Summer time is Tomato time! Specifically…Heirloom Tomatoes!
I grew up with these kinds of tomatoes as a kid.  Striped tomatoes, odd shaped tomatoes, tomatoes in nearly every color of the rainbow and then somewhere along the way tomatoes became standardized, boring and tasteless.  Thank goodness that Heirloom Produce is making a comeback, because you haven’t tasted a tomato until you’ve tasted a REAL tomato like an Heirloom variety.

I have been making one particular salad with fresh Heirloom Tomatoes now for over a decade.  In fact I feel like stepping back to Summer in the year 2006 just to show you a picture of this salad that has been my Summer signature and how it has remained virtually unchanged after all these years.

There isn’t really a recipe for how I make this salad.  It’s more of a process and a combination of ingredients and you add them all together to make this stunning little tomato stack that explodes with the tastes of Summer all over your tongue.

Now let’s step in to the present day, actually yesterday to be exact.  My guy knows that I am not one for jewelry and that I’d rather have a bottle of Truffle Oil over a bouquet of roses.  So he got me bags of some absolutely beautiful produce to play around with yesterday.  In those bags were gorgeous Heirloom Tomatoes – and this is what I did with them yesterday:

As you can see… not a whole lot has changed over the years, which just goes to show how this recipe has been a favored Summertime staple in our house.

Go check out Pike Place Market or your local Farmer’s Market right now, chances are the first Heirlooms of the season are making an appearance!

So how about that Superbowl?  Did you inhale a few too many snacks during the big game and are looking for some dietary redemption?  Fear not, I am here to help you with something sweet, crunchy and delicious.  

I love a good Waldorf Salad, but many of the traditional recipes often are loaded with fatty dressings that drown out the delicious flavors of the ingredients.  It negates the healthful benefits of eating a salad by being overly dressed with fat.  I have my own version of a healthier Waldorf Salad that is really delicious and isn’t going to turn you into a Fatty McFatsauce.

Waldorf Salad

Salad:

• 3 Apples, cored and cut into 1/2″ chunks (I like Gala & Granny Smiths from Full Circle Farms)
• 1 cup Red Grapes, cut in half
• 1/3 cup Walnut pieces
• 1/3 cup Golden Raisins (you can sub Dried Cranberries or Currants)
• 1/2 cup Celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Dressing:

• 1/4 Plain Yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• Juice of Half a Lemon
• Teeny Pinch of Salt

Garnish:

• Butter Lettuce Leaves

Combine the first 6 ingredients and toss well, set aside.  This will be your salad.
In a separate bowl, combine the Yogurt, Honey, Lemon & Salt.  Stir with a fork or a whisk to thoroughly combine.  This will be your dressing.
Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat evenly.

To serve, place a leaf of Butter Lettuce on the plate, then spoon the salad into the lettuce leaf and serve. Enjoy your tasty salad!

Tips:
If you are making this salad ahead of time, do not add the dressing until right before you serve it.  If you dress it too early and it sits around too long your fruits will leak out liquid and you’ll end up with a soupy mess.

Those Butter Lettuce leaves also make a tasty lettuce wrap for eating this healthy salad on the go!

Have you heard of Halloumi? It’s a wonderful semi-hard sheep and/or goat’s milk cheese from Cypress, that has a high melting point. Which means that you can put it right on the grill and grill it or fry it in a fry pan. PERFECT for Summer!

Halloumi is very salty, so a little goes a long way. You can marinate it with olive oil and herbs or purchase it already marinated. It pairs really well with Summer fruits like watermelon, peaches and strawberries.

I put together a little salad combining the tastes of Summer and Halloumi Cheese. This salad is so delicious and the crunchy, salty Halloumi is a perfect briny bite that compliments the sweet Summery melon. It also travels well, you can cook it up ahead of time and take it to one of the many beautiful public picnic parks in Seattle, or anywhere for that matter,  for a delicious, healthy picnic treat. Places around Seattle that carry it are Metropolitan Markets and Big John’s PFI.

Grilled Halloumi Cheese Salad

• 1 8 ounce brick of Halloumi Cheese- Cut into 1/4″ Slices – Marinated (See recipe below)
• 4 Cups Baby Spinach, washed
• 1 Cup Seedless Watermelon, cut into 3/4″ cubes
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chive Flowers or Chopped Chives
• 6 Kalamata Olives, pitted and quartered
• 8-10 Fresh Mint Leaves – cut as Chiffonade or thin strips
• Honey Balsamic Dressing (see recipe below)

If you did not purchase already marinated Halloumi, prepare the marinade as listed int he recipe below and let it rest for 4 hours or overnight.  If you purchased Marinated Halloumi then proceed without waiting.
Make sure that you grill is not too hot.  You may use a fry pan or a BBQ grill.  The heat should be around medium, on a grill, you should be able to hold your hand over the center of the coals for about 7-8 seconds without discomfort and that’s when you know the temperature is right.

Place the Halloumi on the grill, and just toast it until it is golden brown on both sides.  Set aside.

Assemble the rest of the salad ingredients as listed above, give it a toss and put a heap of salad on each plate and top it with one or two slices of your grilled Halloumi Cheese.

You can Garnish with a little additional dressing and mint leaves if you desire.

Marinated Halloumi

• 1 8 ounce brick of Halloumi Cheese- Cut into 1/4″ Slices
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Oregano, or dried if you don’t have fresh
• 1/8 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
• Optional – Pinch of whole Peppercorns
• Optional – Pinch of Chive Flowers or Chopped Chives

Combine the above ingredients and let it rest covered for 4 hours or overnight.  Very important!!! – DO NOT ADD SALT!  This cheese is very salty and you will not need to add any salt.

Honey Pepper Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 1/8 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Water

Put in a small bowl and whisk together and use.