Hello, hi, long time no see. I was melting in St. Louis for work the last 3 1/2 weeks and did not cook a single thing while I was away. Not once. And I *really* enjoyed it. But I’m back in the city and it’s peak summer — I’m eating tomato toast every morning, snacking on peaches over the kitchen sink, and talking/thinking about nothing but Big Brother. I’m also working on expanding the salad repertoire.
For whatever reason, I’ve become the ~salad person~ in my circle of friends. Anytime we get together for a shared meal, my job is the salad(s). Sometimes it’s a very standard leafy green salad with a simple vinaigrette, and then sometimes I go balls-to-the-wall and spend too much time and money mixing as many things together as possible. And there’s no better time to practice than the summer.
If I’m making salads for a cookout/barbecue/potluck, I want variety and balance: salty and briny, creamy and starchy, fresh and herby (and maybe a little sweet).
Pasta Salad w/ Artichokes & Olives
1 lb. short pasta of choice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup green olives, preferably Castelvetrano, crushed and pitted
1 large garlic clove, finely grated
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3-4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup parmesan cheese, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, torn
½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
⅔ cup pistachios, chopped
Kosher salt / Freshly ground black pepper
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Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just past al dente, or according to instructions on the box. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine crushed olives, lemon juice/zest, grated garlic, chopped scallions, and about ⅓ cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and add the pasta and artichoke hearts, tossing until everything is evenly coated. Add the parmesan and herbs, giving everything another toss. Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper/lemon juice/olive oil as needed.
Just before serving, top with chopped pistachios and more pepper.
Sour Cream & Onion Potato Salad
2 lb. small potatoes (Yukon Gold, fingerling, etc.)
3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (or 1 bunch) fresh chives, chopped
Potato chip of choice, a handful-ish
Kosher salt / Freshly ground black pepper
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In a large pot, add the potatoes and enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Add more salt than seems necessary, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, cooking until the potatoes are fork tender. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. Drain the rest and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayo, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, most (but not all) of the scallions, and half of the chives. Mix everything to combine, adding salt/pepper to taste.
Against your cutting board, crush each potato with the palm of your hand (or the bottom of a measuring cup if they’re still too hot). Add to the cream mixture and toss gently to combine. If the salad looks too stiff, add a splash of the potato cooking liquid to loosen it up. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Top with reserved scallions, chives, and crumbled potato chips.
Tomato & Smashed Cucumber Salad
1 pound multicolored cherry tomatoes and small tomatoes, quartered
3-4 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1” pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed
1 Tbsp. honey
4 tsp. fish sauce
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, grated
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 small Thai or serrano chile, thinly sliced and seeded if you prefer
1/2 cup Thai or regular basil leaves
A few sprigs of cilantro
1/2 cup toasted nuts, peanuts or cashews
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With the blade of a large knife, smash each cucumber piece to expose the inside flesh and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the lime juice, zest, fish sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and chile. Right before serving, add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, basil/cilantro leaves, and a portion of the nuts. Toss everything to coat. Taste for seasoning, and add salt/fish sauce, lime, and/or honey as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl/platter and top with remaining nuts.
The Playlist
An easy listen that gives all the cookout-barbecue-back porch vibes. Inspired by a big bowl of pasta salad.
LEEK Recipe Club
For all the LEEK recipes, including these three summer cookout salads, head to the Recipe Club.
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