The goat ricotta mixes with the vegetables and greens as you eat, adding a nice tang and a satisfying richness. This recipes serves 2 but could easily be scaled up to serve more. We ate this as a main, with some biscuits to round out the meal, but this would be a great side dish with a steak or a lamb chop.
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Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad is fresh and not weighed down by a heavy dressing. The bacon, in addition to just being delicious, gives it a heartiness that makes this perfect for lunch. This would also be great as a summertime side, especially because it can be assembled well before you plan on eating it. This salad keeps for several days in the fridge.
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Cherry Spinach Salad with Basil Vin
The cherries in this salad provide a bold and delicious burst of flavor. Like most salads loaded with goodies, everything will sink to the bottom. This is especially true for this salad as the cherries are heavy. Make sure you are getting plenty of the good stuff in each portion when serving.
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Strawberry Arugula Salad with Basil and Feta
Strawberries and basil is such a summery and satisfying combination of flavors. If you can, try and find local strawberries to buy. The ones found in the grocery stores are bred to be able to travel and aren’t as tender or flavorful as what you can find at your local stand. If you do find yourself in front of the strawberry section at your grocery store, look for berries that are red, rather than white, at the top. These will be more likely to have been picked when close to ripe.
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Basil Pesto
Basil is one of my favorite summer smells. In addition to adding it to just about everything I eat in the summer, I love making pesto. Basil Pesto is a classic summer staple and one that freezes really well. Basil plants are prolific producers, so I like to make large batches to freeze and use later. Whenever I have enough basil on hand, I’ll double the quantities below. Basil Pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts, but I’ve always used walnuts. Pine nuts are a little too pricey for me and I love the flavor of walnuts. Whether you use pine nuts or walnuts, the important thing is that they’re toasted dark.
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How to Toast Nuts
Toasted nuts add an incredible amount of flavor. I very rarely use raw nuts for anything. Whether it’s going in a salad, cookie, or pesto, your end product will taste much better if the nuts are toasted. Since I normally roast vegetables at 425°F, I’ve calibrated my times for toasting nuts to be at that temperature. That way, I can throw them in with whatever is already in the oven. You can definitely toast nuts at a lower temperature, it will just take a little longer.
Granola
This granola is a staple for us and we try to keep some on hand, especially when people are visiting. It isn’t too sweet and is healthy enough that I don’t think twice about eating it for breakfast. I particularly love eating it with plain yogurt, any fresh fruit we have on hand, and a drizzle of honey. It’s also great just to snack on or to eat as cereal.