When the heat of the summer is on, fresh and cool for dinner is just the thing. This week we have three recipes that are appealing even on the most muggy of days. One is completely no-cook taking full advantage of the deli counter or the fun foods at Aldi’s. Pile up the pickles, meats, and cheeses and go to town! On the opposite end of the spectrum is a platter that felt just like spa food to us. Light and cool platter of sliced cucumbers, cabbage, and other vegetables with cold noodles, tied together with a sweet savory dressing. Cherries and chicken are the star of our last salad, with bibb lettuce, a creamy dressing, and a not-to-be-missed crunchy panko mix in. Pour yourself a seltzer and get a breath of fresh air with one of our platter salads this week. We’ll be right there with you!
Ultimate Italian Salad Platter, Jaengban Guksu (Platter of Cold Noodles and Vegetables), and Bibb Lettuce, Chicken, and Cherry Salad With Creamy Horseradish Dressing
Ultimate Italian Salad Platter: Foodie Crush
An antipasto board is a thing of beauty, why not turn it into a salad? Foodie Crush did just that, layering marinated chickpeas, artichokes, and mozzarella cheese with parmesan crisps, olive, and prosciutto...and so much more. Pair with romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes and you have a no-cook dinner fancy enough for company or just a Tuesday night.
Tips:
- You can dress this up or down. Get fancy cold cuts from your favorite deli or check out what Aldi or Trader Joe’s has this week. Don’t let the list fence you in; use it as a starting point.
- The dressing and the vegetables on the side mean you can have salad platter leftovers for lunch a couple days in a row. Talk about treating yourself.
Jaengban Guksu (Platter of Cold Noodles and Vegetables) by Korean Bapsang
Set out a platter of the very best vegetables from the farmer’s market or your CSA box, add a pile of cold soba noodles, and some salty-hot-sweet dressing, and you’re in business. Korean Bapsang comes through again with a meal that is mix and match using all your favorite vegetables.
Tips:
- Cook the noodles as you need them if you plan to make this ahead.
- The dressing is so well balanced and flavorful. We’re keeping a batch in the fridge for more noodles, salads, and grilled vegetables.
- If your crowd is hungry, add a grilled tofu, chicken, or even some flaked salmon on the side.
Bibb Lettuce, Chicken, and Cherry Salad With Creamy Horseradish Dressing by Anna Stockwell on Epicurious
Cherries are at their absolute best this time of year. Eating them out of hand is always the best option, but this platter salad is a close runner up. The sweet cherries are balanced with sharp horseradish and a little lime. Best of all, a rotisserie chicken means no oven time.
Tips:
- We think this would be a great way to use leftover chicken from the cookout.
- No need for a blender for the dressing. A bowl and a whisk worked fine, too.
- The lime was nice but not very noticeable. If you’re out, the same amount of lemon juice or white wine vinegar would work as well.
- It might be tempting to skip, but we highly recommend making the toasted bread crumbs. The salad was next level with that crunch.
- If you plan on making this for lunches, mix the chicken, cherries, chives, and dressing together. Keep the breadcrumbs and lettuce separately until you plan on eating. No more wilted greens or soggy crumbs.
From the Smorgasbord:
Cook along with us! We are kicking off our first monthly Listener Cook Along this month with Budget Bytes. Here’s how it works:
- Choose any recipe from her website you like, and make it.
- Go to our Facebook Group, email us, or send us a voicemail message about how everything went. What did you like? What was a challenge? Would you make it again?
- We are gathering everything up and creating a listener episode to be released at the end of the month, July 31st.
- Make sure to get us your comments and messages by Tuesday, July 28th.
We can’t wait to see and hear about what you made. Have fun!
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