Mexican Chopped Salad

Chopped salads are a beautiful way of showing off  the fresh and colourful produce of the season.  The best thing about chopping a salad is that you get all the flavors in just one bite.  Why is it that when you chop ingredients into small pieces....it changes not only the texture, but the flavor as well? This Mexican-leaning chopped veggie salad is a perfect way to showcase our local corn and other fresh produce.

Ingredients:

• 2 ears corn, kernels cut from cob * (grilled or cooked and cooled)
• 4 mini orange peppers, diced(or use one large)
• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 4 mini cucumbers, diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 small can black beans,  drained and rinsed (about 1 cup)
• Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing (recipe below)
• Tortilla strips, optional 

1. Chop all ingredients in small, uniform sized pieces.
2. Combine in salad bowl, adding the avocado pieces last.
3. Drizzle with dressing and top with tortilla strips, if desired.
4. Serve along-side grilled chicken.

Serves 4. 

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing:
• 3/4 cup plain or Greek Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise 
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice of one lime)
• 3 Tbsp milk (more or less as desired)
• 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• dash of cayenne pepper

1. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and bend until smooth and creamy. 
2. Store in air tight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

 

Grilled Peach Sundaes

We have been enjoying peaches 'every which way' this past month...and here is a simple favorite.

• four large, firm peaches (preferably free-stone)
• 1-2 tablespoons oil (canola or grapeseed or other flavour-neutral oil) 
• vanilla ice-cream
• warm caramel sauce (recipe below)
• granola or chopped nuts for topping

1. Pre-heat grill to medium-high.
2. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. (No need to peel)
3. Brush peach halves with oil and place on hot grill, cut side down.
4. Grill until golden and showing grill marks....probably about 4 minutes.
5. Turn peaches over and grill until slightly soft and just warmed through...several minutes longer. 
6. Transfer peach halves to serving plates.
7. Top each half with a scoop of ice-cream.  Drizzle with warm caramel sauce and sprinkle with granola or chopped nuts of your choice.

Warm Caramel Sauce: (can be made in advance and re-heated)

• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. 
2. Add sugar, cook until melted stirring occasionally. 
3. Reduce heat to low. 
4. Gradually stir in sour cream...cook 1 minute stirring occasionally. 

Yields four delicious peach sundaes.  Or spread the goodness around...and make eight smaller sundaes.