the arugula files

Peach and Blackberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (Plus Tips on How to Make a Gorgeous Summer Salad)

You know what impresses me?  When someone creates a delicious, Natalie-Cole-style salad.  As in: unforgettable.  Yes, that unforgettable.  Unforgettable, in every way.  The lettuce.  The dressing.  The little gems of fruit and beads of salt.

An extrodinary salad is not something one throws together at the last minute.  It takes great care and attention to detail.  It also costs a few bucks.   If you have a garden, then you are on your way.  Otherwise, make your way to the local farmers market.  It's summer.  Get.  Out.  Side. (Or, as my favorite writer would say to me:  Mary, leave your natural habitat-- the couch--behind).

Peanut Butter and Bananas Dipped in Chocolate

Did I mention I'm on vacation?  Last week we rented a house in Hatteras, NC.  The same one we rented last year.  So far, no sharks.  Just some boogie boarding, lighthouse tripping, and pounds of peel-and-eat shrimp. Oh, and a little tropical storm named Beryl.  No biggie.  

Here are some treats we made at our cottage. And what I mean by we, is that I watched and others made them.

They couldn't be easier to pull together, though, which is good because I don't have a recipe.  Instead, here are some guidelines.  I promise, you can't mess this up.

Meyer Lemon Cake (Plus Friends with Lemon Trees)

I once had a lemon tree.  I was living in a sunny studio apartment on 16th Street.  It didn't produce one lemon, but I gave it a try. 

Do you have a lemon tree in your apartment or yard?  If so, I'm completely envious.  Also, let's be friends.  Instead of "friends with benefits," we'll be "friends with lemon trees."  Of course, I don't have a lemon tree.  So maybe instead you could become known as my friend with the lemon tree.  "So, I was saying to so and so, you know her, my friend with the lemon tree..."  I like the sound of that.

When Life Gives you a Watermelon (Watermelon, Feta, Pickled Onions, and Mint Salad)

"Watermelon and onions? No thank you."  That's what Marcus said before he pushed this lovely plate back towards my end of the table. 

"Just try it."

"Nope."

I coaxed.  I pleaded.  I even did cartwheels across our living room. (Obviously that's an exaggeration). But he never did give in.  Now the question is: will you? Yes, I know watermelon, cheese, and onions make an unlikely combination. But they come together quite nicely.  This recipe is from Paula Deen and it has the distinction of being the only recipe I've ever seen from that woman that doesn't include deep frying or 5 sticks of butter.

I thought the salad was light and refreshing.  I loved the mint, especially.

What else are you going to do with the entire watermelon on your counter?

"I do" Menu: Hooch (Strawberry and Rhubarb Infused Vodka)

"I blame the hooch," said my friend, Dave, who slept until 4:00 pm the day after my wedding.  The hooch he was talking about was a special concoction I learned from my sister: infusing vodka with strawberries and rhubarb.  It goes down fast and smooth (either shaken with ice or with a splash of club soda over ice), making it the perfect signature cocktail for our wedding. It's also seasonal.

Making hooch is not a task for the instant gratification crowd (i.e., me).  It takes a minimum of two weeks, feeding the vodka oodles of strawberries and rhubarb, but it's worth it: you end up with a sweet, pink drink that tastes more like strawberry juice than strawberry vodka. That's an endorsement as much as a warning.  Remember that this sweet nectar is actually vodka, so don't drink it all at once, or else you'll end up like my friend Dave: sleeping the day away.

Peach Galette

This is my first galette and, let me tell ya, it's way easier than making a pie.  I skinned five medium size peaches, cut them each into eight pieces, added 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar, a dash of ginger, a dash of cinnamon, mixed them together, rolled out the pie dough, added the fruit mixture to the center, and folded the edges.  How's that for a recipe in one sentence? {p.s., place the galette on parchment paper and cook at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes (or until golden brown)}

I'm in love with the rustic look of this dessert.  I've decided that I love fruit desserts.  Forget about chocolate chip cookies, I want crumbles, buckles, and slumps.

I made it with the peaches we picked at Good Country Farms.  My only critique is that I think white peaches are too mild for pastry.  This tasted good, but more like apple pie than peaches. 

Plum Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar & Cardamom Streusel

 

As a kid I lived on Drakes Coffee Cakes. I ate them for breakfast, snacks, and, if I could get away with it, lunch.  It's been a while since I've had coffee cake, so when I came across this recipe while searching for a dinner dish, and saw that I had three plums sitting on my counter -- the exact number the recipe called for -- it seemed serendipitous. It's a great recipe: the cake came out perfectly moist and the cardamom and plums added an interesting twist.

Blood Oranges

Blood oranges are everywhere on the internets. Like here, here, and here.  And why shouldn't they be the center of attention--they're gorgeous.  I know this sounds absurd, but when I cut into a blood orange, and see the inside, I feel mesmerized by the unexpected color and contrast.  When I saw that blood oranges were four for $3 at Whole Foods I bought eight.  I couldn't help myself.  Some ended up in a fruit salad for brunch, and one I ate for an afternoon snack.  Tonight there were two left, waiting patiently in my fruit bowl.  I've seen more than a few blood orange, onion, and olive salads on the internets, which were intriguing.  The other part of a blood orange salad that appealed to me was my 800 calorie lunch.  I needed to some how balance the effects of Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna), and a salad seemed prudent.  Knowing that I would use my blood oranges actually made the idea of a salad sound exciting.