SUMMER PANZANELLA SALAD Panzanella is a rustic Tuscan salad that uses toasted bread, juicy ripe tomatoes, onions, basil & other chopped summer vegetables all tossed in an olive oil vinaigrette. It is a wonderful summer salad as it uses many of the seasonal vegetables available at the farmer's markets. If you happen to grow tomatoes, you know how they all come at once, so keep this dish in mind! This salad would be a great accompaniment to grilled fish or meat and is simple to make. Ingredients: a small French baguette (cut into…

Tabouli (taboulli, tabbouleh) is one of those easy and delicious summer salads that uses all the vegetables that are seasonally abundant. It is a traditional Mediterranean salad that is made from cracked wheat, chopped vegetables, mint & parsley with a lemon vinaigrette. It can be scooped up and eaten  in pita bread or on lettuce leaves or just in a bowl alone. There are no definite amounts, you can just add what you like best in the amounts you prefer. The vegetables are usually chopped quite fine. You can put the mint &…

This is such a perfect summer salad!  It is a wonderful combination of fruits, fresh greens, basil, and mint. The light, lime & honey dressing makes it a refreshing side dish to any barbecue. Watermelon makes it especially summery, and it is a nice mix of sweet & savory with the fruit, herbs and feta! Ingredients: 1/2 small seedless watermelon (cut into 1" cubes) 1 cup of blackberries 1 cup of blueberries 2 cups of cherry tomatoes 1 - 2 small cucumbers (sliced) 1/2 cup of basil (torn leaves) 1/2 cup of fresh…

I love to make a frittata for friends and guests for brunch. It can be served hot, warm or even room temperature and is wonderful with a side of greens, toast and fruit. Everyone loves a frittata and it is the perfect way to start the day! Usually I bake it in a large rectangular or oval pan and let everyone serve themselves. But these mini frittatas are fun individual little servings that are made the same, but baked in a muffin tin. You can use a regular muffin tin (twelve muffins), or…

Cold pasta salad is a great summer dish to bring to a picnic or barbecue. You can make a giant bowl of it and add any summer vegetables you like. Basically it is cooked pasta with fresh crunchy vegetables tossed with a little mozzarella cheese and a dressing, so it is simple to make. I prefer a light dressing that is not too creamy and rich. Pasta salad can be eaten on it's own alongside other dishes, or as a healthy meal itself on a big bed of greens. Ingredients:  (any summer vegetables…