Summer Lettuces

The best tasting salads are made with the freshest farm stand ingredients in the summer. Living in the Hamptons for two months, I frequented the farmer's markets as often as I could. This became the ultimate lunch in our house. Served over crispy, warm bread topped with smashed avocado and red chili flakes. It has all of the elements for a perfectly light meal. 

serves 2

heirloom lettuces, torn into bite-sized pieces

handful heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 corn, grilled and cut off the cob

2 pieces fresh multi-grain bread, toasted 

1 avocado, halved and pitted

red chili pepper olive oil

Maldon sea salt

fresh black pepper

juice, from a lemon

extra virgin olive oil

crushed red pepper flakes

sliced almonds, toasted

Toss the lettuces, corn, tomatoes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, squeeze of a lemon, salt and pepper. Smash the avocado onto the toast with a fork and spread evenly. Drizzle with red chili pepper olive oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and red pepper flakes. Place toast on center of plate and top with the tossed lettuce mixture. Drizzle more red chili pepper olive oil and sprinkle toasted almond slivers.  Serve immediately.

Fourth of July

Hamptons. Salmon + chicken skewers. Fresh Mango Salsa. Housemade Chimichurri. Local Corn and tomatoes. Wedge + Blue CheeseSalad.Good wine. S'Mores. Great Friends.

Four Summer Salads to Try Now

My favorite days of summer are spent with great friends, hitting the beach, getting in some outdoor activities and ending the day cooking up fabulous seasonal dishes. Between the Hamptons, Vail and my tiny New York City terrace, I have both created and have been introduced to some flavorful fares worth acknowledging that I know will remain in my recipe book for a very long time. This past weekend was spent again in the Hamptons: two finance guys, two fashion icons, two foodies and four small white dogs (typical NYC crowd if you will), we pulled together a smorgasbord of food that will for sure remain the meal to be topped for summers to come. Served alongside perfectly grilled steaks, simply sauteed fillets of cod, a crisp rose wine and a smooth bottle of Borollo, here are the tastiest four summer salads to try now. All serve about 6 people as a side dish.

Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad

Inspired by the sweet summer corn and yellow cherry tomatoes from the farm stands in Amagansett, this salad was created by my friend Fran and has become a Hamptons house staple. It can be kept in the fridge up to a day or two so be sure to make plenty, as it's great for left-overs. Have it for lunch the next day with added greens or scooped with tortilla chips for an easy appetizer. Serve this salad at room temperature or right out of the fridge. Hold the parm to keep this dish vegan-friendly.

8 ears of corn, grilled, cooled and cut off cob
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
handful of arugula, sliced into thin strips
splash of extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2-1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly grated Parmesan Regiano, to taste

Combine corn, tomatoes and arugula in a large bowl. Toss with remaining ingredients to liking and serve.

Butter Lettuce with Avocado and Asparagus

This has become my go-to salad this season. I have been using tomatoes as a main ingredient so often that I needed to change things up a bit. The crisp butter lettuce and asparagus with the peppery hints from the radish, combined with the creaminess of the avocado and the crunch from the almonds...do I really need to say more?

2 heads of butter lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
1 bunch of asparagus, blanched and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch fresh radishes, washed and sliced into thin discs
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
2 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1-2 lemons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine lettuce, asparagus, radishes in a large bowl and set aside. For the dressing, mash the avocado into a small bowl and whisk in the olive oil and lemon juice until it forms a creamy consistency (it's ok for some of the avocado to remain lumpy). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the dressing with the salad and add in the toasted almond slivers last. Serve immediately.

Farm Stand Heirloom Tomatoes with Basil

A summer classic reinvented this weekend by my friend Karene. A foodie and a fashion-ista herself, I am always inspired by the thought that goes into each dish that she brings to the table. Stay tuned for an incredible summer dessert that she and I collaborated on together. You would never believe how healthy this flavorful dish is!

2 pints heirloom tomatoes, quartered or cut into bite sized pieces
handful of fresh basil, sliced
splash of balsamic vinegar
splash of extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and serve immediately.

Sun-dried Tomato and Radicchio Orzo

This dish originates from our trip to Vail earlier this summer. Friends, Melanie and Bill, hosted and we all collaborated on a 4th of July feast that literally kept us feasting all weekend long. This is her recipe, also brought to the Hamptons table for another round. It's a true hit and only gets better the longer the flavors marinate together. So make ahead and keep tons as left-overs. You'll definitely find yourself sneaking your fork in the fridge for another bite.

1.5 cup orzo
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup radicchio, sliced

Cook orzo according to package directions, drain and set aside in a large bowl to cool. Combine remaining ingredients and place in fridge for a few hours to marinate. This can be made up to a day in advance. Again, the longer the ingredients sit, the tastier it gets.

Summer cooking is all about finding the freshest seasonal ingredients to work with. Feel free to visit your own local farm stands and play around with ingredients that are available to you. I'd love to hear what you might come up with!

Taco Night Twist

Taco Night Sundays has become a weekly staple for us. This Sunday I wanted to change it up a bit, still keeping it simple but a tad bit healthier. Instead of using the familiar ground turkey and caloric crispy taco shells, I opted for a lighter tilapia fish in corn tortillas. My fiance was a bit bummed at the sound of it, but when I watched him scarf down dinner raving about how good it was...well, let's just say "I told you so".

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa and Black Bean and Corn Salad

Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, minced
fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears)
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
juice from one lime
1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 (19-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb tilapia fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 cup avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
Tomatillo Salsa, store-bought or homemade

To prepare salad, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add corn; saute 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan; cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, 3/4 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Combine the corn, tomatoes, red peppers, onion, jalapeno pepper, fresh cilantro, oregano, and black beans. Drizzle juice mixture over the corn mixture, and toss gently to coat.

Heat the tortillas by wrapping in foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Sprinkle fish with 1/4 tsp of salt. Combine the rest of the salt, flour and 1 tsp cumin in a medium bowl; dredge fish in mixture and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in the large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add fish. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with fork.


Build your tacos by folding the tortillas in half and placing the fish down the center first, followed by slices of avocado and topping off with tomatilla salsa. You can pile on the black bean and corn salad or serve alongside. I used store-bought tomatilla salsa to save time. You can create your own by combining tomatillo peppers, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, garlic, and jalapeno pepper.


Use leftover Black Bean and Corn Salad for lunch the next day! I piled salad in a warm corn tortilla, wrapped tightly and sliced into small bite-sized pieces. Top with tomatillo salsa. Enjoy!

What's for Dinner?

Ahhh...the ultimate question at the end of a fab weekend. It was a gorgeous day and I cant help but want to take advantage of the good weather and our New York terrace and grill out. First thing that comes to James' mind is steak. Again. But, hey, I'm ok with it (as long as it's fish next time, of course!). We went to Gourmet Garage to see what was fresh. When you're cooking steak on the grill (with a guy) you need corn and potatoes. A little early for the fresh corn season but this "summer nights" preview was tempting our taste buds. So we bought the packaged stuff and I made my "guy-approved, girl-friendly" version...

Grilled New York Strip
with Charred Corn and Sweet Tomato Saute
Garlic and Parsley Red Potatoes to taste

Ingredients
2 New York strip steaks
4 small ears of corn
1/4 lb red potatoes, cleaned and halved
pint of exotic tomato medley
1 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
salt & pepper
pinch of sugar
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter (or butter substitute)

Before grilling steaks, always let sit out of the refrigerator, covered for twenty minutes. Start with the corn. Heat up the grill to medium heat. Place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and shake off the excess. Place the corn on the grill for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until the kernels are tender when pierced with a knife. Cut the corn off of the cob and transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with half of the fresh basil, 1 tbsp of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.


In the mean time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and let simmer. Start to chop the fresh basil and parsley and set aside. Once the potatoes are cooked through (you should be able to easily slide a fork into each piece), drain and place in a bowl. Add the fresh parsley, some of the butter, smashed whole garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste. Stir together. The heat of the potatoes will melt the butter and you will start to smell the aroma of the garlic (Note: mouth starts watering here). Cover and set aside.


While the potatoes are simmering, drizzle the steaks with olive oil and liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on the grill and let cook until golden brown, turning once, until done to your liking (about 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium rare). Remove the steaks to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

While the steaks are resting, heat the olive oil and remaining butter in a small pan until bubbling. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Stir through the basil, dash of sugar and salt and pepper. Serve the tomatoes atop of the charred corn. The sweet juicy pan sauce will reheat the corn and add a moist element to the dish.

Serve and enjoy!

4th of July Done Right

Hamptons. Piled-high burgers. Corn on the cob. Beer. Local wine. Drinking games. Friends.

Fun.