Late-summer salad

Vary the veggies and vinaigrette used in this simple recipe for a season’s worth of fresh meals.

Contributed by Benjamin Maring, MD


Late-summer salad

While tomatoes and corn are still going strong in the market, I love combining them in various ways with different produce and vinaigrettes. It is really hard to go wrong when you start with seasonal produce. Experiment using different raw vegetables; slicing them thinly makes almost any vegetable, firm or not, easy to eat in salads (like matchstick cut of raw beets).

Experiment with the vinaigrette too, using different vinegars or citrus juice, if you want. The acid-to-oil ratio for a sharp, flavorful vinaigrette is about 1-to-3 for vinegars and 1-to-2 for citrus juice.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, stemmed and cut into wedges
  • 1 Persian cucumber, ends trimmed
  • 1 patty pan squash, root and stem ends trimmed
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 1/4 cup fresh corn kernels (cut off the cob)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
  • 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 mint leaves
  • 4 basil leaves
  • Leaves from 1 sprig tarragon
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, thinly slice the cucumber and squash lengthwise.
  2. Scatter half the arugula on a serving platter, then top with the tomatoes, cucumber, squash, and corn. Scatter the rest of the arugula on top.
  3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Mince the mint, basil, and tarragon and whisk into the vinaigrette.
  5. Spoon the vinaigrette over the salad and serve.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 130
  • Total fat: 9 g
  • Saturated fat: 1.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 170 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 11 g
  • Dietary fiber: 3 g
  • Total sugars: 6 g
  • Protein: 3 g