Black Bean & Pepper Salad Since I was only making salad for two (with lots of leftovers for lunch the following week), I only cooked ½ pound of black beans, which I seasoned only with salt when cooking. If I do this for the wedding, I’ll add the various seasonings the recipe suggests: thyme, oregano, chopped onion and bay leaf. Canned beans also work with this recipe, and two 16-ounce cans are about right for the ingredients below. The timing for the beans may vary; check after about an hour. They should be tender but still hold their shape. Drain completely. It’s best to put the vinaigrette on the drained beans while they are still warm and add the vegetables just before serving for the best color. Taste the finished salad and add additional salt, hot pepper, or vinegar, as needed.
Vinaigrette (combine all ingredients in a small jar or blender; this is enough for a whole pound of beans)
1 Tb. lemon (or orange) juice, plus zest from ½ lemon (or orange)
1 Tb. Sherry wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp crushed cumin seeds
½ tsp crushed coriander
¼ tsp paprika
4-5 Tb. olive oil
1½ Tb. chopped cilantro
1½ Tb. chopped mint
½ -1 finely chopped Serrano or jalapeno pepper
1-2 finely chopped garlic cloves
Vegetables (for a pound of beans)
1 small red onion, chopped (or you could use 3-4 scallions)
½ cup each of green, yellow, and red peppers, cut into small squares (or somewhat more)
1 stalk of celery, cut into small squares
Additional cilantro for garnish
Gazpacho Salad
I didn’t have any whole tomatoes, so I cut up grape tomatoes for this. In late summer this dish should be terrific with local tomatoes in the farm stands. This is a layered salad that looks good in a deep glass bowl. The original recipe is from The Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas. I made about ¼ of this recipe and it was more than enough for two.
Salad ingredients
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 fairly firm tomatoes, diced
2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped (best not peeled, so use English or farm stand, not waxed)
1 sweet or red onion, chopped or thinly sliced (soak briefly in cold water if using red)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Vinaigrette
½ cup olive oil
½ cup good-quality red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
¼ tsp ground cumin
2-4 Tb. chopped parsley
2 tsp. chopped shallots or green onions
Arrange the vegetables in thin layers, sprinkling salt and pepper as you go. Start with a layer green peppers, and then add tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, red peppers and so on until vegetables are used up. I ended with a layer of peppers on top, but anything is ok. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and chill for several hours.
Yellow Tomato Salsa
Combine the following, and allow the flavors to blend for about an hour. Serve with chips, or with grilled chicken, fish or steak.
2 large diced yellow tomatoes
1 Serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tb. lime juice
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup diced red onion
1-2 Tb. cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
