Summer Platter Salad Food

SUMMER PLATTER SALAD

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette: Combine shallot, salt, and vinegar in a small bowl; let macerate 15 minutes. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with pepper.
• Make the salad: Toss small tomatoes and squashes with 3 tablespoons vinaigrette. Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add beets, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to ice-water bath to stop the cooking. When cool enough to handle, peel, leaving stems intact.
• Meanwhile, prepare another ice-water bath. Bring a second pot of water to a boil. Add snap peas, and cook until bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath (keep water in pot simmering). Drain snap peas, and pat dry. Add potatoes to simmering water, and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes to bowl with tomato mixture.
• Preheat grill to medium. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 5 to 6 seconds.) Grill potatoes, small tomatoes, and squashes, turning occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss remaining vegetables with 1/2 cup vinaigrette (reserve any remaining vinaigrette for another use). Arrange all vegetables on a platter. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil.

SUMMER DELI PLATTER

Steps:

• Tip the ricotta into a bowl and stir to soften it. Snip in the chives.
• Add the sundried tomatoes, season to taste, then stir well. Put the deli veg onto a platter with toasted pittas or breadsticks and serve with the dip.

FRESH FRUIT PLATTER

Steps:

• I like to begin the platter with a base of ripe, colorful, sliced melons and pineapple--for example, cantaloupe, honeydew, Galia, or Cavaillon melons, plus the new "golden" pineapples. Peel the outside of a whole melon, cut it in half through the stem end, and scoop out the seeds. Place the melon halves cut side down on a board, and slice them straight across into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fan each half-melon out slightly and arrange it on the platter. Next, cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple, peel the outside, and use a sharp knife to remove the "eyes." Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise and remove the core by cutting a "V" down the center of each half. Again, place the pineapple halves, cut side down, on a board and slice them straight across into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fan the slices out and arrange them next to the melon on the platter.
• Once the base is set, you can add any kind of fruit that's available. I like to have one thing that is taller than the rest, such as a large bunch of grapes or a decoratively cut papaya, to give the platter height. Then I add raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and fresh figs in casual but organized groups. The platter can look like a bowl of M&M's if there are too many colors scattered with no order. Visually, your eye needs to have a focal point and to be able to see each type of fruit. After all the fruit is arranged, I add flat green leaves around the outside of the fruit, to set off the colors. Use lemon and galax leaves from your florist, or fig leaves and grape leaves from your garden. Make sure they are pesticide-free and well washed.
• Any kind of fruit will work well on this platter. For special occasions, add persimmons, kiwi, passion fruit, Queen Anne cherries, fresh apricots, and mangos. Choose whatever is colorful and seasonal.

SUMMER GARDEN SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: Combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, garlic powder, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer to a ramekin.
• For the salad: Place the ramekin in the center of a platter. Arrange the lettuce around the dressing. Layer the tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers on top of the lettuce and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN HUMMUS PLATTER

Steps:

• Arrange butter lettuce leaves on one end of a serving platter.
• Spread hummus onto the opposite side of the platter, covering at least half of the platter.
• In a separate bowl combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, feta and olives. Season with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Give it a toss to combine.
• Transfer tomato cucumber feta salad to the hummus platter, toss it over the butter lettuce overlapping the hummus.
• Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the hummus, add a pinch of paprika and pine nuts (if using). Garnish the platter with fresh basil.

SUMMER ANTIPASTO PLATTER

Steps:

• Assemble everything listed as desired. Then drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, and sea salt.
• To assemble as pictured, lay out the sliced heirloom tomatoes on each side of a large oval platter. (Mine is 16″ x 12″.) Top with the halved mozzarella balls and the sliced cherry tomatoes to make the Caprese salads.
• Next wrap the 4 slices of melon with 4 slices of prosciutto and lay 2 by each of the Caprese salads on opposite sides of the platter.
• Then place the 2 kinds of cheese on the opposite empty sides of the platter. From there fill in with the genoa salami folded into quarters and the berries. Sprinkle with basil.
• You can tightly cover and refrigerate the platter for a few hours at this point.
• Then when ready to serve drizzle with the olive oil, balsamic, and sea salt.
• Serve immediately.