ITEMS
Musk Melon: Honeydew or Cantaloupe
Cucumber
Dragon Tongue Beans
Red Onion Bunch
Bagged Spinach
Dozen Eggs
PRODUCERS
Catamount Farm - Belgrade / Harlequin Produce - Arlee
Bear Canyon Farm - Bozeman
Bear Canyon Farm - Bozeman
Three Fiddles Farm - Bozeman
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
TerraWorks - Springhill
Keeping things light and easy is the name of the game for me at this point in the summer. All of this fresh Montana produce shines with little cooking or fussing, so I pulled together easy recipes this week that highlight the fresh flavors. Find more recipe ideas below...
Cucumber, Tomato & Red Onion Salad
This recipe from Aaron Hutcherson (The Hungry Hutch) is as simple and refreshing as it gets. Serves 4-6.
1 1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
~10 oz cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine everything in a large bowl and season to taste. Does not get any simpler than that! Want to add spinach? Adjust oil and vinegar to make sure everything is dressed to your liking.
Melon & Cucumber Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Adapted from "Ripe" by Cheryl Sternman Rule. Serves 4.
1/2 a medium honeydew or cantaloupe melon, cut into bite-size pieces, skin removed
1/2 a medium cucumber, peeled (optional), and cut into cubes, slices, or wedges
1/2 lb. seedless grapes (I think you could substitute blueberries, or possibly peach or nectarine)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp olive oil, safflower oil, or whatever you like
1 tsp water
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
4 large fresh mint leaves (basil will work, too!)
In a large bowl, combine the melon, cucumber, and grapes. Whisk the lime juice, oil, water, honey, and poppy seeds in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, and pour over the melon mixture. Top with mint or basil, stir, and serve immediately.
Spinach-Cucumber Salad
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1 1/2 Tbs Greek-style or whole-milk yogurt
2 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs fresh mint, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 C spinach, loosely packed (4-5 oz) - washed, dried, and roughly chopped
1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise then sliced into thin half-moons (1 - 1 1/2 C)
1/4 of a red onion, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons - add more or less to taste
In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and honey. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt and olive oil. Add the yogurt mixture to the lemon juice in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Stir in the mint, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Chill, covered, until ready to use (up to 24 hrs).
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cucumbers, and onion. Season lightly with salt and pepper and add just enough dressing to coat. Toss and serve, passing with extra dressing.
Dragon Tongue Beans
Use these colorful legumes in much the same way you would green beans. Younger, thinner beans can be eaten raw or cooked. Older, larger beans benefit from steaming or sautéing. Not sure if you need to cook them? Try one! If it's tough, cook 'em up. They will lose some of their color when cooked, but the flavor will intensify somewhat. They make an excellent side, salad ingredient, or dilly bean!
Dragon Tongue Beans with Herbs & Butter
This is an easy way to cook beans that's endlessly adjustable. Use whatever herbs you like. Sub a good oil in place of butter. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar to brighten it up. You get the idea...
~1 lb Dragon Tongue Beans
1 Tbs Salt
Water
Tender herbs, any combo you like- basil, parsley, dill, mint, chervil, etc.- chopped
1-2 Tbs butter or oil
Heat a large pot with enough water to cover the beans, bring to a boil. While heating, rinse beans and remove stem end. Cut in half or into bite-sized pieces, if you like.
Once the water is boiling, add the salt and stir to dissolve, then add the beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and put hot beans in a bowl or serving dish. Add butter/oil and herbs and toss to coat. Can be enjoyed warm or at room temp.
Additional Recipes & Suggestions
Salade Niçoise is great catch-all meal salad that typically calls for green beans, tomatoes, eggs, tuna or chicken, briney capers or olives, herbs, greens, and whatever else you want to add to it - here's one version, but there are so many.