A Salad & Spritz that Celebrate Summer’s Bounty
The Institute of Culinary Education has teamed up with GrowNYC for a monthly series highlighting peak season produce at the farmers’ market, and this month we’re featuring a few summer staples: new potatoes, green beans and cucumbers.
Green beans and potatoes are a popular pairing and Plant-Based Culinary Arts Chef-Instructor Rich LaMarita brings them together into a cool and well-balanced summer salad. The green beans are used two ways: blanched then sautéed as a starring salad element and finely sliced as a raw garnish. The potatoes are boiled and then roasted to boost flavor and texture. He opts for vinegar-based dressing as opposed to mayonnaise to keep it light and rounds out the dish with salty ricotta for richness and cured olives for saltiness.
If a refreshing drink better suits your craving, try Chef Rich’s Cucumber-Lime and Ginger Spritzer. Fresh cucumbers are muddled with lime juice and mint, and mixed with ginger beer for a spicy, herb-forward and refreshing sip.
Why not try them both?
More from this series:
• Chef Penny's Bourbon Sweet Potato Quick Bread
• What is a Jerusalem Artichoke?
• Celery Root with Sage
• Eggplant Manti with Chef Nin
• Chef Penny's Concord Grape Tart
• Rosemary-Walnut Squash with Chef Gill
• Chef Rémy’s Spring Allium Salad
• Sweet and Savory Spring Galettes with Chef Vicki
String Bean, New Potato, Cured Olive, Salty Ricotta Salad with Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the Salad:
1/2 pound fresh string beans, ends trimmed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup cured Moroccan olives, roughly chopped
1/2 pound salty ricotta, diced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
Salt & pepper
For the Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Directions
For the salad:
- Heat oven to 375ËšF.
- Blanch the string beans for 30 seconds then shock in ice water. Dry the beans and cut into about 1 to1 1/2" pieces.
- Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan and cook for a minute until tender, yet still crisp.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for about 10-12 minutes until fork tender. Drain and dry them. Crush them partially with a fork, toss with two tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 10-12 minutes until lightly colored.
- Combine the string beans, potatoes, red onion, olives, ricotta, parsley and dill in a bowl and toss with dressing. Chill and serve.
For the dressing:
- Combine the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon and garlic in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Cucumber Lime Ginger Spritzer
Serves 8 (1 cup) servings
Ingredients
- 2 seedless cucumbers, sliced, plus extra for garnish
- 6 ounces lime juice
- 24 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish.
- 4 cups ginger beer (non-alcoholic)
- 8 slices lime
Directions
- Muddle the cucumbers, lime juice and mint leaves in a sturdy glass or bowl. Strain. Mix with ginger beer and pour into glass filled with ice. Garnish with cucumber slice, mint leaf and lime slice.
*Note: you can muddle fresh ginger in step 1 and add seltzer in lieu of ginger beer in step 2 if desired.
