Mix Up Your Cucumber Salad

Well, we're back from our housing search in SmallMountainTown, and boy is it a small town! I consider myself a city girl to the core, and it seems I'm in for a big change on August 1st. Even so, we will be only 70 miles outside HUGECity, which offers lots of amenities and lovely friend J!

Our housing search was a great success . . . we ended up taking an apartment in a turn-of-the-century Victorian mansion which is still in the process of renovation. The landlords are highly recommended by Our Hero's new colleagues, so we have every reason to believe things will turn out well. One of our landlords is a professional in the dining/hospitality field, and I've seen (and loved) his kitchen, so I am hoping and praying the kitchen will be wonderful. I think people who love to cook would have a hard time building a crappy kitchen. I'll provide pictures when available. The good news: the stove will be gas. Amen.

We've had a bit of a sticky heatwave these past few days in MyTown, and standing over a hot stove sounded absolutely hellish. Instead, I whipped up this cucumber salad from Eating Well, which served me well as a light, hot-weather supper. It's a nice change from my standard (and delicious) yogurt-cuke-red onion-dill combo. The beans and feta give this some protein. Our Hero preferred it as a side dish with a fat roast beef sandwich. Either way you use it, light meal or side, it is fresh-tasting and delicious.

Cucumber-Black-Eyed-Pea Salad
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 T. olive oil
Pinch dried or t. chopped fresh oregano
Black pepper
4 cups peeled, diced cucumber
14-oz. can black-eyed peas
1 cup diced sweet bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta (sheep's milk is best)
6-8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Whisk together first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add other ingredients and toss well. Taste for seasoning. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Oh yes, a personal note for a friend enduring a language pledge this summer (thank you google translator?):
انا نفتقدكم ، اندريا! لا استطيع الانتظار لاتحدث اليكم في عطلة نهاية هذا الاسبوع ، انه يرغب شخصيا.

Pretty Things

Following Orangette's inimitable, exquisite, and beautifully-photographed lead, I put together her composed salad for last night's rainy and humid dinner hour. My photo is not as pretty, but does show that we put together a reasonable facsimile.

Yes, you heard me right, it did rain and I did enjoy reading my book on the back porch. Thankyouverymuch.

Back to dinner - it was so tasty and simple, the flavors so bright and summery, Our Hero and I cleaned our plates (and he had a Hero-sized serving). We had little juice-glasses of a nice semi-dry white wine as accompaniment, and spooned a bit of the wine over the melon, which was lovely.

I entreat you all to throw your own together and celebrate the season of juicy melons and herby greens!

Something New

Speaking of old favorites (as I've been writing about oft-repeated meals in the Understood-Hero household), I had the pleasure today to prepare a dinner that I am sure will become a regular feature on our supper table. This was particularly enjoyable, as I am recovering from a banana-bread catastrophe (the dreaded sticking in the pan). The bread still tasted delicious, but wasn't in any shape to be shared with friends as planned.

It was a nice weekend, all in all. Time to catch up with a number of our great Mytown friends, and I'm treasuring the ease of our visits all the more now that I know come August we'll be moving. Even though we are moving to SmallMountainTown in 3 1/2 months, we still must move from our current apartment. Our new landlord was nice enough to agree to rent to us for three months, for a slightly higher fee. It's really nice of him. Still, we move in two weeks only to move 12 weeks later. So it goes, as a wise man once said.

The meal I made tonight was after a bit of an indulgent weekend - lots of edible "treats." This very healthy meal was a welcome, light change. The textures are lovely. The fish recipe's from Everyday Food, but I've changed a few things . . . The cucumber salad recipe is my own.

Sole with Bulgur Pilaf
1 cup whole bulgur wheat
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 T. butter, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground pepper
6-8 fillets skinless sole (or flounder)
Lemon wedges, to serve

Combine bulgur with 1 1/2 cups hot water. Soak for at least 30 minutes, preferably for 1 hour. Add a bit of salt, if you like. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine soaked bulgur, 1/2 cup additional water, red onion, and garlic in a large baking dish. Sprinkle butter over the mixture (see picture). Season with salt and pepper.

Season each fillet with salt and pepper, roll up and place on top of bulgur. Season again with salt and pepper. Bake until bulgur is tender and fish is opaque, about 25-30 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Basic Cucumber Salad
1 kirby cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Handful fresh dill, chopped
Dash ground cumin
1 T. white wine or rice vinegar
Salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup yogurt cheese (strained yogurt) or light sour cream (regular yogurt could be used, but results will be wetter and less a creamy texture)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate and let flavors meld for at least 30 minutes (if not one hour) before serving.

If You Can't Beet 'Em

Beets and I, we are just getting acquainted. Our first meeting (outside of a can or a pickle at family reunions) was a bit bumpy. As a rule, I try a new-to-me food at least once a month.

Let me just get this out in the open, and excuse my French: beets are a bitch. I roasted them (possibly not long enough, but they were reasonably tender), and getting the blankety-blank (better Ma?) skins off took me more than twice the time it took me to prepare the rest of my meal. I read tips: "rub the skins off with paper towels." I swear I used half a roll. Dear me, it was rough. From all the hot pink schmears all over my kitchen and hands, it appeared that I had murdered a My Little Pony. Or maybe Barbie. Does Barbie's blood run pink? Out, out, damned spot!

However, when all was said and done, the dinner rounded out well: broiled salmon with a spinach salad with feta, toasted walnuts, sweet onion, and roasted beets topped with a dijon vinaigrette. It was easy to assemble, once I had attended to the beets, and it looked so gosh darn pretty on the plate. Maybe you'll have better luck with the beets.

Roasted Beets
4-8 small beets (figure 2-3 per person)
Olive oil or cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place beets, stalks trimmed to one inch, on foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with a little olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Roast, turning halfway through 45 minutes-1 hour, until very tender. Let cool until you can work with them. Rub skins off with layers of paper towels. Gloves might help make this easier. Quarter.

I just put some baby spinach in serving bowls, topped with the beets, some toasted walnuts, half-moons of sweet onion, and a little feta. I drizzled a homemade honey-dijon on top (dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, white wine vinegar). While I assembled the salad I broiled salmon for about 7-8 minutes. Ready to eat!