Ingredient of the Week: Summer Salads

Summer is finally kicking off for Seattle, which means a cornucopia of freshness awaits those looking to cook with local ingredients.

Summer salads are a great way to blend all of our fresh foods. Chef Thierry Rautureau recommends making a salad of blanched fava beans and fresh Rainier cherries and topping it with julienned prosciutto “so you have a beautiful, salty fresh salad.” He also suggests garnishing it with fresh herbs, like Italian parsley or basil.

Tom Douglas, although he’s slightly sick of kale after eating it all winter, suggests making a salad from the leafy green veggie with freshly-grated ricotta, and adding slices of cherries or fresh raspberry.

Katie O also adds that grilling zucchini, onions or summer squash can make a great addition to your summer steak.

Although salad generally brings to mind fresh fruits or veggies, Tom adds that cold pasta salads can also make a great side.

“I make, I guess I’d call it a mac and cheese pasta salad,” he says. “It’s just a regular cavatelli, or corkscrew, pasta with whatever fresh vegetables you have. It could be peas, it could be thin-sliced red radishes, all the things that are out there right now.”

He then makes a buttermilk dressing with grated ricotta or Parmesan (or combination thereof) and tosses in spinach leaves to make a cool pasta salad.

Whole Foods Markets are a proud sponsor of Seattle Kitchen’s Ingredient of the Week.