This week’s box included: watermelon, cantaloupe, spaghetti squash, salad cucumbers, kirby cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, okra. You can see a photo that can help with identification on our Facebook page or check out our weekly video on Instagram.
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So, so happy to see more melons this week. Cantaloupe and watermelon for us, alongside a spaghetti squash, red potatoes, slicer tomatoes and Kirby cucumbers.
I’ve got the perfect salad for two of those items. A watermelon and cucumber salad. Salads combining those two are not new, but I’ve never seen a recipe with a dressing like the one at Victory Sandwich Bar. AJC will be publishing this recipe Sunday and it will be online August 16, but down below is a sneak preview. So delicious! Substitute, or add, cantaloupe to the salad.
I’ve been enjoying the extra dressing on peaches we brought home from South Carolina. Delicious. And while they serve the salad with feta to provide a little salty punch, I have enjoyed the salad without the feta but with a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt like Maldon’s or even Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
I love okra – but I’m the only one in this household who does. So I generally just either roast if (if I’m doing something else in the oven) or quickly saute whole pods and just eat them as finger food. It’s been so muggy that we haven’t been doing as much grilling as usual or I’d line up the pods on skewers and grill them. What’s been working for me with my roasted okra is to serve it with the Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce from this recipe. If you want to skip the first step and use Greek yogurt that’s fine. I’m just not a fan of Greek yogurt.
I also like this Sesame Okra demonstrated by Cook’s Warehouse owner Mary Moore almost 10 years ago at the Morningside Farmers Market. In particular this summer, as I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been craving sesame flavors. And of course okra and tomatoes are such a classic combination.
And I can’t leave you without another recipe from The New York Times. Sorry. But it’s Dumpling Tomato Salad with Chile Crisp Vinaigrette and it’s pretty irresistible. At least at this house. Are you as addicted to dumplings and chile crisp as I am?
Victory Sandwich Bar’s Watermelon Salad
2 cups 1-inch diced seeded watermelon
2 cups 1-inch diced cucumber
1/2 cup Coco Lopez cream of coconut
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 jalapeno, with seeds, stem removed
Zest of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Torn mint leaves, for garnish
In a medium bowl, combine watermelon and cucumber.
Make dressing: In the jar of a blender, combine cream of coconut, cilantro, scallions, lime juice, jalapeno, lime zest and salt. Puree until smooth and pour over watermelon and cucumber, adding just enough to coat the melon and cucumber. Toss to combine. When serving, garnish with feta and mint.
Makes: 4 cups
Dumpling Tomato Salad With Chile Crisp Vinaigrette
For the Salad
2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into roughly 1- to 2-inch pieces (at room temperature)
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound frozen potsticker dumplings (not thawed)
Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
1 to 2 tablespoons store-bought crispy fried shallots (optional)
For the Chile Crisp Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons chile crisp (or chile oil)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste
Place the tomatoes on a large serving plate or in a bowl. Add the garlic, half the basil leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
To make the vinaigrette, combine the chile crisp, rice vinegar and soy sauce and whisk to combine. Taste and if it needs more saltiness, add ½ teaspoon more soy sauce.
Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium high for 1 to 2 minutes until very hot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and, working in batches, add the dumplings, flat-side down, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. (If your dumplings contain meat, cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes, or according to packet instructions). Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate and continue cooking the remaining dumplings.
To serve, place the warm dumplings over the tomato salad and drizzle with the chile crisp vinaigrette. Toss very gently. Top with the crispy fried shallots (if using) and the remaining basil leaves. Serve either while the dumplings are still warm or at room temperature.