Grilled Savoy Cabbage and Sweet Corn Salad

1 head savoy cabbage

1-2 ears sweet corn

1 onion, sliced thin

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil {see notes}

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced cilantro or basil

½ cup crumbled feta

Preheat grill for about 10 minutes.

Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges and remove corn from husks.

In a bowl, place cabbage and corn and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill vegetables for about 10 minutes turning frequently until a good char is present then remove and place back in the bowl and cover.

Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, give the cabbage a rough chop. Remove the corn from the cob and remove stem and seeds from pepper and chop. 

Blend or whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, lime zest and a heavy pinch of salt and black pepper.

Once the desired taste and consistency is reached with your dressing, toss the grilled vegetables and onions in with the minced herbs. Crumble feta over the top and serve warm.

Green Bean and Potato Salad

1.5 lb of potatoes cooked until fork tender then chilled

2 cups of green beans cut into bite sized pieces

1 small red onion - small diced

2 Tbsp basil - chopped

The Dressing

1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1⁄2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Sauté or steam the beans until their color brightens, then chill.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, dragon tongue beans, onion and basil.

Mix/whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together.

Add in the Balsamic vinaigrette to the potato/bean mixture; toss well to coat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chilled or room temperature.

Grilled Green Bean, Corn and Pepper Salad

1 bag green beans, trim ends

1 sweet pepper, seeded and small diced

1-2 ears of corn, grilled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp whole grain mustard

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/4 tsp salt 

2 Tbsp chopped basil (optional)

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Grill corn with husks on until tender then remove husks and separate kernels from cob.

Toss beans in a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove seeds from pepper and dice small. Add this to the green beans.

Place beans and pepper mixture on a grill pan (if you don’t have one, make one out of aluminum foil).

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally until it is slightly charred. 

Once cooked to desired state remove from heat and place into a dish and into the fridge to cool quickly.

Once cooled, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, and basil in a small bowl.

Place the beans, corn and peppers in a salad bowl and pour dressing over them.

Toss all ingredients gently until the beans, corn and peppers are fully coated with the dressing.

Let the salad marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Corn and Potato Salad

2-3 ears of corn, husked

½ lb potatoes, sliced into quarter inch rounds

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves, large leaves torn

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Heat your grill to high.

Pack potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper into a tightly wrapped piece of aluminum foil. You want to make sure the steam stays in to cook the potatoes quicker. Place on grill and rotate after about 7minutes. Should be ready in about 15 minutes, but varies depending on the grill temp.

Rub corn with 1 tablespoon oil. Grill, turning frequently, until corn is charred and heated through, 10-12 minutes. Remove from grill; when cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a large bowl. Place in fridge for 10 minutes to allow to cool. Remove potatoes from grill when tender and take out of foil. Let cool to room temp and place in bowl with corn.

Mix basil, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk for good consistency. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. 

Toss corn, potatoes and dressing together and serve.

Golden Beet and Basil Pasta

8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta) 

2-3 golden beets with greens

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

3/4 cup water, divided

1/3 cup organic vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 ounces fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

Remove greens and stems from beets; rinse and drain. Coarsely chop greens and stems to measure 4 cups. Peel beets, cut in half vertically, and cut into 1/8-inch slices.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beets; sauté 3 minutes. Add beet greens and stems, 1/2 cup water, broth, salt, and pepper; cover. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 8 minutes or until beets are tender.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, basil, almonds, and garlic in a food processor; process until smooth. Add cheese and remaining 1/4 cup water; process until blended. Add pasta, pesto, and lemon juice to beet mixture; toss to combine.

Fennel Leaf and Basil Pesto

1 cup roughly chopped fennel tops

1 bunch of basil, stems removed

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoon pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)

½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

¼  cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the fennel tops, basil, garlic, nuts, chili flakes and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until the mixture is chopped up.

Add oil and process/blend until the mixture becomes paste-like. (You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl.) Serve pesto at once, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.

Cucumber Basil Dressing

2 cups peeled, seeded, and small diced cucumbers

1 teaspoons table salt

2 cups Greek yogurt 

½ onion grated

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Toss together the first 2 ingredients; drain in a colander 30 minutes. Whisk together yogurt and the next 5 ingredients. Stir in cucumbers; let stand for 30 minutes. 

Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Cucumber and Watermelon Salad

2 cucumbers peeled and sliced into half moons

1 watermelon peeled and diced with seeds removed

3-4 basil leaves minced

1 small red onion sliced thin into half moons 

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. lime juice

½ cup crumbled feta

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix onion and basil into lime juice and let stand for 10 minutes. Then add olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and stir together

Toss in watermelon and cucumber. 

Crumble feta over the top.

Cucumber and Musk Melon Salad

2 cucumbers peeled and sliced into half moons

1 musk melon peeled and diced with seeds removed

3-4 basil leaves minced

1 small red onion sliced thin into half moons 

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

½ cup crumbled feta

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix onion and Basil into white wine vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes. Then add olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and stir together

Toss in musk melon and cucumber. 

Crumble feta over the top.

Carrot and Zucchini Fritters with Basil Yogurt

1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coriander

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more for serving

1 cup milk, more as needed

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon pepper

2-3 medium carrots, grated (about 1 cup)

1 zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)

2 scallions or a quarter onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped basil

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 Olive oil, for frying

To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, lemon zest and pepper.

Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended (do not overmix). Batter should be slightly thicker than cream. If it’s too thick, add some milk; if it’s too thin, sprinkle with additional flour. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and scallions/onion. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Mash together the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt with the flat of a knife and then mince. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt, basil and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive oil; heat until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a small drip of batter browns immediately). Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain. Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt dip.