Fresh salad

It seems that this summer I am craving fresh.  So, when I needed to come up with another side for a picnic, I decided to go with cucumber tomato salad again.  However, this time, I had artichoke hearts available too.  I wasn't able to attend the picnic because I am still recovering from the anesthesia from when they removed my IVC filter on Wednesday.  However, I went ahead and made the salad so that my husband could enjoy it this week.

Greek Cucumber Salad

• 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (14-oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, diced
• 1 large tomato*, diced
• 1 medium cucumber*, diced

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans; remove any loose skins.  Place beans in a zippered bag with olive oil and vinagar: marinate overnight.  Pour beans into a large bowl; dice other vegetables and add to the beans.  Toss with dressing.  Top with feta cheese just before serving, if desired.

 
*CSA ingredients

Salads

It is once again that time of year: time for the departmental picnic.  Every year, our lab manager pulls up the calender for Case's Squire Valleevue Farm to see when we can hold our picnic.  I am really grateful for her because she does all the work: reserving the shelter, picking up most of the food, grilling, sending out emails, getting people to bring sports equipment, water balloons and water guns (yes, we get wet during this picnic).  All I have to do is come up with side dishes. 

Since our boss is celiac, I have, in the past, gone with a quinoa and kale salad.  It's a good fall-back when you need to go gluten free.  However, in the past, I have also managed to eat all of the fruits and vegetables from my share on a timely basis.  This year, I have a lot of more vegetables and fruit available because I eat these things so slowly now.  So, I decided to go with two salads, both gluten-free, that are quite different from quinoa salad.

Summer Fruit Salad
While another person is bringing a fruit salad, I have learned over the years that in the summertime, that usually means watermelon.  I have issues with watermelon due to my seasonal allergies (it makes me itch), so I made a small summer salad without any form of melon.

• 1 medium mango, pitted and diced
• 1 pint blueberries, washed*
• 2 medium free-stone peaches, sliced thin*
• 6 small apricots, quartered*
• 1/3 cup orange juice

Prepare all of the fruit and combine in a bowl.  Pour orange juice over fruit and mix well.

 
Cucumber Salad
Since our lab manager is from Jordon, we always know we will have tabbouli and baba ganoush at the picnic.  This year, I decided to do a fresh vegetable salad with garbanzo beans that I felt compliment The other items.  

• 1 medium cucumber, diced*
• 1 large tomato, diced*
• 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp honey*
• 4 oz feta cheese

Prepare vegetables and place in bowl.  Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and mix with vegetables.  Mix oil, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl.  Pour over vegetable mixture and stir.  Refrigerate overnight to marinate.  Just before serving, mix in feta cheese.

  
*CSA ingredients