We are in one of the most glorious times of year here in Modesto. The heat is slowly starting to fade enough to be enjoyable again, hints of fall are in the air, and every single thing is ripe to eat. It’s my favorite part of living in the country, driving by all the farms and passing trucks stuffed with produce.
While everything is ripe at once, I wanted to make some wonderful salad celebrating the bounty I’m living with. I stuffed this with vegetables, added some shredded chicken and croutons and a little feta cheese, and topped it with a spicy dressing to give it a little kick. I added some potatoes for something a little unique and the combination of all the bright vegetables with those velvet potatoes and a bit of fire at the end is just yummy. This turned out to be a really easy dinner, and one of my new favorite salads.
End of Summer Salad
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 cucumber
1 bunch radishes
2 green onions
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
3 small potatoes
1 C corn
1 C cooked and shredded chicken
grape tomatoes
croutons
feta cheese
Spicy Basil Cucumber Vinaigrette
1/2 cucumber
6 basil leaves
1 dried chili (small)
5 T vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
Toss all the dressing ingredients together in the blender and mix until smooth.
Croutons and salad dressings are the two things I ALWAYS make homemade. I have preached it before and I will preach it again, there is just no substitution, especially for how easy they are. To make your own croutons, just toss pieces of bread in olive oil and some spices, and bake until toasted. Best payoff for the work ever.
Now I’m going to go eat some more salad while Atti plays on his swingset and we’ll be soaking up the last drops of summer before it fades away.
