Honeyed Goat Cheese and Corn Salad

As we slide into fall, and the corn starts disappearing from the grocery shelves, I wanted to share a recipe to savor those last bits of summery sweetness. This salad is a perfect summer side. The fresh corn with tangy goat cheese and bright cilantro evoke delightful thoughts of sombreros and margaritas. My favorite kind of thoughts, really. Someday soon, I really need to visit Mexico, as it's clear I'm pretty obsessed with their cuisine. This side is great with my pork and blue cheese empanada recipe, so try the two together!


Honeyed Goat Cheese and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

4 Ears of Corn, Husks Intact
2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, Minced
2 Tablespoons of Chevre
1 Tablespoon of Honey
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Cooking:

Place the ears of corn, husks and all, on a cookie sheet and into the oven at 450 degrees. There's no need to pre-heat. Check on the corn periodically and turn with tongs so that all sides of the husk get browned. Once the husks are a medium brown color in most areas, remove the corn from the oven. Let the ears cool, then remove the husks and silk, then slice the corn from the cob with a sharp knife. Mix the corn with the other ingredients and serve!

Spicy Cilantro Sesame Slaw

Southern coleslaw can sometimes be an unappealing concoction of soggy cabbage swimming in miracle whip. This recipe is a lighter, fresher version that I have been making this summer. I love the nutty sesame flavors combined with the bite of the jalapeno and creamy, tangy-ness of the yogurt.

Spicy Cilantro Sesame Slaw

Ingredients:


1 Small Head of Cabbage, Very Thinly Sliced
4 Carrots, Very Thinly Sliced
1/4 Cup of Cilantro, Finely Chopped
2 Jalapenos, Minced
2 Tablespoons of Greek Yogurt
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Toasted Sesame Seeds
1 Teaspoon of Salt

Preparation:

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the carrots, cilantro, and jalapeno. Sprinkle with the salt and sesame seeds, then dress the mixture with yogurt, lime juice, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss thoroughly and serve!

Lemony Kale Salad

Greens are so good for you, but I have such a hard time eating them. It's that bitter dirt taste that turns me off. After tasting my friend, Paul's, kale salad recipe, I realized kale is very different from its collard cousin. The bitterness is less intense and can be cut with lemon juice and salty Parmesan. Now, when I make a giant bowl of this, it doesn't last longer than the one meal. One step closer to Pop-Eye!

Lemony Kale Salad

Ingredients:

20 Stems of Kale
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/8 Cup Shaved Parmesan
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
1/8 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes

Cooking:

Cut the stems away from the leaf of the kale and discard. Roughly chop the leaves and place into a steamer. Steam the leaves for 6-8 minutes until just softened. Meanwhile prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Once cooked, drop the kale into the ice bath. Once the kale is cooled, strain and pat dry excess water or spin in a salad spinner. Place the kale in a large mixing bowl and stir in the other ingredients with tongs until thoroughly combined. I like to put this salad into the fridge and let it marinate overnight, since the flavors seem to age well together, but it's great straight away, too!

Pacci's Caesar of a Different Color

One of the great things about food blogging in Atlanta is the amazing Atlanta Food Bloggers Alliance. There is something really lovely about the camaraderie that exists between people who have true passion about food. Yesterday, I was able to join the AFBA at Pacci.
Pacci is run by Executive Chef Kiera Moritz. She has a simple, straight-forward approach to classic Italian cuisine, stating that there are rarely more than 5 ingredients on a plate which leaves her kitchen. While simple, the dishes we tasted were fresh, and flavorful. We started with a Grilled Caesar Salad (pictured above,) followed by Strozzapreti (gnocchi,) and finished with Brown Butter Pear Crespelle (the Italian version of Crepes.) It was a pleasure to watch chef and her team work in harmony to prepare each dish.
Pacci was very generous and shared with us their recipes for the dishes we tasted. I have posted the Grilled Caesar here, because it was my favorite. I really love the char taste from the grill with the amazingly fresh Caesar dressing.

Pacci's Grilled Caesar Salad

Dressing:

Ingredients:

1 Coddled Egg (An egg that has been placed in boiling water for exactly 1 minute)
1 Clove Garlic, Chopped Finely
8 Anchovy Fillets, Chopped
1-1/2 Tablespoons of Worchestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/3 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Fresh Black Pepper to Taste

Preparation:

In a bowl, mash the garlic with a fork or pestle. Add in the anchovy, Worchestershire, mustard, lemon and egg. Stir until completely incorporated. With a whisk, whip the mix while adding in a slow, steady stream the olive oil. The dressing should have a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

To Prepare Salad:

Slice Romaine heads into halves, and place on grill or broil on high until the edges have a light char. Drizzle dressing across, add shaved Parmesan and croutons and you are ready to dig in!