Salad Recipes Updated For 2017

Summer salads are not just for lunch, but for dinner as well. I recommend pouring a chilled rosé, white Bordeaux, or Sauvignon Blanc to go with a substantial salad. For dinner add fresh corn on the cob and hot crusty garlic bread to complete the meal.

Savvy Hamptons hostesses already know to cook extra vegetables such as potatoes, beets, beans and corn while making dinner one evening to transform the surplus into a fabulous salad the next day. This is wise time management at its best.

For an updated Cobb salad, adding assorted fresh herbs to Boston lettuce leaves gives it a unique depth of flavor on which to build an attractive mosaic of ingredients arranged in rows or clusters, rather than tossed together. It’s the perfect salad to serve buffet style so guests can choose what they want.

Borrowing from my mom, I added stuffed green olives and cubed feta cheese to (left over on purpose) roasted potatoes that are drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to give potato salad a new face and taste! Serve it for lunch or as a side dish with grilled steak.

If you yearn for a cream-less creamy dressing, whirl up this yummy avocado salad dressing in the blender. It’s delectable when spooned over sliced fresh stone fruits on a bed of arugula. Bon appétit!

2017 Cobb Salad(Serves 6)4 large beets, scrubbed, trimmed and halved

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Sea salt to taste

1 or 2 heads Bibb lettuce, torn into large pieces

1/3 cup assorted fresh herbs (i.e. chives, tarragon, dill, parsley, spearmint, basil) mixed and coarsely chopped; reserve some for garnish

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 ears corn on the cob, cooked and kernels cut off

4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced, drizzled with lemon juice

Lemon juice as needed

1/3 cup pitted Nicoise olives

About 4 to 5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled, preferably Navoo BlueFor the dressing:Zest of one lemon

Juice of 2 large lemons, about 3 to 4 tablespoons

1 hard-cooked egg

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon capers, or more to taste

6 to 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

About 2 tablespoons snipped chives

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About 1/4 cup toasted salted sunflower seedsTo prepare:In a saucepan over high heat, add about 3 inches of water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, place beets in a steamer basket or metal strainer set over the water, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and steam until they are tender to the point of a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, peel, and cut into even-sized cubes and reserve.

For the dressing, in a blender or with an immersion blender, purée lemon zest, juice, egg, mustard, capers, olive oil, chives, and tarragon until smooth. Taste, add salt and pepper and adjust the seasonings. Prepare salad ingredients and reserve in individual bowls.

Just before serving, in a bowl assemble the salad base—lettuce, herbs and onion—and mix well. Drizzle just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves, toss and transfer to a large platter. Arrange beets, corn, quartered eggs, avocado, olives and cheese in mounds or rows on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle herbs and sunflower seeds over the whole affair. Drizzle with dressing and pass remainder at the table.2017 Potato Salad(Serves 6)18 to 20 thin-skinned red potatoes (about 2-inches in circumference), scrubbed

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

Handful basil leaves, torn or chopped, plus extra for garnish

White balsamic vinegar, to taste for drizzling

2 medium sweet white onions, chopped or more to taste

About 1/2 cup small green pimiento-stuffed olives or more to taste

1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes

About 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sprigs of basil for garnishTo prepare:Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange scrubbed potatoes in a baking pan that will accommodate them in one layer. Drizzle potatoes with oil until they glisten and bake until they are tender to the point of a dinner fork, about 45 minutes to one hour. Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper to taste, add chopped herbs and let stand until room temperature. Transfer potatoes with the oil and herbs to a large bowl and drizzle with vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Before serving, add onions and olives to the potatoes and toss well. Add feta and Parmesan cheese, toss again, taste, and adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter herbs on top and garnish with a sprig of basil.Extra Creamy 
Lemon Avocado 
Salad Dressing(Yields about 2 and 1/2 cups1 large ripe avocado, preferably Haas

1/2 English cucumber, chopped

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteTo prepare:Working in a blender, add avocado, cucumber, lemon juice, and oil and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. The dressing should be creamy but not too thick. Thin with hot water to desired consistency if needed.

Perfect to spoon over your favorite salad.