Summer Salad

This easy summer salad combines the juicy sweet-tart taste of pineapple and the rich nutty flavour of avocado in an intriguing dressing.  With  the sharp bite of Dijon mustard and the tingling zing of garden-fresh mint, the creamy dressing is delightfully 'summery' in taste. Ripe black olives with their pungent, rich saltiness, and chewy soaked almond seeds add texture and an extra touch of exotic flavour. Nippy ginger root and lemon juice add their special zest. Crisp curly leaf lettuce is a good choice of green, and is substantial enough to compliment the other ingredients.

You'll need: 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; few grains Himalayan salt; 1 tablespoon chopped ginger root; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint; 1 teaspoon chopped chives; 1 avocado, cubed; 1/2 cup diced pineapple; 1/4 cup black olives, 1/4 cup coarsely chopped soaked almonds; 1 cup lettuce or mixed greens.

The Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk olive oil and lemon juice together until thick and creamy. Add Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, salt and blend well.  Stir in chopped ginger root, mint and chives.

Pit the avocado, score each half of the fruit in a grid, and scoop gently into bowl, Coat lightly with dressing.

Slice pineapple rounds, cut off peel, core and dice into bite-size pieces. Add to salad bowl and combine.

Soak almonds in fresh water overnight in fridge. Drain well. Coarsely chop and add to bowl.

Add black olives to salad and lightly mix with other ingredients. I've used black Moroccan olive with the pits in for maximum flavour. (Be sure to alert diners if you use whole unpitted olives, and provide a small side-plate or dish for collecting pits.)

Wash and pat dry lettuce.  Tear into bite-size pieces and add to salad on top of other ingredients. Refrigerate until needed. Just before serving, toss lettuce in. This salad makes a lovely starter to a lunch or dinner, or served with fresh bread or crackers can stand alone at the dining table as a balanced and tasty meal. 

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The Tropical Taste of a Summer Salad

Summer Soups: Gingered Basil and Strawberry-Mango

5 Varieties of Flavourful Basil

Our rooftop herb garden is growing lush and prolific. With a wonderful crop of late spring basil varieties ready for harvest, we decided to make a flavourful and fun chilled soup to enjoy this sunny afternoon. We've used local sun-ripened strawberries, a juicy mango, spicy ginger root and rich almond milk to create a creamy soup base. Fresh basil leaves from cinnamon, lime, Italian, Spicy, and purple cultivars are added to the mix, and everything is blended into a fine summer soup.

Ready for Blending

You'll Need: 1 cup strawberries; 1 mango, pitted and coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup chopped ginger root; 3 cups almond milk; 1 cup basil leaves (one or more varieties) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; few grains Himalayan salt.

To Make: Wash and hull strawberries; pit and coarsely chop mango; chop ginger root. Put in blender with 3 cups almond milk. Set a few small basil leaves aside for garnish. Add 1 cup fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle in salt and cayenne.

Summer Soup: ready to serve in seconds

Blend at medium speed until smooth (20-30 seconds)

A spicy, refreshing energy soup for a warm afternoon.

Pour into serving bowls and garnish with fresh basil leaves. A small portion, served in a juice glass, makes an excellent alternative 'starter' to a more formal summer meal.

A Blender Full of Spicy Summer Soup

Grilled Chive-Mushrooms

A first spring harvest of slender green spears... chives from the garden were the catalyst for this delicious dish. These chive-marinaded mushrooms are grilled along with heirloom cherry tomatoes and garnished with salted cashews. Deceptively easy to prepare, the vegetables are bursting with fresh flavour whether oven-roasted or cooked on the BBQ.
You'll Need: 1 bunch of chives (1/4 cup finely chopped chives) 1-2 chive flowers; a squirt of fresh lemon juice; 8-10 baby Portabello mushrooms, 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon agave (or other sweetener) sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste, cherry tomatoes. juice. Lettuce, and salted cashews for garnish.

 In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon agave, salt, cayenne pepper together.  Chop chives into very fine pieces, and add to marinade in the bowl. 
Separate the chive blossoms into individual petals, sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside. 

Wipe the mushroom carefully with a damp cloth, or rinse under running water and pat dry. 

Snap stems from mushroom caps and place both stems and caps in the marinade, mixing well to make certain mushroom pieces are well-coated and caps are filled with chive mixture. Let mushrooms marinade in chive oil for at least 1/2 hour. They can be  refrigerated in the marinade overnight.
Remove mushrooms from the marinade. Diced the stems into very small pieces and return to bowl and mix with remainder of chive marinade. Fill the mushroom caps with the chive/stem mix. Place under grill in oven, or on BBQ and cook until tender and juicy.

When mushrooms are about 5 minutes from completion, add the cherry tomatoes to the grill. 

Coarsely chop roasted salted cashews and garnish the cooked mushrooms with a dusting of the crunchy nuts. Sprinkle chive flowers over top.


Serve on a bed of butter lettuce with grill heirloom cherry tomatoes.