Lazy Summer Salads

And, the love affair with The Minimalist continues….

Published recently in the New York Times, one of our favorite food writers and cookbook authors, Mark Bittman, gives us 101 Simple  Salads for the Season, a full range of effortless recipes, that claim to take 20 minutes or less to prepare.

One of our favorite salads on our list is #58, which consists of cubed rare or seared tuna, sliced jicama and shredded Napa cabbage dressed with mirin, soy sauce and cilantro.  For vegetarians, we recommend #38 - a fresh salad of cubed watermelon, chopped mint, crumbled feta, sliced red onion and chopped Kalamata olive with olive oil and lemon juice.

To top it off (literally), Bittman shares some of his most popular recipes for salad dressing including, Avocado Basil Vinaigrette and Miso Ginger Vinaigrette.  We still love his Basic Vinaigrette, a classic dressing with minced shallots that goes well with everything and keeps in the fridge for a few days. Recipe below:

Basic Vinaigrette

Adapted from “How to Cook Everything,” by Mark Bittman (Wiley, 2008)

Time: 5 minutes

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons or more good wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large shallot, cut into chunks (optional).

1. Combine all ingredients except shallot in a blender and turn on machine; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until balance tastes right to you.

2. Add shallot, if using, and turn machine on and off a few times until shallot is minced within dressing. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve. (This will keep, refrigerated, for a few days.)

Yield: About 3/4 cup.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Francesco Tonelli for the New York Times