Recipe: Summer Tomato Salad with Buckwheat Crunch

While the "official" start of summer is still a few weeks off, for me, Memorial Day weekend always seems like the real start of the summer season.

Typically, I celebrate by planting tender crops like corn, beans, melons, squash, and okra. But this year, an unexpected cold front put the brakes on those plans, so I probably won't get those seeds in the ground for another few days. In the meantime, I was able to plant some flowers, work on the big flower bed project, and do some mulching, so there was still plenty to do! :-)

We also spent some time introducing our new kitty (Charles, AKA Kitty Chuck) to the outside world, in hopes that he will start controlling our over-abundant population of chipmunks and voles. (He has spent the past week getting acclimated to the garage, where he has thoroughly explored every nook and cranny.)

Fortunately, Monday should be warmer, so we plan to celebrate the start of summer with a cookout. Other than a green salad, there won't be much from our garden just yet, but I did want to share this delicious-looking recipe with you. It's packed with healthy antioxidants like lutein, lycopene, and beta carotene, and also high in vitamins A, C, and folate, and has an interesting variety of flavors and textures to provide a unique experience for your palate.

While tomatoes are still a while off here in Ohio, for those of you who live in warmer climates and are lucky enough to have ripe tomatoes, this looks like a delicious summer treat! In the meantime, I'll bookmark it for August... :-)

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Summer Tomato Salad with Buckwheat Crunch

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 Minutes + Soaking Time
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

Cashew Cream: (Note: If you tolerate dairy, you can also substitute whole milk plain Greek yogurt for the cashews and water, and mix the last 3 ingredients into the yogurt for your salad base.)

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
  
• ½ cup water 
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Salad:

• 2 tablespoons buckwheat groats, toasted 
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, toasted  
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 1 teaspoon freshly-grated lemon zest 
• Basil leaves (for garnish)

Cinnamon Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 
• 1 shallot, minced  
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 10 grinds black pepper (about ½ teaspoon)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

See Full Recipe Here...

Enjoy, and have a happy holiday Monday!

Rose.


Recipe Source: GetFarmacy.com