Summer Salad for Lunch

We have a farm near us that makes the most awesome feta . I had some in the refrigerator and wanted to use it in a hefty salad . Here is the salad that I composed using some of my favorite flavors combined together. I love the freshly ground coriander seeds in this.

 The exquisite quality of the freshly ground seeds adds delicate complexity to the already robust tang.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh farm feta or French feta crumbled
1 large ripe tomato chopped
1/2 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, pitted Calamata olives
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 scallion sliced thin
1-14 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. coriander seeds, finely ground in a mortar and pestle
1 pinch of coarse grain sea salt
6 grinds of black pepper from a mill

1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsps. red wine vinegar
1 small head of radicchio sliced thin


You can combine all of the ingredients in an attractive serving bowl, except the vinegar, olive oil and  radicchio to marinate together for several hours. Then right before serving add the vinegar, olive oil and radicchio and toss.
Serves 4

Recipe, writing and photos by Karen Pickus 2012
Courtesy Karen Pickus 2012

Kim Chi

Today I happened to have some gorgeous zucchini picked fresh from my garden, some cabbage and some bok choy, I purchased. With my daughters urging I decided to make Kim chi. I have some hot cherry peppers, garlic, fish sauce and ginger. I love the stuff.. I find it most compelling. I love it with plain steamed rice or grilled steak. My friend thawed some venison he is marinating with ginger, garlic, and soy so in a few days we will have some Kim chi with venison.

This is what we did

3 heads bok choy divided into leaves
1/4 wedge of green cabbage
2 medium zucchini cut into rounds

1/2 cup sea salt
8 cups warm water
First we divided the bok choy into leaves and soaked the leaves in 1/4 cup of sea salt dissolved in 4 cups of warm water for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Then we rinsed the leaves.




Then we pureed in a food processor:

2 cherry peppers deseeded                
2 " piece of peeled ginger                  
5 cloves of garlic
2 Tbs. fish sauce

Add 1 Tbs. to each rinsed vegetable. Refrigerate. You will have some left over Kim chi.
I am going to find some napa cabbage and add the remaining hot pepper mixture to it today.
It keeps about 4 days in the refrigerator.

                                      

               

Kim Chi is great on a hot dog... I sliced up all three Kim chis and loaded it on the grilled dog with some mustard. Amazing!!

Recipe, photos and writing by Karen Pickus 2012

Courtesy Karen Pickus 2012

KP and Carol Alt 7/12/2012

Photo by Sarah Kunin

Adam Perry Lang and me KP 7/13/12

Today Adam Perry Lang was on GMA in Central Park. We cooked steaks, I made an green apple cole slaw and some radiccio with bacon for his segment.

Photo by Danielle Librizzo