Wednesday, 13 May:   2007 Bel Canto Caprese Pasta Salad

Salad:

1 lb sugar plum cherry tomatos, cut in half
1 lb pasta of your choice
1 lb fresh mozzarella, in water
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts

8 oz fresh basil, cut in thin strips

optional:  black olives

Dressing:

¼ c. olive oil
¼ c  fresh meyer lemon juice

3-4 finely chopped scallions, including a little of the green part

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and toss with cut tomatos.  Drain mozzarella and mix into salad.  (I use the mozzarella that comes pre-packaged as small balls, but you can also use a larger ball and cut it into bite size pieces).  Note on the pine nuts:  pine nuts burn very easily.  When toasting either use low heat or heat the pan over high heat, turn off heat and toast pine nuts using just the heat from the pan.  Add toasted pine nuts to pasta.  Toss in dressing.  Cut and add basil just before serving so it doesn’t get too soggy.

Thanks to all of our volunteers today – 325 cases down, only one bottling day to go for the 2007’s.

The cookies were from the NY Times Chocolate Chip cookie recipe with some carrots and zucchini thrown in despite the very skeptical looks of my husband and with apologies to the cc cookie purists out there.
- Gaye 

Tuesday 12 May:  2007 Bel Canto Rye Bread Panzanella with Bleu Cheese

Veggies:

3 large stalks broccoli, stems removed and chopped into bite size florets
8 oz carrots, grated or finely chopped
4 medium red bell peppers, thinly sliced crosswise
¼  small head red cabbage, coarsely shredded
optional:  shredded golden beets

Dressing:

¼ c. greek style non-fat yogurt (fage if you can find it)
¼ c. whole grain Dijon mustard
2 T. fresh lemon/orange juice
¼ c. finely chopped red onion

8 sandwich size slices rye bread (approx 10 oz total)
sea salt
4 oz. crumbled bleu cheese

Toast rye bread in oven until very dry – right on the verge of being burnt or else the bread will get very soggy in the salad.  Slice into ¾ inch cubes.  This can be done the day before and bread cubes stored in an airtight container. 

Lightly steam broccoli, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.  This can also be done the day before.  Drain florets well.

Mix dressing and toss with bread cubes.  Lightly sprinkle salt over each set of veggies as you prepare them, then toss all veggies in with the bread cubes.  The moisture in the dressing and veggies will soften up the bread cubes.

Toss bleu cheese into salad and serve.

Thanks to the 2007 Camerata bottlers yesterday.  Almost 500 cases, we were down a couple of people and we still finished before 4.  You guys rocked!  – Gaye

Sunday 26 April:  2007 Tapteil Southwest Salad

Veggies:

2 x 10 oz pkg frozen organic corn niblets

2 x 15 oz cans organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1 lb cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

4-5 red/yellow/orange bell peppers, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

 Dressing:

½ c. juice from combination lemon/lime

4 scallions, cut in half lengthwise then finely chopped

¼ c. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

1 oz. cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

5 pickled okra, sliced crosswise

Several hours ahead of time, mix all the veggies except the cilantro. You don’t need to thaw the corn niblets unless you’re short on time. If you are short on time, the corn can be steamed for 5 minutes.Add dressing and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Add cilantro just before serving, so the cilantro doesn’t get soggy. Garnish with cheddar and okra. Sliced avocado and/or diced green chiles would also make an excellent garnish.

Saturday 25 April:  2007 Camerata Tabouli

It would have been traditional tabouli except that I didn’t have garlic, lemon or parsley . . .

Salad:

2 c. uncooked bulgur wheat

3 c. boiling water

scant Tbls. Salt

 Dressing:

2/3 c. combination lime/mandarin orange juice

3 scallions, cut in half lengthwise then finely chopped

1 tsp. dried mint

¼ c. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Veggies:

1 lb sugarplum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

2-3 persian cucumbers, halved and sliced

3-4 red/yellow/orange bell peppers, chopped

            (note:  I’m not so fond of green bell peppers perhaps because they smell like underripe cab franc.  But the red/yellow/orange ones are nicely sweet)

handful of baby carrots, chopped

2 c. chopped arugula.

Garnish:

2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

handful of olives, slice in rounds

Combine bulgur wheat, boiling water and salt in a bowl.  Cover and let stand 20 minutes.

Add dressing and mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate 2-3 hours.

Add veggies and mix well

Garnish with feta and olives

I’ve been threatening to post the salad recipes for a long time, so here’s the first one.  Thanks to all the volunteers for their help today.

- Gaye

Sunday, April 19:  2007 Ciel du Cheval Rainbow Salad

Salad:

2 c. cooked quinoa

1/8 head purple cabbage, sliced thin

1 1/2 yellow bell peppers, sliced thin

handful of baby carrots, sliced in matchsticks

5 persian cucumbers, sliced in matchsticks

1 lb sugar plum tomatos, sliced in half and sprinkled with sea salt

6 oz fresh baby spinach, chopped

6 oz crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

Juice of 1 mandarin orange

Juice of 1 medium lemon

Juice of 2 small limes

¼ c. olive oil

3 green onions, cut in half lengthwise then finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Salad can be made several hours ahead of time and refrigerated but toss in the spinach and feta at the last minute so they don’t get too soggy.

Saturday, April 18:  2007 Ciel du Cheval Greek Salad

Salad:

1 ½ c. cooked small pasta, such as orzo

6.5 oz jar pitted kalamata olives, drained and sliced in half

14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and quartered

1 lb. cherry tomatos, cut in half

6 oz fresh baby spinach

6 oz crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

Juice of 1 mandarin orange

Juice of 2 medium lemons

¼ c. olive oil

3 green onions, cut in half lengthwise then finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Salad can be made several hours ahead of time and refrigerated but toss in the spinach and feta at the last minute so they don’t get too soggy.