Sunday, March 28, 2010

Looking Forward to Summer's Bounty

This week, it happened. The first truly warm day in which I could open the windows, let fresh air in, and let winter out. Though there will inevitably be spring snowstorms, in my mind we are just one step away from summer.

Tomatoes, eggplant….tomatoes, eggplant. Bell peppers. Peaches, apricots, cherries. All manner of colorful fruit. And best of all, firing up the barbecue nearly every night. I have a gas grill, and though I have some guilt about that (dad always taught me that charcoal or wood tastes better), it is nice to come home from work at 5:30 and have a grill that’s ready in ten minutes.

I was dreaming about some of my favorite summer foods. Tomatoes are the best. Eggplant is a close second, though I find I can get it at other times of the year and it tastes quite good. The sickly pink tomatoes of winter are not worth buying, in my opinion.

I found a ridiculously easy recipe last summer for a grilled eggplant and tomato salad. If you like eggplant and tomatoes, you must make this dish. It is ridiculously easy, and if you just pour the grilled salad on top of some pasta, it’s a satisfying, quick weeknight meal. You can try different cheeses, too; I like it with goat cheese or feta. I suppose it would also be lovely on top of polenta or mixed into a risotto.

It is from Cooking Light:
• 1 (1-pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 cups coarsely chopped tomato
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons capers
• 1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
Grill the eggplant about 3 minutes per side. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. Mix it, along with all other ingredients, in a large bowl.

Other, less formal grilled salads last summer included bell peppers, corn, and summer squash. I basically throw whatever I have on the grill, chop it after it cools a little, and mix some oil and herbs in. fresh basil, thyme, oregano or mint are all fantastic. I now prefer grilled salads to cold ones, because to tell the truth, I get a little bored with lettuce. Although you can also pour the grilled veggies on top of the lettuce for yet another variation.

If only it were summer all year long, I just might be a vegetarian. But then, even the best eggplant doesn’t quite compare to a grilled bison steak (for me, at least)!

What are your summer favorites?