This weekend we hosted two Bar-b-ques and while the main events (a brown sugar and cumin crusted pork loin the first night and pizzas on the grill the next night) were popular I got a lot of requests for my salad recipes. It's a great compliment when guests tell you that you make them love vegetables!
Blue Cheese Coleslaw
This salad is a perfect compliment to ribs or even burgers. I especially like this coleslaw heaped on top of pulled pork sandwiches to cut the richness (HA) and it was great along side our cumin and brown sugar pork loin.
1/2 small head green cabbage
1/2 small head red cabbage
4 large carrots, peeled
1 cup good mayonnaise I like Hellman's Olive Oil - it's made with free range Ontario eggs!
2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled Roquefort blue cheese
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Cut the cabbages in half and then in quarters and cut out the cores. Set up your food processor with the grating blade and shred cabbage and carrots. Alternately if you don't have a food processor you could just slice and chop your cabbage fine and grate your carrots on a box grater. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour mayonnaise dressing over the grated vegetables and toss to moisten well. Add crumbled blue cheese and parsley and toss together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Grilled Corn, bean and tomato salad
This salad is a fantastic use of leftover cooked corn. Often when I'm making corn on the cob I throw a few extra cobs on the grill or in the pot specifically so I can make this salad the next day. In my mind it is summer personified. The sweet corn bursting in your mouth, the meaty tomato and crunchy beans are a great side dish or meal all on their own. I tried making this salad once with frozen corn but I think you already know how that turned out. So while corn season is still on do yourself a favour and make this salad, I promise you'll love it!
4 ears of corn, grilled on the BBQ
2 medium or one large shallot, finely diced
1 pint green beans steamed until tender crisp and then shocked in cold water to stop the cooking process and maintain green colour
1 pint halved cherry tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes diced. I used some of my Brandywines diced and some yellow cherries
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white sugar or honey
splash of soy sauce
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Cut the kernels off your corn, toss with shallots, green beans and tomatoes. In a small jar combine oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, soy sauce, salt and pepper and shake until combined. Dress salad right before serving so the green beans keep their brilliant green colour.
What are you loving these days at the tail end of summer and beginning of fall? Do you have salad or vegetable side dish recipes which please a crowd every time? Please share them in the comments!
