that you can use in your kitchen, after all the more flavor that you put in your food...the less fat that you have to use to make it flavorful. The pots in this picture were mine from last year and only used for decoration now that we have the garden. All I did was simply take a magic marker and decoratively write the names of each herb on the pot. After being in the elements for a year they are now weathered and vintage looking....something that would cost 15.00 each at your favorite shop!