Watermelon Feta Salad

The simplicity of this salad makes the preparation easy and quick. First take off each end of the watermelon and cut it in half. Turn so that the center of the melon is against the cutting board and take off the rind. Then proceed to cut it into cubes.  Next slice the shallot and lastly cube the cheese. Add the oil, honey, mint and season to taste.

Ingredients

Watermelon – 1/2 each diced into 1’’ pieces
Sheep Milk Feta Cheese – 2 cups  diced into 1’’ pieces
Shallot – 1 each sliced thin
Mint - 1/2 bunch chiffonade (thin shreds)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – ¼ cup
Honey – 2 tbsp
Salt and pepper – to taste

Method

Cut watermelon into ½ inch cubes. Do this by first cutting the watermelon in half. Then laying the flat side on the cutting board take off the rind carefully. Slice vertically to make planks. Lay the planks down, cut ½ inch so you have spears and then repeat to make cubes.  Place watermelon in a bowl.

Cube the feta cheese, slice the shallot as thin as possible. Add to bowl. 

Mince the herbs and sprinkle on top – add olive oil, honey and vinegar.

Mix using your hands. Taste and season if necessary – I love mine with a lot of black pepper. 

Summer Salads - Energizing Healthy Abundance

As a kid I spent my summers on Martha's Vineyard. I remember summer meals that consisted of plentiful salads representing the summers bounty. The images and fresh flavors of the island are still imprinted in my mind. As I walk through Hampton's and North Fork farm stands I let the produce and ingredients speak to me; conjuring memories that represent the early summer harvest.

A summer salad is abundant, light, flavorful and versatile. It can devoured as a snack or even main indulgence. I want to spend as much time outside as possible during the summer, so as you will see these salads are quick to prepare but rich in flavor. 

Stay outside. Stay seasonal. Stay simple.

Watermelon Feta Salad

Serves 8

Watermelon – 1/2 each diced into 1’’ pieces

Sheep Milk Feta Cheese – 2 cups  diced into 1’’ pieces

Shallot – 1 each sliced thin

Mint - 1/2 bunch chiffonade (thin shreds)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – ¼ cup

Honey – 2 tbsp

Salt and pepper – to taste

The simplicity of this salad makes the preparation easy and quick. First take off each end of the watermelon and cut it in half. Turn so that the center of the melon is against the cutting board and take off the rind. Then proceed to cut it into cubes.  Next slice the shallot and lastly cube the cheese. Add the oil, honey, mint and season to taste.

Grilled Shrimp, Pepper and Arugula Salad

Serves 8

 Jumbo Shrimp – 1 lb (oxymoron I know)

Arugula – 1 bunch

Orange Bell Pepper – 2 each small diced

Dressing

Sherry Vinegar – ¼ cup

Extra Virgin Olive Oil -3/4 cup

Honey – 2 tbsp

Lime – 2 each juiced

Thyme – 2 sprigs picked

Salt and Pepper – to taste

Preheat the grill on medium high heat. Season the shrimp with salt pepper and olive oil, and cook for 3 min. then flip and cook until the shrimp are curing. They will continue to cook so pull them off a bit early. Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl. Dice the bell pepper and add to shrimp then top with arugula.

In a small mason jar, mix vinegar, oil, honey, lime and thyme. Shake and then add just enough dressing to coat the shrimp. Toss softly and serve.

Simple Field Green Salad

Serves 8

Mesclun Mix  (or whatever is local) – 8 small handfuls

Radish – 5 ea. Sliced

Blueberries – ½ cup

Cherry Tomato – 1 cup each (halved)

Dressing (made in bowl)

Lemon – 1 each juiced

Sherry Vinegar – 1 tbsp

Olive Oil – 1/8 cup

Salt and Pepper – to taste

Prepare ingredients for salad; slice the radish, wash the blueberries, split the tomatoes.

Lightly season the lettuce with salt and pepper. Now add the dressing around the side of the bowl. Wash your hands and mix gently, coating all the lettuce. If it is too sour, or your blueberries aren’t in season,  add a touch of honey to sweeten it up.

Sweet and Smoky Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

Serves 8

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh – 4 each

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – 4 each

Cherry Tomato – 2 cups

Zucchini – 2 each

Red Onion – 1 ½  each

Bell Pepper – 2 each

16 skewers

Marinade

Soy Sauce – ½ cup

Honey – 1/8 cup

Sesame Oil – 3 tbsp

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – ¼ cup

Ginger – 3 tbsp minced

Garlic – 3 tbsp minced

Lime Juice – 3 each juiced

Salt and pepper – 2 tsp each

Everyone loves grilling, this simple dish imparts tremendous flavor with simple ingredients. By grilling slightly larger the bite sized pieces, each piece to become slightly more smoky and much more flavorful as the marinade covers more surface area. 

To begin, cut up the vegetables into 'two bite' size. For the tomatoes, leave them whole. Next cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces. Remember that the vegetables will cook faster than the chicken. We want each to be properly cooked when we pull it off the grill so size is important. 

Now skewer each ingredient. Alternate vegetables with chicken. In a separate bowl mix the marinade ingredients and cover with the chicken. Let marinate for a few hours.

Over a medium high heat, place the skewers on the grill. For the dark meat cook for about 7 min on the first side. Then roll the skewers over and cook for another 5 min. For the white meat, pull them off the grill just a bit earlier.