One more Salad for Summer's Last Gasp—Greek-style Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Feta & Olives

 

It appears that this was the summer of the salad (for me, at least).  By my rough calculation, about a third of my blog posts over the course of the summer months were for salad...exceeding the number of posts for pasta and cake (my two main food groups) by a wide margin.  Since we are saying good-bye to summer this weekend (Autumn officially begins on Sunday), it seemed appropriate that I should post one last recipe for a summer salad.

I hate to refer to what I'm sharing today as a "recipe".  Whether you think it should or not, for most people the word recipe conjures up images of exact measurements and precise methods.  And this is not at all what I have in mind here today.  Rather, I have in mind an idea—an idea that I found earlier this year (before the summer even officially started) on Martha Stewart's site.  The original recipe lists quantities...and I will too...but I hope you won't use them.  Instead, I hope you will use the idea—a big, chunky, lettuce-less salad using all of the ingredients that Americans have come to associate with a "Greek Salad":  tomatoes, feta, olives, red onion, cucumber and herbs—to make your own exuberant platter. 

I made my version this past weekend as part of a birthday spread for my mother (a spread that also included grilled hamburgers, sautéed sweet corn and potatoes roasted with bacon and sage).  The salad I made was basically a "Greek-style" celebration of the tomato.  It has been such a good summer for tomatoes.   The displays of multicolored heirlooms and cherry tomatoes at the market have been abundant and breathtakingly beautiful...I don't ever seem to be able to purchase just a few.  I even heard one grower say a couple of weeks ago that he doesn't ever remember such a good year for tomatoes.  To make the salad, simply layer multi-colored tomatoes (some sliced and some in wedges) and halved cherry tomatoes on a large platter (or individual plates) with thinly sliced red onion and cucumber, halved Greek olives, and big chunks of feta.  Season with salt and pepper and bathe generously with vinaigrette as you build. 

This salad added the perfect touch for what was our family's last dinner gathering of the summer.  As much as everyone in my family likes corn and potatoes, I think the salad was the favorite dish on the table.  (The next day the leftovers made a delicious lunch as the garnish on a leftover hamburger.)  

And because I still had a mountain of tomatoes on my counter several days later, we had the same salad for dinner later in the week.  With a big chunk of toasted bread, it was just the thing at the end of a long, hot day of work when the last thing I wanted to do was cook some more.    

I hesitated to post this salad so late in the season.  But I'm certain the tomatoes will be coming into the market for at least another week or two....and as crazy as the weather has been, there will probably be more than a few hot days to come when a salty, tangy, juicy tomato salad will be the perfect addition to your evening meal.  And, if by chance you haven't made it to your local farmers' market yet this year, getting tomatoes so you can make this salad would be the perfect reason to go. 

 

  

Greek-Style Summer Tomato Salad

The Vinaigrette:

2 T. red wine vinegar

salt & freshly ground pepper

1 small clove of garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

1/2 t. dried oregano

6 T. extra-virgin olive oil

The Salad:

a generous 2 lbs. multi-colored tomatoes of varying sizes and shapes...it's nice to include some cherry tomatoes in the mix

1 small red onion (about 2 oz.), trimmed, halved, cored, sliced very thinly and rinsed under cold running water

1 cucumber, peeled if the skin is tough, halved, seeded and sliced thinly (about 1/8-inch) cross-wise—you should have about 3/4 to 1 cup sliced cucumber

3/4 to 1 cup mixed olives, pitted and halved lengthwise

6 to 8 oz. Feta (preferably in brine), sliced 1/2-inch thick and broken into randomly sized chunks

Salt  & freshly ground black pepper

To build the salad:
First, make the vinaigrette.  Place the vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano and whisk to combine. Let sit for five minutes or so. Add the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Taste and correct the seasoning. Re-whisk before using.
 

Rinse and core the tomatoes.  Halve the cherry tomatoes.  Cut the vine-ripened tomatoes into an assortment of attractive wedges and slices. 

You may build the salad on one large platter or on individual plates.  Arrange half of the tomatoes on the platter (or divide among the plates), followed by half of each of the cucumbers, onion, olives and feta.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the vinaigrette.  Repeat the layering of the salad elements, finishing with salt, pepper and vinaigrette.  Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the tomato juices and vinaigrette.  

Serves 4 as a light entrée or 6 to 8 as a side salad.

 

(Recipe inspired by a recipe in Martha Stewart Living, May 2011)

 

Printable Recipe

Another Summer Salad...Roasted Eggplant with Chickpeas & Cherry Tomatoes

Eggplant and Chickpeas:  Probably one of the most satisfying food combinations I know.  I'm sure a nutritionist could tell me why this combination is so fine... why I feel sated, but never stuffed, whenever I eat these two foods together.  But I don't need a nutritionist to tell me that it is delicious....which is another reason I find it so satisfying....and in the long run is why I come back to it again and again.

Recently a photo of an eggplant and chickpea salad showed up on my Facebook timeline.  From Martha Stewart's site, the post linked to a varied array of eggplant recipes.  They all looked good, but it was the salad that I really wanted to taste.  So when eggplant started to show up at the farmers' market a couple of weeks ago, I put this salad on my list of things to make soon.

The main change I made to the salad was to add some halved, multi-colored cherry tomatoes.  I wanted to make the salad more substantial so that I could serve it as an entrée.  But I also wanted to add some color—color that was particularly needed since I served our salad with plain Basmati rice and a quick yogurt and cucumber sauce.  Without  the additional color from the tomatoes, the plate would have been a study in beige and white (interrupted only by the dark skin of the eggplant).  If you don't have any cherry tomatoes, you could accomplish the same thing by serving the original salad on top of some sliced vine ripened tomatoes.  Or, you could serve a simple tomato and cucumber salad alongside.

Before I share the recipe, I feel that I should apologize for the lack of "in process" photos on this post.  (If you have never roasted cubed eggplant before, you can find a picture of it in a post I wrote a couple of years ago about another eggplant salad—the main thing is to not crowd the eggplant as it roasts.)  To be honest, when I made our dinner I had no plans to write a post for this salad—I have changed it so little from the original.  But as has happened a few times before, it was just too good not to share.  If you love eggplant....with chickpeas...you'll want to try this salad.

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Chickpeas

and Cherry Tomatoes

3 lbs. eggplant (about 3), trimmed and cut in 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
Salt & pepper, to taste
5 T. olive oil, divided
3 T. strained lemon juice
pinch of cayenne, to taste
1/4 c. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 2/3 c. chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes (8 oz.), halved (mixed colors if available)
4 oz. Feta, coarsely broken

Toss the eggplant in a generous amount of olive oil (about 3 T.) and season with salt & pepper.  Divide the eggplant between 2 rimmed baking sheets.  Roast in a 475° rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom half way through the cooking time.  If you like, "stir" the eggplant once as it cooks by turning it over with a pancake turner.  The eggplant is done when it is golden and tender—about 25 to 30 minutes.

While the eggplant roasts, place the lemon juice in a large bowl along with 2 T. olive oil, a pinch of cayenne, the mint and three or four good pinches of kosher salt.  Add the chickpeas and tomatoes and fold in with a rubber spatula.  

When the eggplant is done cooking, remove from the oven and let cool briefly.  While it is still warm (but not hot), add to the bowl and fold in.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature with the Feta sprinkled over. 

This salad is delicious served with plain Basmati rice and a cool cucumber-yogurt sauce (below).   

Serves 4 to 6.  (The recipes halves easily for a smaller household.)

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food)

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce:  Combine 1/2 cup each coarsely grated, seeded cucumber (peeled if skin is tough)  and plain yogurt (Greek, Traditional Bulgarian style—whatever you prefer—whole milk varieties will be the thickest).  Stir in a scant 1/4 t. each of cumin and coriander.  Season with salt and pepper.

Printable Recipe

Summer Salad of Watermelon, Blueberries & Arugula with Mint

I love the fruits of summer.  Stone fruits, berries, melons and figs...there isn't enough time or enough meals in the day to get my fill.  Every time I go to the store this time of year, I come home with some kind of fruit that I just couldn't pass up.  This week we have had watermelon, cherries, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and peaches filling the fridge and the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.  I eat a big bowl of fruit every morning for breakfast...and make desserts every chance I get...ice cream, tarts, pies, cakes, cobblers, compotes and crisps.  But even this isn't enough to use up all of the bounty.   More and more I am tucking these fruits of summer into refreshing and light salads—just right for lunch...or a nice addition to a summer dinner. 

 

Last week I taught a class at The Community Mercantile that included the delicious Watermelon and Avocado salad that I posted last summer.  The watermelon I purchased in the store for my class was so beautiful—juicy, sweet and "seedless"—that I got an extra one for myself.  We have of course enjoyed it in big fat slices, but I also took advantage of the fact that it was seedless to cut it into small cubes and pair it with blueberries in a salad.  The combination is visually stunning.  And it tastes pretty great, too.  

 

Watermelon & Blueberry Salad with Arugula & Mint

1 T. strained lime juice
1 t. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. honey
2 T. olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

3 c. 1/2- to 2/3-inch cubes of seedless watermelon (see notes)
1 c. blueberries, well rinsed
3 oz. feta, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 to 1/2 c. thinly sliced cucumber (halve or quarter the cucumber lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before slicing)
1 1/2 oz. (2 small handfuls) arugula
1/2 c. mint leaves (measured by dropping into the cup—don't pack them down), left whole or cut in wide chiffonade if the leaves are very large

Make the vinaigrette:  Place the lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Set aside.



Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle in the vinaigrette, using just enough to lightly coat all of the ingredients. Toss to combine.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper.

Mound the salad onto a large platter (or individual serving plates) and serve.  Serves 4.

Notes:  

• You will need a total of 1 cup of fruit (diced watermelon and blueberries) per person.  I like the ratio of 3 parts watermelon to 1 part blueberries, but you should of course vary this to suit your tastes.
• The watermelon and feta should be in pieces that echo the size of your blueberries
• You may of course make this salad with a traditional watermelon with seeds, but you will need to remove the seeds...which is a bit of a tedious job.
• I used a small Persian cucumber from my farmers' market to make this salad but any cucumber will do nicely.

Printable Recipe

 

Late Summer Panzanella

The first time I ever heard of Panzanella was years ago on a Saturday morning—long before I started cooking professionally. I was watching Lorenza de'Medici cook on PBS. I remember that all of her food looked very good, but to be honest, I was not particularly tempted by the Panzanella—a traditional Tuscan bread salad. The idea of soaking stale bread in water in order to soften it before squeezing it out and crumbling it over a bowl of tomatoes (even though they were beautiful summer tomatoes) didn't appeal to me. I don't remember what else, if anything, was in her very traditional version except for a generous amount of Tuscan olive oil. Now, looking back on that salad, my mouth waters as I think about all of those wonderful ripe tomato juices mingling with the olive oil, soaking into the good Tuscan bread.... Surprisingly, of all the things she made during that episode, the panzanella is the only thing I remember.

Panzanella was originally a way of rescuing stale bread.  Wasting bread would have been unthinkable.  It is an ingenious idea to make a salad that takes advantage of the inherent capacity of old bread to capture and retain vegetable juices that might otherwise be left swimming in the bottom of a bowl. Both the bread and the juices are saved. But, come to think of it, isn't that what we often use bread for? Doesn't everyone love to swipe a nice, substantial piece of bread through a flavorful sauce or a dish of fruity olive oil?

Since that long ago Saturday morning, not only have I seen many traditional versions of panzanella (always with bread, tomatoes and olive oil), I have come across all manner of bread salads styled after panzanella. Chef's love to play with this type of salad, using the bread to absorb vegetable juices, vinaigrettes and even the pan deglazings that result from roasting meat. Michael Chiarello in his book Casual Cooking presents a foursome of panzanellas that feature the produce of each of the four seasons—only the summer version uses tomatoes. Several years ago Gourmet Magazine published a recipe by Chef Frank Stitt for Cornbread Panzanella. This version uses all of the traditional vegetable ingredients, except it substitutes Stitt's native southern cornbread for the yeast bread. It has become one of my favorites.

I don't very often have stale bread on hand.  I freeze what I'm not going to eat before it gets stale. But to make panzanella, you don't really have to have stale bread—you can create it by cutting up fresh or day old bread and toasting it in the oven. Michael Chiarello calls this homemade "stale" bread "panzanella croutons." To make them, use any artisanal loaf that has a nice open crumb. Ciabatta is the usual choice (and it is a good choice), but I prefer focaccia because it is a well seasoned bread and you don't have to trim away any tough crusts.

To me the most amazing thing about panzanella is how refreshing it can be...even light. I expect that a salad made up in a large part of olive oil-drenched bread will be heavy. But somehow it is not. When I make mine, I wait to add the vinaigrette until the bread has been first tossed with all of the vegetables and their juices. This way the bread absorbs the light vegetables juices before it starts to take up the olive oil in the vinaigrette. I think the other thing that makes this a light and refreshing salad is the presence of the raw red onion and cucumber. If added in thin slices, these add a juicy, delicate crunch.

Panzanella makes a fine first course salad. For a light lunch, add a slice of cheese and you're set. Panzanella also makes a nice side to grilled or roasted meats for dinner. Frank Stitt serves his cornbread panzanella as a side to grilled lamb. We had a traditional summer version for dinner the other night with a pan-roasted chicken breast:

Late Summer Panzanella

For the Panzanella Croutons:
8 to 9 cups cubed (1/2-inch) day old bread—preferably focaccia, but any good Italian or French bread with an open crumb will do. If something other than focaccia is chosen, you will need to trim away the hard crusts. You should have about 10 oz. of cubed bread.
3 T. olive oil

Toss bread cubes with the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake in a 400° oven until the bread is crisp and light golden, but still soft inside—about 10 minutes. Let cool. If making ahead, store air-tight.

For the Salad:
4 bell peppers—2 red and 2 yellow, if available—if not, use all red
2 T. red-wine vinegar
1 T. Sherry vinegar
Salt & Pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large vine-ripened tomatoes (2 lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces—juices reserved
2 cloves garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt
1 small red onion, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise and rinsed (you will have about 1 to 1 1/3 c. sliced onion)
12 oz. cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise (peel the cucumber first if the skin is tough)—you will have about 2 c.
3 T. capers, rinsed
16 large fresh basil leaves, cut in a wide chiffonade
3 handfuls (about 3 oz.) arugula, large stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces

Roast the bell peppers on racks of gas burners over high heat, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 10 to 12 minutes (or broil peppers on a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes). Transfer peppers to a platter and let cool. When cool enough to handle, peel peppers, discarding stems and seeds, and reserving any juices. Cut the peppers into 1-inch pieces.

Whisk together vinegars in a large bowl and season with salt & pepper. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking. Set aside.

Place the peppers and tomatoes in a large bowl along with any reserved juices (see note). Add the garlic and gently stir to make sure the garlic is dispersed in the liquid. Add the onions, cucumbers, capers and basil.

Toss to combine. Add the croutons and toss again. Pour the vinaigrette over all and toss well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Allow the salad to sit for 15 minutes or so to allow the croutons to soften.

When the croutons are at the point you prefer (still with a bit of texture, or quite soft), add the arugula and toss.  Taste the salad and correct the seasoning and texture by adding more vegetable juices (if you have them--see note), olive oil or sherry vinegar.  Add more salt & pepper, if necessary.  Serve, garnished with shaved Parmesan, if you like. Serves 8 to 10.

Note:  Set aside any juices in excess of 1/3 cup and add to the salad only as needed to further soften the bread.

Beet, Arugula and Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing served with Spicy Sautéed Halibut and Basmati Rice

One of the best experiences you can have as a diner is to eat a meal that so far exceeds your expectations that the surprise itself increases your enjoyment of the food. The experience is even better if you are also the cook.  Tonight's dinner was just that kind meal for me.

On Friday night, my supply of fresh produce is definitely on the wane. Tonight I was down to golden beets, one cucumber, some arugula, a few green beans and some corn. This didn't seem too promising to me. Since I wasn't really in the mood for corn or green beans (I ate a lot of both this week), I was left with the arugula, cucumber and golden beets. In what I consider to be a sort of freakish coincidence, it just so happened that earlier in the week I had seen a salad in one of my new cookbooks (Olives & Oranges by Sara Jenkins & Mindy Fox) that featured these three ingredients. I had noticed it because I am always on the lookout for new things to do with beets and also because these three ingredients did not seem like an obvious combination to me.

Beets and arugula are a natural pairing, but I wasn't sure about the addition of the cucumber. You may recall from a previous post that cucumbers are not something I acquired a taste for until recently. I still don't naturally think of them when combining ingredients. Since I had all the ingredients on hand it seemed like a shame not to try this unusual salad. When I pulled the book out to double check the recipe, I was surprised that there was nothing else to speak of in the salad—it was just these three ingredients tossed together with a yogurt vinaigrette. It could hardly have been simpler. Jenkins suggests serving the salad as a first course or as part of a mezze spread. But I thought I would just serve it as a side dish.

While I was out running errands today I stopped to pick up some halibut. Halibut is in season now. It is a fish that I don't like to eat if it has been frozen. It is so low in fat that it doesn't seem to be able to withstand the loss of moisture inherent in the freezing process. After it has been frozen, it is invariably dry and cottony when cooked. Fortunately, its season is long and I am usually able to get my fill of it from mid spring to late autumn. You can tell by looking if halibut has been frozen. The flesh of fresh halibut has a translucent quality. If it has been frozen, it is generally an opaque white.

As I considered the cool yogurt and cucumber and the sweet roasted beets, I thought of a favorite way of preparing fish I picked up in an article I read about Boulette's Larder in San Francisco. In the article the chefs shared a recipe for sautéed fish seasoned with a spice mixture they called "instant easy effect". The spice mixture they use is equal parts salt, chili powder and turmeric. I like this idea of sprinkling spices on a piece of fish to be seared. The searing process toasts the spices, further releasing their flavorful oils into the fish.

For my 9 ounce piece of (skinless) halibut I used roughly 1/4 t. kosher salt, 1/4 t. turmeric, 1/8 t. Ancho chili powder and 1/8 t. cumin.

Rub the spice into the fish and heat some olive oil and a little butter in a sauté pan set over medium-high heat. After the butter foam subsides, add the fish to the pan. Always put the fish into the pan "service side" (the side that will face the diner) down—this is because the side that goes into the pan first will always look best. In the case of a skinned piece of fish, it will be the side that was against the bones (not the side that had the skin). Cook the fish for 3 to 5 minutes, regulating the heat to maintain an active sizzle, until it is crisp and browned. Carefully turn the fish over and continue to cook until it is done the way you like it.

I think it is best when it is still slightly translucent in the center. The rule of thumb is about 10 minutes total cooking time for every inch of thickness of the fish. If you like, you may finish cooking the fish, after turning it over, in a 350° to 400° oven (make sure you are using and ovenproof sauté pan if you are going to do this).

While the fish was finishing up in the oven, I finished the salad.  The individual ingredients were all very good—particularly the cucumber which was still juicy and crunchy even though it was almost a week old—but I still had my doubts about the combination.

 

I served the salad and fish with some plain basmati rice from a large platter—"family style" for the two of us. I knew the minute I put it in my mouth that I wanted to write about it. The combination of the lightly spiced halibut with the fragrant basmati rice and the amazingly flavorful and refreshing beet and cucumber salad was very fine—a delightful contrast in textures, temperatures and flavors. As we ate, I drizzled some of the extra yogurt vinaigrette over the fish and kept saying over and over again, "This is so good!" I think you will agree.

Beet, Arugula and Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing

(Recipe adapted from Olives & Oranges by Sara Jenkins & Mindy Fox)

3 medium beets (I used golden beets)
White Balsamic (this is not in the original recipe--I think beets need a little acidity and I particularly like white balsamic, but you could use something else)
Salt
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt
5 T. olive oil
Pepper
1 bunch of arugula, washed, stems removed if large, and torn
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons

Heat oven to 400°. Place the beets in a baking dish with a splash of water. Cover tightly with foil and bake until tender—45 minutes to an hour. Remove the beets from the oven, drain and let cool slightly. Trim the beets and rub the skin off with a paper towel. Cut the beets into eighths. Drizzle with white balsamic vinegar to taste. (See basic roasted beet recipe.)

While the beets are cooking, whisk together the yogurt, garlic and vinegar. Season with salt. While whisking constantly, add the oil in a thin stream. If necessary, add 2 or 3 drops of warm water to smooth and emulsify the dressing. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper.

In a medium-sized bowl, toss the beets with the cucumber and arugula. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and toss—adding more dressing as necessary to coat the vegetables and greens. Taste and correct the seasoning and serve.  Serves 4.

Printable Version

A Refreshing Chicken Salad with Cantaloupe, Feta, Arugula & Mint

Just as the most blistering heat of the summer begins to set in, refreshing melons and cucumbers have begun to show up at my Farmers' market. It is only recently that I have come to appreciate melons and cucumbers. I am certain that my earlier dislike was from having eaten a less than spectacular specimen or two while I was growing up. They just seemed a bit boring and flavorless to me.  As a child I don't ever remember going to a farmers' market and we never had a vegetable garden (only flowers). The fruits and vegetables I ate were from the grocery store and had, I know now, been picked before their prime for shipment. Some fruits and vegetables suffer more under this kind of treatment than others. Tomatoes are a good example. I went for years as a young adult thinking I didn't like tomatoes anymore. Then on a business trip to Florida, I was served a gorgeous vine ripe tomato on my salad and couldn't believe the flavor explosion in my mouth...I did like tomatoes!

Something similar happened to me with Cantaloupe. After years of refusing cantaloupe, I found myself at the end of a wonderful meal at Alain Ducasse's La Bastide de Moustiers in the South of France. The dessert that evening included a simple medley of seasonal fruits. In it floated these peachy colored cubes that tasted like nothing I had ever eaten—sweet, juicy and with an incredible perfume. The waitress seemed surprised that I didn't know what it was—just melon du Cavaillon (a small French variety of cantaloupe). Amazing!

A couple of summers ago while I was working on a class featuring cold foods, I came across three salads by three of my favorite women chefs—Jody Adams, Judy Rodgers and Joyce Goldstein. All three salads featured combinations of these (and other) crunchy and juicy vegetables and fruits of summer accented by the crunch of nuts, salty cheese and a healthy dose of refreshing mint.  I was inspired to put together my own version and the result is the recipe I'm sharing today. I drew most heavily on the salad by Joyce Goldstein, published in an old summer issue of Food & Wine.

Besides getting the chance to use and learn more about a couple of ingredients that weren't regulars in my repertoire, while playing with this recipe I learned a new technique for adding mint flavor to a vinaigrette. Jody Adams says that it is an Italian technique. Basically the vinegar or lemon juice is combined with some minced fresh mint and then brought to a simmer. It is then pulled off of the heat and allowed to steep (much like tea) for at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow it to steep, the more intense the mint flavor. The mint-infused vinegar is then strained and used in the vinaigrette. If you are in a hurry, you could probably skip this step, but if you have time, it is definitely worth trying.

It goes without saying that you should wait to make this salad until the cantaloupes at the market are so fragrant and ripe that you can't pass the stand without being drawn in by their aroma. The cucumbers should be small and firm so they will be at their crunchy best. I purchased the small pickling type—but any variety is fine as long as it isn't overgrown and soft.

I could go on and on about the contrasts of flavors and textures in this salad—salty and sweet, crunchy and soft—and how this makes for an extraordinary salad, but the thing that I love more than anything else about it is that it is downright juicy. Thirst quenching, refreshing and perfect for a hot day, it also makes a satisfying meal because of the addition of the roast chicken.

For the salad you will need a scant pound of shredded roast chicken. Depending on how your supermarket or butcher trims the chicken they sell, you will need 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. of bone-in split breasts to end up with that amount cooked. It is always better to err on the side of too much rather than too little, because shredded roast chicken can be used up in any number of ways—burrito or soft taco filling, in pasta, on a sandwich, etc. Regular readers of my blog have probably figured out that I frown on prepared foods, but I will concede that one of the "better" prepared foods is the widely available rotisserie chicken. If you must, you could make this salad with meat from a purchased rotisserie chicken. But it's so much better if you roast your own chicken. You will need to do this early in the day, or the day before, so the chicken has time to chill.

To roast bone-in, skin-on, chicken breasts, rinse them and pat them dry. Rub the chicken with a light coating of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a baking dish and roast in a 450° to 475° oven until the skin is crisp and golden and an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion reads 155°--about 25 to 30 minutes. (The chicken will easily reach the safe temperature of 160° as it rests.)  As the chicken roasts, regulate the oven temperature to maintain an active sizzle. Remove the chicken from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. (If desired, deglaze the baking pan with water. Degrease and reserve the resulting tasty jus for another use.) When the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and bones and discard. Shred the meat into long strips about ½-inch wide.

Chicken Salad with Cantaloupe, Feta & Arugula

2 T. Lemon Juice

½ c. mint chiffonade, plus 1 T. (heaping) chopped mint

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 ½ T. minced shallot (about half a small shallot)

½ t. honey

Salt & Pepper

1/3 c. Olive oil

½ of a large (2 ½ to 3 lb.) ripe cantaloupe, peeled and seeded

1 small cucumber (about 6 oz.), peeled if the skin is tough, halved & seeded

12 to 16 oz. chilled, shredded roast chicken (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups)

4 oz. rinsed and stemmed Arugula (4 handfuls)

½ c. pecans (2 oz.), toasted and broken into medium-sized pieces

4 oz. Feta, crumbled (or substitute Ricotta Salata, thinly sliced)

To make the vinaigrette: Place the lemon juice in a small saucepan with the tablespoon of minced mint and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the mint wilts—this will only take a few seconds. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the lemon juice into a small bowl and add the red wine vinegar, shallot and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the shallot macerate for a few moments before adding the olive oil. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and correct the seasoning. Set aside.

Cut the cantaloupe half in quarters lengthwise. Then slice thinly crosswise (you should have a generous 2 cups of sliced cantaloupe); set aside. Thinly slice the cucumber halves on a long diagonal (you should have about a cup of cucumber “ribbons”).

Place the chicken in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Add the Arugula and the chiffonade mint to the bowl along with the cantaloupe, cucumber, pecans and Feta.

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with just enough vinaigrette to coat. Carefully toss the salad. Divide among four dinner plates and serve.  Serves 4.

Printable Version