watermelon feta salad

http://www.gojee.com/food/recipes/watermelon-feta-arugula-salad-with-orange-vinaigrette

Serves 2; can be doubled.

Ingredients

For the dressing:
Zest of 1/2 navel orange, plus juice of 1 orange
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large spearmint leaf
1/2 tsp honey
Pinch black pepper
Pinch kosher salt
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:
2 cups baby arugula leaves
2 cups diced watermelon
3-4 small cherry or Juliet tomatoes, diced
4 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese

Directions

In a blender, combine the orange zest and juice, mustard, mint, honey, pepper and salt. Whiz for a few seconds, and add the oil. Blend until the dressing is emulsified and the color is a pretty yellow-orange. Set aside.
Arrange half of the arugula on each plate. Top with half of the watermelon and tomatoes. Sprinkle half of the cheese on each plate, and drizzle the dressing over all. (If you have extra dressing, you can store it in the refrigerator for several weeks.)
Serve cold.

zucchini rice gratin

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/07/31/zucchini-rice-gratin/

1/3 cup uncooked white rice, long-grain is suggested but use whatever you prefer
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Table salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided

Preheat oven to 450°F. Cook the rice according to your favorite method. The package directions work in some cases, but check my notes above about adjustments I find I have to make. If you cook the rice in a large, wide-ish covered skillet, it might cook even faster but you’ll have the chance to use it again (and save on dirty dishes) when you need to cook the onions in a bit.
While rice cooks, coat two large (or, if you have the same pitifully small oven as I do, three smaller) baking sheets each with a tablespoon of a of olive oil (a bit less for smaller pans). Spread zucchini and tomato slices on the baking sheets in as close to a single layer as you can. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Roast tomatoes for 10 minutes and zucchini for 20. Flip zucchini halfway through; it’s not worth the messy effort for the tomatoes. Leave oven on.
Heat large, heavy skillet (such as the one you used to cook your rice) over medium heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, heat oil, then add onions, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan. Cover and reduce heat to low, cooking onion until limp and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Combine onion mixture, rice, eggs, thyme, half of your grated cheese and a half-tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Add a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Use the remaining half-tablespoon of olive oil to coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Spread half of rice mixture in bottom of dish. Arrange half of roasted zucchini on top. Spread remaining rice mixture over it and please don’t worry about being neat about this; dinner will be “rustic” tonight! Arrange remaining zucchini on top, then tomato slices. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese and bake until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Each oven varies, but I find mine does the very best browning when the dish is on a rack near the top of the oven.

succotash

http://food52.com/recipes/18502_succotash

Serves 4

6 ears of fresh sweet corn, husked and cut from the cob
1 cup cup fresh lima beans
1/2 cup okra, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
water
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
green onions, chopped, optional
1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1. Place a 3 1/2 quart pot over medium heat. Add the butter and gently melt it.
   
2. When the butter is close to being all liquid add the okra and gently sauté it without browning but long enough to cook out the okra slime. Season the okra with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
   
3. Add 1 cup of water to the pan. Bring it to a boil then add the corn and lima beans. There should be enough liquid to almost cover the vegetables. If not add a bit more water. Season with salt and pepper.
   
4. Once the corn and beans are cooked through check the seasoning again. Adjust and serve.

squash noodles

http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/chefs_recipes/9728?media=print&printEntry=true&allowDraft=true

Yield: 4 servings

Cook Time: 10 minutes

• INGREDIENTS
2 medium yellow summer squash, ends trimmed
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
Ice
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (use the edge of a teaspoon to scrape off the skin) and grated
¼ teaspoon chile oil or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS 1. Place one of the summer squash on a cutting board. Cut a thin lengthwise slice off one side, then turn the squash so the cut-side faces down (this helps balance the squash so it doesn’t roll). Slice the squash lengthwise into ¼- to ⅛-inch-thick planks. Lay the planks flat on the cutting board and slice lengthwise into ¼- to ⅛-inch-thick strips. Place in a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining summer squash and zucchini.
2. Fill a bowl with ice and water and set aside. Fill a saucepan with water, add 1 tablespoon of the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the squash strips and cook until limp, 1 to 1½ minutes. Use tongs to transfer the squash to the ice-water bath (save 2 tablespoons of cooking water and discard the rest). Once the squash is cool, drain in a colander and shake off any excess liquid, then turn the strips onto a kitchen-towel-lined plate and chill in the refrigerator.
3. In a small skillet set over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, shaking the pan often, until the sesame seeds are golden and fragrant, about 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a small plate and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, the reserved cooking liquid from the squash, lemon juice, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, chile oil or cayenne pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
5. Remove the squash from the refrigerator and place in a medium bowl. Pour the sesame sauce over the squash and use tongs to gently toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.