Super Simple Garden Salad

I haven't been posting much lately and that's because this time of year my table contents are usually super simple. Fresh vegs, fresh fruits, raw, roasted or on the grill, I don't usually do too much to them because they are so delicious just how God made them! I do like this particular combination, though, and thought it worth sharing! And just in time for garden harvests. I don't know about yours, but ours is exploding with fruit - yum, yum!

Super Simple Garden Salad

Ingredients:
-Chopped tomatoes
-Chopped cucumbers
-Olive Oil
-Balsamic vinegar
-Parmesan cheese, shredded
-Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Best if you have time to let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

BBQ Spare Ribs

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you guest blogger and my hubby, Nicholas Buse:

When I make ribs, I tend to take the same approach as I do when making beer: do the minimum amount of work need to make something delicious! Do I appreciate a good Belgian Triple? (YES) Do I want to take 4-5 months to make my own? (nope)

We have a grilling cookbook, How to Grill by Steven Raichlen, that usually requires lots of fancy ingredients that we don't have. Tonight was no exception, so the deviations are noted below.

BBQ Spare Ribs

Ingredients:

Marinade
6 cups - apple cider
1 - lemon juiced
(or just 2 cans of sparkling lemon water, basically just need sugar and acid...)

Java Rub
6 tbsp - ground coffee
2 tbsp - coarse salt
2 tbsp - brown sugar
2 tsp - garlic power
2 tsp - ground cumin
2 tsp - cocoa power
(left out coriander, onion powder, and others)

Barbecue Sauce (Trader Joe's All Natural)

1. Prep the ribs (remove the membrane from the back of the rack)
2. Put in a non-reactive container with marinade (1-2 hours)
3. Coat front and back with rub and let set for another 1-2 hours
4. Grill on low heat for 2-3 hours. Spray with apple cider every 1/2 hour or so. (used apple juice box)
5. About 20 minutes from the end, coat with barbecue sauce.

Proof that they were still good: watching Sam suck the marrow out of the ribs after cleaning off the meat!

Enjoy!

Salty Dog

Great drink for a hot day. Especially good for this girl who got a ton of grapefruits from her CSA and doesn't really care to eat them. Drinking the juice is yum yum though!

Salty Dogs

Ingredients
-1 1/2 c. grapefruit juice
-1 oz vodka
-pinch of salt or salted rim, if desired

Popsicles, Tropical Sunset

This one is super simple and a great way to use up watermelon if you buy one bigger than you're able to eat (like I so often do!).

Tropical Sunset Popsicles


Process seedless watermelon and mango or papaya. Freeze in molds and enjoy!

No Bake Pizzas

The heat is ON and the oven is OFF! Whew... this cool, crisp pizza was a winner at our house. It's also a great option for the kiddos to build their own dinner (and at our house, that means she eats better).

No Bake Pizza

Ingredients:
-Pita bread rounds
-Cream cheese
-Pesto (we thawed out and used some leftover spinach arugula pesto)
-Fresh cut veggies (broccoli, shredded carrot, summer squash, mushrooms, etc.)
-Sliced and sauteed chicken sausage

Mix equal parts cream cheese and pesto; spread mixture on pita bread. Top as desired. If you have time to chill them, they are best served right out of the fridge. Stay cool!

Homemade "Sports" Drink

The heat is on, so drink up! Here is a fun, homemade alternative to Gaterade, Kool-aid, or over-sugary lemonade...

Homemade "Sports" Drink

Ingredients:
-1/2 tsp honey
-1 c. hot water
-Juice from 1/4 lemon
-pinch of salt

Combine. Chill. Serve. (Multiply as needed. I made a batch in a 32oz Nalgene bottle; multiplied everything by 4 and it turned out great!)

You could also fruitify it by adding berries in!

No-Mayo Slaw

I have a TON (I mean a ton!) of cabbage from our CSA and we have 2 potluck bbqs to attend this weekend so what better use than good old coleslaw! This lighter, healthier, mayo-free version travels well and you don't have to worry about keeping it cold like you do with it's more traditional mayo-counterpart. Here it is. . .

No-Mayo Slaw

Salad Ingredients:
-head of napa cabbage, chopped
-3 carrots, chopped
-1 cucumber, chopped
-bunch of scallions, chopped
-1 c. toasted walnuts, crushed/chopped

Dressing Ingredients:
-4 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
-1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
-1/4 c. honey
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 tsp. sesame seeds (or poppy seeds)
-1/2 c.extra virgin olive oil
-Salt & pepper to taste

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss to cover completely.

This salad is best when it's had a chance to marinate. I suggest making it ahead of time (1/2 or whole day) and letting it sit in the fridge until you're ready to serve.