Caprese salad is one I make all the time in the summer months once we start getting good Jersey tomatoes.  Burrata cheese is a fresh Italian cheese that is made of mozzarella and cream.  It is very similar to fresh mozzarella but the center is creamy.  Along with roasted tomatoes, burrata cheese adds a nice twist to caprese salad. 

You'll Need:

For salad:
3/4 lb mixed yellow and red cherry tomatoes, or just use regular fresh garden tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
1 pkg baby romaine or mixed greens, enough for 4 small salads
1 lb fresh burrata cheese at room temp (leave out of fridge for about 30 min prior to making salad)
10 fresh basil leaves, julienned (sliced into thin strips)


For dressing:
1/8 tsp dry mustard
salt & fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Half the tomatoes and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a shallow baking pan under broiler for a few minutes until skins just start to get browned.
Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare dressing.  

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

Arrange salad greens on a serving plate, top with burrata cheese and the tomatoes (which should be about room temperature by now).  Sprinkle the julienned basil on top of the cheese and tomatoes.  Then drizzle the dressing over all and serve immediately.  If making ahead, add dressing right before serving. 

This is an easy but delicious summery salad that I KNOW I ate long ago at Emily's beach house, but she has no rememberance of it...who knows where it came from but it was great and here's what i came up with from what I tasted (or perhaps imagined I tasted).   

Ingredients:
1 lb uncooked cheese tortellini
6-8 oz fresh baby spinach
8-10 oz polish keilbasa
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese
Drizzle of olive oil

Cook the tortellini according to package directions being careful not to overcook (test pasta atleast 2 minutes prior to recommended cooking time).  Drain and place in a large serving bowl.  

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and drizzle in a titch of olive oil.  Slice your keilbasa into little disks about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.  Working in batches so you dont crowd the pan, brown the keilbasa on both sides in your saute pan.  Don't stir them too much, just add them to the pan and then flip them when they are browned.  As they are done, add them to the bowl with the tortellini.  Don't wipe out your keilbasa pan.  

Wash spinach well and add that to your saute pan.  Cover with a lid and let it wilt slightly.  This will only take a minute or maybe less.  Add the spinach to your bowl.  

Add the tomatoes to your saute pan and cook just until warmed through, maybe a minute.  Add the tomatoes to your bowl, as well, then top with parm.  

Toss and serve!  

Note: If your keilbasa is leaner (like turkey keilbasa) you may need a drizzle of olive oil over the salad.  Salad can be eaten warm, room temp, or cold.  Serves 6-8.  

In the hot summer weather, sometimes you just need to eat salad for dinner.  It's too hot to eat a big plate of hot food.  But, it's also dinnertime, and we want something more substantial than just salad.  So... here's a different way (other than adding chicken) to make that salad feel like a meal.   

Makes 4 servings.

You'll Need:

4 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vinegar
8 strips of thick cut smoked applewood bacon (I got this from the deli at Freshdirect; but you can use regular bacon if that's all you can find)
5 oz pkg of Spring Mix mesclun lettuce (or whatever lettuce you like)
1 large tomato chopped or 1 1/2 cups cherry/grape tomatoes sliced in halves
1/2 English cucumber chopped in small pcs (the kind without seeds)
1/4 of a red onion, sliced very thin (or as much as you like on salad)
1/2 cup canned Garbanzo beans (chick peas; rinsed with water and drained)
1 1/2 cups of croutons (you can use store-bought or make your own with this link)

Dressing:
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice. 

To Make:

Begin cooking bacon til crispy.  Dry/cool on paper towels and set aside.  

Meanwhile fill a large bowl with all salad ingredients:  lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, beans.  In small separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.   

To poach your eggs: Boil water in a small pot with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 cup vinegar added to the water.  While waiting for water to boil, get a small bowl of ice-water ready in the sink.  Carefully crack the eggs into a ladle or small dish, then place the ladle or dish just over the boiling water and turn the bowl so they slide into the water very carefully instead of plopping in and making a splash.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Immediately remove eggs from the boiling water with a plastic slotted spoon, and carefully place the eggs in the ice-water for 30 seconds to stop them from cooking.  The middles will be runny but the outside will be cooked delicately.  Set aside in a bowl.  

When you are just about ready to eat, add croutons and dressing to the bowl of salad ingredients, and toss to coat all the veggies and croutons.  You don't have to use all the dressing, you can set some aside on the table for those who want to add more to their salad.  Then transfer salad to large plates for individual servings, top each plate with 2 strips of crumbled bacon, and 1 of the poached eggs.  Sprinkle salad with some fresh ground pepper and serve!  

This potato salad was always a favorite of mine from the deli I worked at growing up.  I don't have their recipe but I think this is pretty close.  It's a great addition to any cookout - just brought this one to a party today and came home with an empty bowl.  You can make it creamier by adding more sourcream (duh) but I tend to make mine slightly dry.

You will need:
5 lb bag of redskin potatoes, washed and quartered
1 cup sourcream
3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh dill, rinsed and chopped
3 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt plus 1 Tbsp for cooking potatoes
1/2 tsp white sugar
Pepper to taste

To make:
Place quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Add 1 Tbsp salt.  Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes or until tender.  Drain in a colander and immediately sprinkle 3 Tbsp white vinegar over hot potatoes (they absorb it more when hot/warm).  

While potatoes are cooling, mix together in a medium bowl the sourcream, mayo, dill, 1/4 tsp salt (more to taste), sugar and pepper.  Stir until combined.  (Taste this and add more salt if needed but remember that your potatoes will be
slightly salted from the cooking water).  

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into bitesize pieces (the pieces will get a bit smaller as you mix them too) and put them into a large bowl.  Gently fold the sourcream mixture into the potatoes just until potatoes are coated, being careful not to break down the potatoes too much. 

Enjoy!

Lately I have been making a lot of my own salad dressings...which I never before realized could be so simple and so delicious!  My new favorite go-to is a dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar vinaigrette.  It's a little sweet, got a bit of a kick from the dijon, and goes really well with a light, summery salad.

You will need:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil (this is what I used but I imagine any oil will do)
1 heaping Tbs good dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
S&P to taste

SO simple.  You just whisk all those ingredients together and voila!  I like to use fresh cracked pepper rather than all ready ground for a bit more flavor.  And I tend to like this dressing most on a salad with a little bit of sweetness to it (like fresh strawberries or candied walnuts or something).  

Note: You can make your own candied walnuts super easily by simply heating up granulated sugar in a saucepan.  As the sugar heats up, swirl it around until it's all melted and turning caramel colored.  Once all melted pour in a bunch of walnuts and stir to coat.  Turn the walnuts out onto a cutting board and cool.  As they cool they will harden and then you can chop them up and throw them on your salad.  YUM!

I made some summery cole slaw the other day to go with baked beans and Emily's pulled pork sandwiches - so good.  I normally would add just a titch of horseradish to give it a little zing but my Remy would have said "It's too picy" so I held off and tried to be happy that she even eats cole slaw.

You will need:
1.5 Tbs vinegar (cider or white)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt (more to taste) 
black pepper
1/2 cup mayo
2 carrots, shredded
8 cups loosely packed, shredded or thin sliced cabbage
1/2 tsp celery seed

To make:
Toss together your carrots and cabbage together in a large bowl.  Whisk together the rest of the ingredients and then pour over cabbage mixture.  Toss to coat thoroughly and refridgerate until ready to eat.  Makes about 10 servings.

I've been into making my own salad dressings lately.  We had a random few summery days here in NH in March so we made grilled chicken Caesar salads! 

You will need:
Scant 1/3 cup mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
1 cup shredded parmesean cheese *
pepper+ salt to taste

*I shred my own parm, so 1 cup might be different than if you use pre-grated instead.

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Makes about 1/2 cup.