Fiesta Salad with Creamy Enchilada Dressing

I've decided that salads are the Summertime version of the casserole. Don't you agree? All of the ingredients are served in a single dish and you have complete control of the nutritional value of the meal. Even better, about 90 percent of the meal can be prepared ahead of time and that leaves more time to enjoy the warm weather and long Summer days.

About month ago I made enchiladas and was inspired to transform the ingredients into a salad once it became too hot to turn on the oven. My challenge was to make a dressing that was appropriate for the enchilada-style salad. After getting really fancy with vinegars and seasoned oils (none of which reminded me of the enchilada flavor I wanted), I found a solution that was easier than I imagined. Remember when we used to make quick thousand island dressing by mixing ketchup and mayo? Well, I had some Sweet Creek organic enchilada sauce and some Nancy's sour cream in the fridge. It tasted great and it doesn't get any easier to make.
I topped this salad with some chopped spicy almonds but you can also use tortilla chips or diced jicama to add a little crunch. Get creative!

Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8
Level: Easy

Basil Dipping Sauce

I've been waiting for that moment when I look at my herbs and there is finally enough to grab a handful and add them to my recipes!

This has been a tough year for my potted plants. The deer that frequent my yard have been feasting on herbs that haven't interested them in years past. Replanted (again), this time with an obstacle course of patio furniture to ward off the deer, the garden is thriving and I'm enjoying the herbs in the kitchen now. 
Score 1 for me.

I created this no-cook recipe with fresh oregano, garlic and basil thinking it would be best with some chicken sausage kabobs but have discovered that it's way more versatile. It's nice for a dipping sauce for bread, a dressing for shrimp salad and even a marinade for chicken or fish.

If you like the tang of fresh lemon and herbs and the slight bite of raw garlic, this one's for you! In fact, you might be surprised at the different ways your family and friends use this.




Time: 10 minutes
Level: Easy
Yield: 1/2 cup

Grilled Veggies, Italian Style

If you haven't officially opened BBQ season, now's the time!
The most difficult thing about making these is actually growing the veggies. We're so fortunate in the Willamette Valley that they're available at the farmer's market as well as every natural grocery in town.

Since these are thin-skinned I stick with organic when I buy squash.
In this case, we were lucky enough to score the yellow squash out of my niece's garden (thanks Jess!), the pattypan and zucchini from the local farmer's market and the basil right from my sister's herb garden.

I wrote this blog post while I was visiting family in Northern California. The grill was hot, the Imburgios were cooking and the kids were noisy. Does it get any better - or any more Italian? Okay, the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and basil had something to do with the Italian part.

When you make this, cook plenty of it. I wish I had prepared more of the pattypan in particular. It was more popular than I expected and two little pattypans weren't nearly enough. The food blogger in me likes to think my 3 year-old nephew loved it because it's mildly sweet and, though thoroughly cooked, it was still firm (my brother did grill it perfectly). However, I leave room for the fact that pattypans look like flying saucers and he's in a Buzz Lightyear phase these days.  Anyway, whatever you have leftover will be a terrific addition to summer salads and are really wonderful cold or at room temp.




Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 6 as a side dish
Level: Easy

Grilled Fruit in Agrodolce Sauce

What a kick-off to summer! I was in Northern California among the grapevines and almond trees, looking for inspiration for the next recipe for the blog. Since stone fruit (apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries) is at its peak there, it was a timely compliment to the pork loin roast. And they will be available in the Pacific northwest in a few weeks!

As you can see in this picture, the cherries never made it to the grill (they would have been in a basket) but the apricots, peaches, mangos and pineapple were a nice addition to the pork loin roast.

If you've been reading the blog you've seen my agrodolce sauce on the chevre tarts. Here's another place to serve it. It enhances the flavor of a lot of different foods. I hope you try it.









Time: 20 minutes to grill the fruit. Make the agrodolce 1 hour ahead.
Level: Easy
Yield: Serves 12 and is easily scalable to the size of your crowd.

Frank's Smoky Pork Ribs

It's outdoor cooking season and time for my brother's smoky ribs. I was lucky enough to get Frank to blog with me and share the secret to making his moist and flavorful pork spare ribs. I'm guessing he would tell you that the secret is in the dry rub but I think it all starts with his insistence on using pork spare ribs, not baby backs or beef ribs. You must use meaty pork spare ribs for this recipe or risk that they will dry out.

The next critical step is to get the dry rub just right. Frank knows by the color. It starts out quite red (chili powder and paprika) but the brown sugar and garlic powder change that. In the end, it's the dry mustard that turns it the rich amber color that you see below. You don't have to worry about that though, just follow the measurements and it will be spicy and delicious.

The prep is easily done, you just have to be patient and let the cooking process take as long as it needs. Give it time. Find something to take your mind off the aroma because 6 hours of that is torture. Gather the family. Tell stories. Re-seed the yard. You've got time. 

For this recipe you'll need a smoker. We used hickory chips but apple or cherry are also great with pork. Never having used a smoker myself, I was surprised by the amount of time it took to make them. Oh, was it ever worth it!

Time: Overnight in the rub, 6-7 hours in the smoker
Level: Average
Yield: Serves 4-6