Salads

Chantel's Titilating Tomato Salad

• pint of grape or cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2-1 tablespoon nonpareil capers
• either chopped brine-cured green olives or V.G. Buck Green olive tapenade
• 1-3 cloves garlic
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• fresh basic
• fresh flat leaf parsley
• fresh oregano (if you have it)
• extra virgin olive oil to coat

Toss ingredients together, chill, and serve!

Grilled Mustard Greens

• 1 bunch fresh mustard greens
• olive oil

Remove stalks up to base of leaves. Toss or coat leaves sparingly with olive oil. Grill over medium-low flame, turning so as not to burn, until tender. Leaves will produce popping sound.

To serve:
Add salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste.

Japanese Steamed Kabotcha

• 1 kabotcha (green baby pumpkin squash)
• black sesame seeds
• strong soy sauce

Gut kabotcha seeds. Cut into one-inch cubes, leaving skin on. Steam about 10 minutes or until completely steamed. Sprinkle lightly with black sesame seeds. Serve immediately, with soy sauce on side for dipping.

Roasted Beet Curry

• 4-5 raw beets
• 1 large carrot, cut on the half turn into chunks
• dry red pepper pods
• garam masala
• curry powder
• whole cloves
• olive or vegetable oil (olive preferred)

Wrap beets and roast at 400 for half hour. Unwrap, cool, remove skins. Cut into chunks, slices, or juliennes. Add carrot, beets, seasonings to taste to 3-4 cups water. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, add 1 Tbsp oil. Simmer until carrot tender. Serve with yoghurt and pita.

Mediterranean Salad

• 2 large red onions
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 pack feta cheese
• 8-12 roma tomatoes
• fresh basil leaves (to taste)
• crushed garlic (to taste)
• salt, black pepper (to taste)
• olive oil

Slice onions into paper thin rings, toss to separate. Slice tomatoes into thin rings. Roll basil leaves lengthwise, slice into julienne strips. Drain olives. Arrange onion slices on salad plate in a layer. Salt, pepper lightly.  Arrange tomato slices in layer on top of onion. Salt, pepper lightly. Crumble feta onto tomatoes. Sprinkle olives onto feta. Sprinkle crushed garlic and julienned basil onto salad. Drizzle olive oil over salad to taste.

To serve:
Let sit for half hour, at room temp, to allow onion and tomatoes to sweat. Serve with baguette or pita.

Options:
Sprinkle lemon juice over salad to taste
Add capers to taste