Green Salad with peppered goat cheese and watermelon

Watermelon should be a synonym of summer; it is truly one of summertime’s sweetest treats. I’m always delighted when I start finding them on truck farmers or roadsides produce stands.
This year, while traveling Italy, I bought my favorite Italian cooking magazine, Sale & Pepe, where I found this delicious and simple salad.

Green salad with peppered goat cheese and watermelon:

24 oz watermelon
10 oz mixed greens
12 oz goat cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
8 Tbs. Olive oil
Salt to taste
Green pepper to taste

Ground green pepper on a plate and roll the goat cheese over it to cover. Cut into slices.
In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice and salt with a fork, until emulsified.
Cut watermelon into thin slices; set on individual plates. Ad mixed greens on top and goat cheese. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Makes 4 servings.


Ensalada verde con queso de cabra, pimienta verde y sandia

24 oz. (700 grs) sandia
10 oz. (300 grs) ensalada verde
12 oz. (400 grs) queso de cabra
Jugo de ½ limón
8 cucharadas aceite de oliva
Sal, a gusto
Pimienta verde, a gusto

Moler la pimienta verde sobre un plato y rodar sobre ella el queso el queso de cabra, para cubrir. Cortar en rodajas.
En un bocal pequeño, batir con un tenedor, el aceite, jugo de limón y sal hasta emulsionar.
Cortar sandia en rodajas finas y poner sobre platos individuales. Encima agregar ensalada verde y el queso de cabra. Rociar con el condimento y servir.
Sirve 4 porciones.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Salad

Another of my favorites summer treats are tomatoes.
I just got back from Italy where I was in tomato heaven.
We planted several rows of tomato plants, but until the plants gave us their first fruits, we had endless trips to the market where we bought dozens, kilos and pounds of tomatoes.
I ‘m almost sure I had tomatoes every day. In sauces, or sugo; salads, antipasto; drizzle with olive oil, next to some fresh mozzarella and basil.
You can eat cherry or grape tomatoes like candy.
A recipe that I enjoy very much and I’ve been eating since I was a child (many, many years ago) is Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Salad. I used to make the salad with mayo, but now that I’m more health conscious I use olive oil in stead.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Salad:

-1/2 cup Arborio rice
-4 small tomatoes
-1 (6 oz) cans of tuna, drained
-4 oz mozzarella, cubed
-4 Tbs. Olive oil
-1 Tbs. lemon juice
-Salt, to taste
-Pepper, to taste
-2 Tbs. Capers

Cook the rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Drain. Rinse the rice under cold running water. Set the rice aside.
Cut tomatoes in halves and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato into a medium bowl.
Season tomato halves with a little salt and set aside.
Whisk oil, with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Toss the rice with the reserved tomato pulp, tuna, mozzarella and olive oil mix.
Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes.
Decorate with capers.

Tomates rellenos con ensalada de atún:

-1/2 tasa de arroz Arborio
-4 tomates, pequeños
-1 lata de atún de 6 onzas (170 grs), escurrida
-4 onzas (120 grs) de mozzarella, en cubitos
-4 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
-1 cucharada de jugo de limón
-sal, a gusto
-pimienta, a gusto
-2 cucharadas de alcaparras.

Cocinar el arroz por 20 minutos en una cacerola mediana con abundante agua salada, mezclando ocasionalmente. Colar. Enjuagar arroz bajo agua fría. Reservar.
Cortar los tomates por la mitad y vaciar. Guardar la pulpa en un bowl mediano. Condimentar las mitades con un poco de sal y reservar.
Batir el aceite con el jugo de limón, sal y pimienta.
Mezclar el arroz con la pulpa de los tomates, el atún, el queso y la mezcla de aceite de oliva.
Rellenar los tomates y decorar con las alcaparras.

Corn and Zucchini Quiche

One of the thousand things I love about summer is the fresh fruits and vegetables. Right now the farmers markets are exploding with zucchinis and ears of corn. In honor to these veggies I’ve created a Corn and Zucchini Quiche, which you can eat hot or cold. Even thou I’m a very proud member of the Slow Food movement, I have to admit I sometimes “cheat”. And today was one of those times. I used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, instead of making my own. What can I tell you? It’s delicious.

Corn and Zucchini Quiche:

-1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
-1 medium onion, chopped
-4 Tbs olive oil
-1 ½ cups corn
-2 small zucchinis, cubed
-1 cup heavy cream
-2 large eggs
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1/4 ts nutmeg
-Salt, to taste
-Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 380 F. In a large frying pans sauté onions and zucchinis in the olive oil for about 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Mix in corn; turn off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
While mix is cooling down, beat the eggs in a large bowl and add cream, Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
Roll out puff pastry into a circle and put it on to a 10-inch quiche mold. Add veggies into bowl with cream and eggs; mix well and pour onto puff pastry. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Tarta de choclo y zucchini:

-1 hoja de masa de hojaldre
-4 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
-1 1/2 taza de choclo
-2 zucchinis pequeños, cortados en cubos
-1 taza de crema de leche
-2 huevos grandes
-1/2 taza de queso Parmesano rallado
-1/4 cucharadita de nuez moscada
-Sal a gusto
-Pimienta a gusto

Precalentar el horno a 200 C (380 F). En una sartén grande dorar la cebolla y los zucchinis en el aceite de oliva por 10 minutos , hasta que las cebollas estén transparentes. Agregar el choclo; apagar el fuego y condimentar con sal y pimienta a gusto. Mientras la mezcla se enfría, mezclar los huevos en un bowl grande, agregando la crema, el queso rallado y la nuez moscada.
Estirar la masa en redondo y forrar la tartera. Mezclar los vegetales con la crema y los huevos y verter sobre la masa. Cocinar al horno por 45 minutos o hasta que la tarta este dorada.