Salad and Soup
We're right in the middle of summer now, when the last thing on most people's minds is cooking. Not only that, but often the heat dampens our hunger, and it can be difficult figuring out what's for dinner. A few weeks ago, inspired by a salad that Marie of Slapdash fame described in her blog, I mixed together a few tasty ingredients and came up with this delicious, nutritious, result:
Mozzarella-Tomato Salad
- 1 head lettuce or lettuce-blend of your choice
- 1 small can sliced black olives, well-drained
- 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella
- basil, fresh or dried
- olive oil
Chop or tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, slice the tomatoes into halves, and cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss these ingredients together with the beans and olives. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the salad, add the basil (use as much as you'd like if you're using fresh, show a bit more restraint if you're using dried), and toss again, being sure to mix the ingredients well. Serve with a good, crusty bread.
Even the most glorious of summers comes with a rainy day or two, and the next recipe is a soup that's absolutely perfect for those stay-inside evenings. I discovered this recipe several years ago and it's been one of my favorite comfort foods ever since. Be forewarned, though, that it's one of those "luxury" foods with a fairly high fat content.
Corn Chowder*
- 8 ounces bacon
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 quart whole milk
- ˝ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can corn (cream-style corn works well, too)
- 1 can tiny whole potatoes, diced
Cook bacon in a large saucepan until crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving 3 Tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Sauté the onion and celery in the bacon grease until onion is tender and remove pan from heat. Stir in the flour, then return to low heat and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the milk. Return pan to heat and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in salt, pepper, corn, potatoes, and bacon and heat through.
*Like most soups, this is even better the second day, and I've been known to make it the day before for the next day's dinner. Because it is milk-based, be sure to re-heat it slowly on the stovetop, stirring constantly, rather than in the microwave.