Blackened Hatch and Tomato Salsa

from A Cedar Spoon

makes about 2 cups

super delicious and inspired by Kitchen Konfidence

Print this Recipe!

3 hatch chile peppers

1 small red onion, peeled and quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 pound cherry tomatoes

salt, fresh cracked black pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil

juice of 1 or 2 limes

small handful fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

splash of water, to thin it out a bit

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place whole hatch chiles, quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and whole cherry tomatoes on an unlined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Place in the oven and allow to roast for 20 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from the oven and toss the vegetables together.  Place the oven on t he broiler setting to char the vegetables (this works best in a gas oven).  Place the vegetables as close to the broiler as possible and keep an eye on the vegetables as they begin to char.  Remove from the broiler and toss as necessary until the desired char is reached.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.  Place the onion, garlic,and tomato in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.

Place chiles on a cutting board.  Use a knife to remove their tops and cut lengthwise down the center.  Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and discard. Coarsely chop the chiles and add to the bowl of the food processor.  Add lime juice and a few tablespoons of water.  Blend until combined.  Stir in cilantro if using.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill until ready to serve. 

Tomato Bread Gratin

--Adapted from Ina Garten

You can poach or fry an egg to serve on top of this or just have it with a salad for dinner. We had it for dinner this week with beautiful, steamed artichokes and that was dinner. Leftovers are as good or better than the first round—if you can keep from eating it all.

Serves 4

3-4 cups bread from a good crusty loaf with a fairly open crumb (if you’re in Portland Grand Central Como or Levain is perfect or other French/Italian style bread—not sandwich bread), cut into 1/2-inch dice

2  - 2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch diceor if supplementing with cherry tomatoes just cut those in half

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup thinly slivered basil leaves, lightly packed

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or other hard cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the bread cubes and stir so that they are evenly coated with oil. Cook cubes, tossing frequently, until toasty on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are toasted, add the tomato mixture and cook them together, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil. Pour into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm with a big green salad, a bean salad and/or a poached egg.

Tomato Bread

From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

The Spanish (and Basque) and Italian and probably many other cultures have versions of this. I have been eating it for breakfast though I realize that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s a wonderful snack or appetizer or a part of an informal dinner as well. 

However many slices of bread to want to use

However many tomatoes you want to use – you need about half a medium tomato for one large slice of good, crusty bread.

Whole cloves of peeled garlic

Good sea salt

The best olive oil you have

Toast or grill the bread. Rub with garlic (little or lot or not at all, in fact). Cut the tomatoes in half on the equator and then rub the cut side of the tomato onto the toasted bread pressing as much juice and flesh into the bread as you can. You’ll be left holding the skin and a little pulp. Salt generously and drizzle with oil. The bread may fall part a bit and will get quite soggy—just as it should! Eat immediately, then make another!:)

Roasted Tomatoes

from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• Cherry, grape or small Roma tomatoes
• Whole gloves of garlic, unpeeled
• Olive oil
• Herbs such as thyme or rosemary (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 225°F. Halve each cherry or grape tomato crosswise, or Roma tomato lengthwise and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle herbs on, if you are using them, and salt and pepper, though go easily on these because the finished product will be so flavorful you’ll need very little to help it along.

Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about three hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside–this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.

Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge for the best summer condiment, ever. And for snacking.

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

From GreenLiteBites

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 25 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• pinch of salt

Directions

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.

Seven Layer Salad with Sungold Tomatoes

From The Oregonian

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large head lettuce (this would have meant iceberg)
• 6 hard-cooked eggs, quartered lengthwise
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 pound bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
• 1 pint sungold tomatoes, halved
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (do not thaw)

Directions

In a medium bowl, make a dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, sugar and Parmesan cheese.

Tear the lettuce and put half in the bottom of a 4-quart glass salad bowl. Save the rest for filler of other layers. Press eggs around circumference of bowl, then add rest to center, filling in with lettuce. Layer in onion and mushrooms, then cover with half the dressing. Layer in cheddar cheese, bacon and tomatoes, and finally the peas (still frozen). Cover with the remainder of the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

Variations:

Switch the lettuce: Use a combination of arugula and romaine lettuce or other lettuces, but keep some of it a crispy variety.

Switch the cheese: Use feta or blue cheese in place of the cheddar.

Eliminate or reduce the eggs to three.

Switch the meat: Substitute shrimp or tuna for the bacon.

Cut the fat and/or sugar: Make a dressing of half mayonnaise and half low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt. Forget the sugar and Parmesan.

Switch the vegetables: Many other vegetables can be added, such as artichoke hearts, beets, carrots and avocados, but then you'll really have to call it something else.

Gazillion Bean Salad with Sungold Tomatoes

From The Oregonian

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans
• 2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans
• 2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans
• 1 14.5-ounce can green beans (not French cut)
• 1 14.5-ounce can yellow (wax) string beans
• 1 pint Sungold tomatoes, halved
• 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 12-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved (used canned if frozen are unavailable)

Directions

Add the olive oil to a medium bowl. Place the garlic cloves on a cutting board and, using the flat side of a knife blade, crush the cloves but do not break them apart; add to the oil. For a milder dressing, let oil sit for about 30 minutes, then discard the garlic. For a stronger flavor, keep the garlic in the oil. Whisk in the lemon juice, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

Keeping each type of bean separate, drain and rinse, and drain again well. Place each type in a separate bowl and add about a teaspoon of dressing to each bowl, tossing beans well.

Layer each kind of beans into a salad bowl, contrasting colors as you go. With the tomato layer, press the cut side of the tomatoes against the glass around the circumference, then scatter remaining tomatoes in the middle. Similarly, press the water chestnuts one by one around the circumference and scatter extras in the center. Scatter onions over water chestnuts. Arrange the artichoke hearts on the top and drizzle with some of the remaining dressing; be careful not to use too much or it will pool in the bottom of the bowl.

Pasta with Sungold Tomatoes

From Bon appetit

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 oz. Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 6 oz. capellini, spaghetti, or bucatini
• 3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan
• 8 medium fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Directions

 Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes, season with salt, and cook, covered slightly and swirling pan often, until tomatoes blister and burst, 10-12 minutes. Press down on tomatoes to release their juices. Remove pan from heat and set aside. 

Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

Transfer pasta to skillet with tomatoes; set over high heat. Add 1/2 cup pasta water. Cook, stirring and tossing often, until sauce thickens and begins to coat the pasta, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining oil, cheese, and half the basil and toss until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Add remaining basil, season with salt, and serve with breadcrumbs, if desired.

Panzanella

From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

This is the classic Tuscan bread salad made at the height of tomato season. Tuscan bread goes stale very quickly so there are lots of recipes to use it up in flavorful ways. The success of the dish depends on using really flavorful, ripe tomatoes and a good olive oil. And you can use fresher bread if you don’t have stale—see directions below. You do need basil for this, though you can certainly add some chives as well, so I hope you have some in your garden or pick some up.

I know that when you order Panzanella in restaurants in the US you get toasted chunks of bread more like croutons, tossed with tomatoes, etc. This version is what I learned and ate in Tuscany. Please give it a try. The texture is completely different than what is served here but much more integrated and I think much better. Would love to hear reports if you make it.

4 cups diced stale bread (white or partial whole wheat is fine – Grand Central Como or Peasant is perfect for this or something similar—it just can’t be soft, enriched sandwich bread)

4 ripe and juicy medium tomatoes, cut into large dice

1 cup chopped cucumbers (if the lemon cukes are super juicy you could scoop out some of the seeds and discard)

3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

1/2 small red or yellow onion, very thinly sliced and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained and patted dry, or ½ a small Walla Walla Sweet, thinly sliced (no need to soak since it’s so mild)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

2-3 tablespoons, chopped fresh basil

¼ - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

If the bread is quite stale, soak it in water for 15 minutes (Tuscan bread gets much harder than the bread we typically have here) If it’s not terribly stale you can just sprinkle it with a bit of water to moisten it slightly. 

Combine the vegetables, basil and garlic in a large salad bowl. When ready, drain the bread cubes (if you soaked them) and squeeze all the water out of them using your hands. Crumble the bread over the vegetables. In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir well. Pour over salad and toss to combine really well. Adjust seasoning to taste. This salad should have a good vinegary kick and be strongly flavored with the basil, capers and garlic.

Fresh Salsa

From Katherin Deumling of Cook With What You Have

You have many of the ingredients for the sweetest, freshest and most savory salsa in your share this week. I made this recently for a crowd and it was devoured and enjoyed even by those who purportedly don’t like spicy salsa. The jalapenos are so flavorful and subtly spicy.

2 large tomatoes, washed, cored and finely chopped or diced (or if using cherry tomatoes, quartered)

½ - 1 jalapeno, finely minced (de-seed the pepper if you’re unsure of your comfort with the heat level—my guess is that you can leave the seeds in, for at least part of it)

2 tablespoons, finely chopped red onion

1-2 tablespoons chopped, roasted poblano pepper (see note below) (optional)

¼ cup cilantro, well washed and dried and chopped

1 small clove garlic, minced and then mashed with some coarse salt and the side of a chef’s knife into a paste (or just mince)

Sea salt

Mix everything together well and adjust seasoning with salt. Serve with chips or with fish tacos or any kind of tacos or with quesadillas or as a side for grilled fish or vegetables or pretty much anything. 

Basic Green Chile Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped green chile (roasted, peeled, seeded)
• ½ cup chopped tomato, fresh or canned
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste

Directions

Heat the oil and saute the onion a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook until softened. 
Stir in the flour, cook 2 minutes, then slowly add the stock. Add the chile, tomato and cumin.
Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add water or stock if sauce gets too thick. Add salt to taste. Makes about 3 cups.

Kale Tomato Soup with Chickpeas and Cumin Rice

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 cups water
• One ounce 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatos
• 1 bunch curly kale, stalks trimmed
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 ounces canned chickpeas, preferably low sodium
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions

Combine the ginger, olive oil, shallots, and zucchini in a pot. Sauté the ingredients together for 5 minutes. Add the water, can of tomatoes, ¾ of the bunch of kale, 1 tomato, can of chickpeas, cumin and chilli powder. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or transfering the soup to a blender in batches), mix the soup until fully blended. Mince the final ¼ of the kale and put into the pot with the second tomato. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes and then serve hot. 

White Bean, Kale & Roasted Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered [or use canned tomatoes]
• 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
• 4 cups finely chopped kale
• 3 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained- USE the shelled Jacob's Cattle beans

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with oil spray. Arrange carrots, tomatoes, onion, squash and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake until vegetables are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Transfer carrots and squash to work surface. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot; bring to boil. Add shelled Jacob's Cattle beans. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until beans are almost tender. Add kale and reserved carrots and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors and until kale is tender adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Kale with Tomatoes, Garlic & Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons plus two teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves [can sub dry, use more if desired 
• 1 pound boiled, chopped kale leaves
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

[Canned whole tomatoes are inexpensive and delicious, try subbing these for the out of season cherry tomatoes, putting them in whole and breaking up in the pan to desired size]

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium. Add garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add cherry tomatoes, quartered, and fresh thyme leaves. Cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 2 minutes. Add kale and cook until heated through, 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons oil.

[Rather than boil, I suggest adding fresh kale at the end and cooking until tender but not overdone.]

Kale Tabbouleh

From NY Times

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup fine bulgur
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped (5 cups)
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup torn mint leaves
• 1/2 cup diced radish
• Black pepper, as needed

Directions

Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, cumin and salt. Whisk in olive oil.  In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in dressing. Season with black pepper and more salt if you like, and drizzle with additional oil if desired. 4 to 6 serving. 

Turnip Hash with Broccoli Rabe (or Kale)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound plum tomatoes (use canned or omit) 
• 1/2 pound medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 1/2 cups) or sub kale 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme

Directions

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, garlic, salt, red-pepper flakes, thyme, and reserved turnips, parsnips, and potatoes; spread evenly to cover bottom of skillet. Cook, without stirring, until vegetables begin to brown on bottom, about 15 minutes.

Add reserved tomatoes and broccoli rabe to skillet. Stir once; cook until vegetables are very tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Add reserved tomatoes and broccoli rabe to skillet. Stir once; cook until vegetables are very tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Ribollia

From Epicurious

Ribollita is a classic Tuscan soup that's made up of vegetable soup mixed with pieces of rustic bread. This version is packed with veggies—white beans, kale, chard, potatoes, tomatoes—and served with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients

• 13 cups (or more) water, divided
• 1 1/4 cups dried cannellini (white kidney beans; about 8 ounces) (or sub canned, cooked beans-add at end)
• 12 large fresh sage leaves
• 8 garlic cloves; 5 sliced, 3 chopped
• 2 teaspoons (or more) fine sea salt, divided
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 large unpeeled Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered through core, sliced crosswise
• 1 large pinch of dried thyme
• 1 small bunch black kale,* cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons (about 6 cups)
• 1 small bunch green chard (about 4 large leaves), center stem removed, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide          ribbons (about 6 cups)
• 4 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage
• 5 large plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 2-inch square Parmesan cheese rind
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 2 cups (or more) Light Vegetable Broth or good-quality canned vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
• 6 1/2-inch-thick slices country white bread, coarsely torn with crusts

Directions

Combine 8 cups water, beans, sage, and sliced garlic in large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls to keep beans submerged, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on age of beans. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt; simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cool beans in liquid. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill in cooking liquid.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic; stir 2 minutes. Add celery, carrot, potato, fennel, and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender and begin to turn brown in spots, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes. Add kale, chard, cabbage, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, 5 cups water, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add beans with cooking liquid and crushed red pepper. Add 2 cups broth. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

Add bread to soup and simmer, stirring often to break up bread into smaller pieces and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin, if desired. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Divide ribollita among bowls, drizzle with oil, and serve.

Green Beans Stewed with Tomatoes and Potatoes

I learned this dish in Calabria (the toe of the Italian boot) many years ago. When all the ingredients are at their peak it’s a wonderful, simple dish. Serve with bread and some cheese and you have dinner. And the vegetables need to be cooked until they are quite soft. It’s much more flavorful this way so be patient. 

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and a bit more for finishing
• 2 garlic cloves, smashes with the side of a knife and roughly chopped
• 1 lb green beans, tipped and cut into 2-3 inch lengths
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
• 2-3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into about ½ inch cubes
• Salt, freshly ground pepper,
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in large, sauté pan. Add the green beans and sauté for a few minutes on high heat add the potatoes, tomatoes, salt and garlic and cook on med-high to high heat, stirring frequently. When the potatoes and beans are quite tender (about 15 -20 minutes) add the pepper, parsley if using and cook for another minute or two. Serve hot or at room temperature with a generous drizzle of good olive oil.

Salad Nicoise

Absolutely one of Chris and my’s favorite meals- we made it earlier this week with our new potatoes, fresh tomatoes and yellow beans- quite simple to prepare and delicious!

Ingredients

• 5 fingerling potatoes
• 1 cup vinaigrette- (the Joy of Cooking recipe we used called for a dressing with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard, we added some herbs of choice).
• 1 pound steamed green beans
• 1 head butter or red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and chilled (any lettuce will do really, but butter lettuce in the best.)
• 3 ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 1 cup canned or cooked tuna, chilled
• 6 (approx.) canned anchovy filets
• 1/2 Greek cup olives

Directions

Boil whole potatoes until just tender. Drain; rinse in cold water & slip off skins. While still warm, cut into 1/8-inch slices & gently toss with about 1/3 cup of vinaigrette in a bowl. Place steamed beans in another bowl & toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. Just before serving, toss lettuce leaves with vinaigrette to coat & arrange on a platter or plates. Arrange all ingredients in distinct clusters on the lettuce, drizzling on remaining vinaigrette & garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with French bread. Serves 6. 

Potato, Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 pounds slender green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 pounds small red-skinned new potatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 6 tablespoons drained capers
• 8 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1- 1-pint basket cherry tomatoes, halved 

Directions

Cook beans in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Transfer to medium bowl. Refresh under cold running water. Drain well. Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons orange juice and 2 tablespoons vinegar; toss to coat. Cool to room temperature, occasionally stirring gently. Add green beans, tomatoes and parsley to potatoes. Whisk remaining 6 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar, oil and capers in small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad and toss to combine. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)