Moroccan Three Grain Salad

I love whole grains! That should not come as a surprise to my regular readers, as I sometimes forget there are other food groups. Anyway, I love grains so much I decided to combine three of them into a yummy salad. Well, technically, quinoa is a seed - but for the purposes of this recipe I'm calling it a grain.

So, three grains and some tasty Moroccan seasoning and you've got a wonderful and FILLING side dish. This one is fiber central so a little will fill you up really fast.

I added some delicious dried apricots (thanks Caroline!) and pistachios. A intense mix of Moroccan seasonings gives the dish some kick without overpowering the nutty flavors of the grains. I deliberately kept the spices mild and used some lemon zest and juice to blend the flavors together. The result is a wonderful main or side dish that will last you a few days with ample leftovers.

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Four Pea Salad

I love summer! Sunlight! Longer days! The smell of saltwater and sunscreen! And VEGGIES!!!

I went a little crazy at the farmer's market this week and got lots of PEAS. All different varieties and types. I've never seen pea greens and tendrils before, but they were all bunched up and looked healthy and tasty so I thought I'd give it a try. Along with the sugar snap peas, shelling sweet peas, and pea shoots I picked up I decided to make a Pea Extravaganza Salad.

This salad is a combo of all of the above. Four different types of peas tossed with some crunch pepitas, salty capers and a lemon honey vinagrette. Simple, tasty and super fresh. I swear, eating this is like getting in a weeks worth of veggies. It's so filling and packed with healthy vitamins.

This is a big recipe - serves 4 for dinner portions and will go nicely with some fish or chicken. I may even add some fresh goat cheese next time.

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Bean Salad with Radish and Fennel

I had another extremely fruitful Saturday at the farmer's market. There were a ton of amazing new things to try. Between the fresh bagels, boxes of strawberries, and mini whoopie pies, my head was spinning. Luckily I was able to pick up a bunch of yummy things. After the farmer's market, I hit Sherman Market to pick up a few extras and stumbled upon a display of Baer's Best Beans. These heirloom beans are grown locally in Massachusetts and Maine by a small farmer who wanted to bring local beans back to Beantown. I grabbed a bag of Boston Roman beans and decided to use some of my farmer's market haul to make an awesome bean salad.

This is super simple, beans with some fresh fennel and radishes dressed with lemon juice and parsley. I added some grated Parmagiano Reggiano because I had it on hand, but goat cheese or feta would work beautifully. Since it's unlikely you'll find Boston Roman beans (google hadn't even heard of them) you can substitute any creamy large bean - like navy or kidney - instead.

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