September 7, 2020
It’s finally Labor Day weekend (and also a much needed long weekend). The start of September means the start of fall weather, flavors, and fashion very soon. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love when the weather switches from scorching heat to cool crisp. The leaves on trees transform from deep greens to a spectrum of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. Restaurants all around begin to shift from seasonal summer produce to sturdier vegetables and fruits. Warm spices, comfort foods, warming drinks are just some of the parts of Fall I absolutely love. The shift from summer to fall also means a shift from lighter summer meals to comforting fall dishes. Lightly tossed salads and pastas are replaced with heartier, comforting casseroles and baked goods. While Fall is just around the corner, I’m working even harder to stretch out the bountiful summer produce as long as possible before making way for squashes, apples, and pears. I’ve centered many of my meals throughout the days on the bounties of summer including tomatoes, corn, cucumber, stone fruits, and herbs. Ripe tomatoes and fresh basil have starred a major role in my tomato pesto tart. Sweet corn and cool cucumber have been featured many times in my summer garden salad. Juicy peaches (and sometimes nectarines) have made their way into my barbecue peach, arugula, and basil pizza. Herbs have been the perfect ingredients to liven up salad dressings. My latest kitchen craze has been tossing up a variety of salads and dressings for lunch and dinner. I’ve even tested out versions for brunch. One of my favorite versions of a hearty summer salad emerged from multiple experiments combining bits and pieces of fruits and vegetables at their peak of ripeness. My ultimate summer salad generously dressed with gorgonzola yogurt herb dressing was the result of those experiments. The salad features a bed of spring greens, arugula, and kale topped with assorted seasonal summer produce. Crunchy cucumber, sweet peaches, toasted walnuts, bright green peas, seasoned cubed chicken, and crispy crumbled bacon all work their way into the salad. A generous drizzle of my gorgonzola herb dressing livens up the salad and adds a creamy, tangy element to the rest of the salad. The flavors of my gorgonzola yogurt herb dressing are reminiscent of ranch dressing balanced with the distinct savory sharp flavor of crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Once my ultimate summer salad with gorgonzola yogurt herb dressing was complete, I was ready to soak in some sunshine as I enjoyed a good book outdoors. My perfect relaxing long weekend was finally complete.
For the gorgonzola yogurt herb dressing:
· 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
· 2 stalks scallions (or chives), thinly sliced
· ¼ teaspoon dried minced garlic
· ¼ teaspoon dried minced onion
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
· ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
· ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· ¼ teaspoon paprika
· ¼ cup low fat yogurt
· ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
· 1-2 ounces gorgonzola, crumbled
For the rest of the salad:
· 2-3 ounces spring mix, arugula, spinach, and kale (or any blend of your choice)
· ½ cucumber, thinly sliced and cut into half-moon shapes
· ¼ cup green peas
· 1 ripe peach, cut into sliced wedges
· 1-2 ounces dried cranberries
· 1-2 ounces walnuts, lightly toasted
· 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
· 1 chicken breast (seasoned with a dash of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, sugar), cooked and cubed
Directions:
1) To make the gorgonzola yogurt herb dressing, in a small bowl or jar, combine the chopped parsley, thinly sliced scallions, minced garlic, minced onion, kosher salt, granulated sugar, freshly cracked black pepper, paprika, yogurt, Dijon mustard, and vegetable oil. Fold in the crumbled gorgonzola. Stir to combine all ingredients. Set aside.
2) To build the salad, toss together the spring mix, arugula, spinach, and kale (or any blend of your choice). Pour half of the salad dressing into the salad. Toss to combine. Add in the sliced cucumber. Fold in the green peas. Top the salad with peach wedges, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, cooked and crumbled bacon, and cooked and cubed chicken breast. Serve the rest of the dressing on the side.
Takeaways: My ultimate summer salad is a very versatile salad. I’ve made the salad many times swapping in raspberries in place of the peaches, sometimes tossing in nectarines, using raisins instead dried cranberries, and even adding in shredded roast chicken in place of cooked and cubed chicken breast. The salad is the perfect way to use up bits and pieces of produce left over in the refrigerator.