Farmers’ Market Finds
Each week, when we schedule a cooking demonstration at the Farmers’ Market, Chef Husband arrives early to purchase produce from the morning selection and then works it into the cuisine theme. This grilled vegetable salad was developed on Tex Mex day, featuring flavors of lime and cumin.
Recipe from Chef Cal DeMercurio
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
Lime & Cumin Dressing
- 1 cup lime Mayonesa
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lime juice fresh squeezed
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Produce
- zucchini sliced ½" round slabs
- yellow crook-neck squash sliced into ½" rounds
- yellow onion cut into ¼" julienne strips
- baby tomatoes such as Super Sweet 100
- fresh basil chiffonade
- fresh cilantro leaves rough chopped
- fresh cilantro stems cut into ¼" pieces
Garnish
- cotija cheese crumbled
Instructions
Prepare Salad Dressing
- Combine all ingredients and whisk, or use an immersion blender, until smooth. Refrigerate for one hour to allow flavors to meld.
Grill Vegetables
- Heat cast iron griddle to med high heat.Combine zucchini, yellow squash and onion. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toss to coat. Grill until al dente.Remove from griddle to a large bowl. Cool slightly. If using larger squash, further cut pieces into bite size chunks (large dice). Add tomatoes and herbs and toss. Add cumin dressing, toss to coat.
To Serve
- Portion salad for your guests, top with crumbled cotija and season with fresh cracked black pepper. Salad can be served either at room temperature or chilled.
Closing Thoughts
When making a salad, exact volumes are not a must. For this vegetable salad, the zucchini and yellow squash serve as the base for the salad. The onions and tomatoes bring additional texture and acidity. Only a small amount of the fresh herbs are needed and are completely up to availability and favors desired.
Until Next Time…
Culinarily Yours,
Mrs. Chef (Christa)
