July and August mark the months where the LAST thing I want to do during the day is turn on the stove. We don't have central AC, and an increase of just a few degrees in our house is very much noticed. I've been obsessed with fruits and veggies recently, especially because I'm constantly keeping tabs on what's growing in my garden and my biweekly CSA pick ups are on POINT. There are so many amazing things in season: tomatoes, palisade peaches, squash, cucumber and all of these lovely ingredients have made their way into this recipe.
And speaking of squash, not only have I gotten monster-sized zucchini out of my plants, but I've also discovered the novelty of the squash blossom, which are both beautiful and edible. Squash plants (or at least zucchini) produce two kinds of flowers, the kind that make zucchini, and the kind that don't. The blossoms that don't yield fruit have very long stems, while the ones that make the squash have a baby squash at the base of them. Cutting the non-producing blossoms from the plant encourage it to put energy into growing the squash. I've been putting them on everything because they've been so numerous.
Vegan Summer Salad
This dairy free, vegan summer salad is light and fresh with a touch of sweet.
For the Dressing
1/2c EVOO
1T apple cider vinegar
1T rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1t dijon mustard
salt & pepper
For the Salad
1c mixed greens
5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4c diced cucumbers
2 squash blossoms, stamen removed and chopped
1 peach, pit removed and sliced
Instructions
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl, or blend with an immersion blender or food processor.
Toss 2T of dressing in a bowl with your greens. Top with remaining ingredients and serve.
