summer updates (and salads!)

I took the week off to get some things done around the house - mostly tending to things I try to ignore like cleaning the floor boards and the backyard. Since we last spoke I also celebrated a birthday, but more on that later.

This year, I decided not to go crazy on the plants - just sticking to a few herbs and veggies. My basil is doing GREAT this year, which is a first. I've definitely been taking advantage with lots of twists on caprese salads - including my favorite summer panzanella salad recipe for you below!

I bought this tiny grill on sale at Lowes last year after grilling season and it's the perfect size and super portable. It is charcoal, so usually I grill as many things as possible to make use of the charcoal. 

For this meal, I started off by grilling the bread then set it aside for my salad. While I made that, I had chicken and short rib kabobs working. I made a ton and had leftovers that served as meal prep for the rest of the week. 

Summer Panzanella Salad

Serves 2

2 slices bread, grilled and cubed (I used a rosemary olive oil bread)

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon grated parmesan

In a medium bowl, combine bread, tomatoes, and basil. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and garlic. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Top salad with grated parmesan before serving. 

I could (and will) eat this all summer long!

I also mentioned something about a birthday. My coworkers took me to Basil - a Mediterranean-style restaurant for lunch and I got the BEST salad that I've been recreating and eating almost every day since! 

This is their version - the Plato's Republic salad with falafel! I am absolutely crazy about falafel. 

And my version is slightly less dressed and sadly lacks the delicious fried pita chips. I substituted croutons instead. 

Birthday Med Salad

1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into about 1 inch pieces

5 grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/4 red bell pepper, sliced

1/4 red onion, sliced

1/4 English cucumber, quartered and sliced

5 large pimento stuffed olives

1/4 cup mild banana peppers

1/4 cup feta cheese

2 tablespoons Greek Dressing (I use Ken's Steakhouse brand)

3 tablespoons croutons

1 tablespoon grated parmesan

In a large mixing bowl, toss all of your ingredients to make sure the dressing coats evenly. I always add salt and pepper to my salads as well before serving. 

I did serve the salad to go with some grilled clams, but really it goes well with anything! 

Birthday dinner was a whole other story. It was a delicious celebration of beef, thanks to Back40, a newish restaurant in the area. They're actually part of Timbercreek Market, a local butcher. 

We started with the steak tartare, which came highly recommended. The steak was so tender and buttery, really nice against the horseradish and lemon in this dish. And I'm a fan of anything with potato chips!

Dinner was the bone-in ribeye, cooked to perfection! What you don't see is a bed of the creamiest farro hiding under that giant piece of steak. It was all excellent! And all of that fat you see on the plate? I totally got it in a doggy bag to rub all over my grill for my own cooking at home.

Happy Grilling!