Bella’s Table—June/July 2012

By Estella Tullgren

It’s the late spring, early summer time of year and what wonderful fresh food we have! I can hardly wait for that first warm tomato right out of the garden. As you can tell from my recipes in this issue…I Love Tomatoes—any way the tomatoes are prepared—in salads, in tarts, baked, broiled, fried or right from the stalk! Add fresh basil to a tomato—oh my! I hope you will visit the farmers’ markets in your area and take advantage of all the summer bounty. You won’t be sorry.

ORZO SALAD
Serves 8-10

If you have never cooked with orzo, please try it—many times it is confused with rice, but it is a tiny, delicate pasta. This salad has lemon-basil dressing, which pairs well with the artichokes. One time I didn’t have artichoke hearts when I was already deep into the preparation, so I used fresh asparagus (I blanched the asparagus for 3-4 minutes first.) It was great with the asparagus, too.

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil

In a food processor, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, basil and olive oil and puree until smooth and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Note: I usually make 1 1/2 times the dressing recipe. I keep a little bit aside to add right before serving.

1 pound orzo pasta, cooked according to package
olive oil
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, rinsed
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
3 green onions thinly sliced on the diagonal (white and green)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Prepare orzo according to package instructions. Rinse well in cold water to remove any excess starch and drain in a colander. Transfer to a large bowl and toss lightly with a little olive oil to prevent grains from sticking together. If artichokes are whole, cut into wedges or large chunks and add to orzo. Add raisins, pine nuts, basil and green onions to same bowl. Drizzle the dressing over all ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

FRESH TOMATO TART
Serves 6-8

My friend, Beth Vanderstek, who, by the way, is a fantastic cook, brought this to a Christmas party in 2003.It is a favorite in our family. For the basic pastry dough, I have used a store bought pie crust and the pastry sheets—each works well.

1 basic pastry dough
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4-5 ripe tomatoes, 1/2 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 10-inch loose-bottom tart pan with pastry dough. Spread bottom of pastry with cheese and sprinkle with basil. Cover with tomato slices, arranging to cover as evenly as possible. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 30-40 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped basil. Slice in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD
Serves 6

I ran across this recipe a couple of weeks ago and have been eager to try it. I used red and yellow bell peppers instead of the green. Great flavor from the dressing. Experiment and use whatever veggies you like.

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon Ranch seasoning
1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, stir all dressing ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.

Salad:

2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 whole green pepper, diced (or red, yellow, or orange bell pepper)
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sweet yellow corn
2 whole tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
1 large Romaine heart, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 avocados, diced

In a large bowl, stir all salad ingredients together, excluding tortilla chips and avocado. When ready to serve, toss salad with the dressing, then gently stir in avocado and tortilla chips.

MY FAVORITE NEW SALSA
About 3 cups

Salsa…what can I say. I am always on a quest for the “perfect” salsa. Just about the time I think I have found it—I try a different recipe and then it becomes my new favorite. This recipe is one I found just the other day on pinterest.com. It is perfect on omelets, too. Try it—I think you will like it.

1 can 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
1/2 jalapeno, roughly chopped, deveined and seeded—start with a half, then add more to your taste
juice from 1 lime
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
small handful cilantro, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend for 30 seconds.

 M! June/July 2012