I’m such a sucker for seasons. Each fall, I revel in the last blasts of colorful leaves before they fall to the ground and the first brisk morning that requires a jacket and boots. When winter arrives, the first snowfall leaves me breathless at its beauty. Then, as the days lengthen and spring erupts out of every bulb and tree bud, I wonder how I ever functioned without it. I swear, as appealing as climates like San Diego sometimes feel, I really don’t know what I’d do without the anticipation and satisfaction provided by shifting seasons.

At the moment, I’m clamoring for summer. For late evening walks in short-sleeved tees and sunlight after 8pm and COOKOUTS and mini golf. This weekend, after several days of positively gorgeous weather that hinted at the season to come, I quite simply couldn’t take it anymore and I pretended it had arrived right in my own kitchen by whipping up a batch of barbecue pulled pork and a simple, delightful potato salad that tastes just like summer.

I freakin’ love potato salad, and this one checks all the boxes I look for in a ideal scoop. Smooth chunks of potato still in their skins, a tangy assortment of crunchy mix-ins, cool and crisp, and most importantly, LIGHTLY DRESSED. I’m not interested in swimming through an ocean of mustard-flavored mayonnaise to uncover the 2-3 pieces of potato that may be hidden within, thank you very much. Most importantly, this salad is composed of pretty basic ingredients that I almost always have on hand and comes together fairly quickly.

My favorite part of the light dressing This salad doesn’t get soggy. In fact, I feel like the flavor only improves the longer it chills in the fridge fully mixed.

If you have a picnic or a potluck to attend soon, I highly recommend bringing this along. Or, if you just want to have a fake picnic in your apartment in late April and then eat the leftovers for a few days at lunch since you didn’t have a giant group of people to share it with, I highly recommend it for that, too.

(Summer’s coming!)

Potluck Potato Salad
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden and Smitten Kitchen

Makes 8-10 side dish servings

Note: We have a celery-hater in our house, so I don’t include it despite the fact that it’s a pretty classic ingredient in potato salad. If you want some celery in your salad, dice up a 1/2 cup and mix it in with the onions, eggs, and pickles.

2 pounds of red potatoes, scrubbed clean
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 c diced red onion
1/2 c diced dill pickle
1/2 c diced celery (optional)
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 T brown mustard
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Scrub potatoes clean but keep the peels on. Cover with 2-3 inches of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover and cook at a rolling boil for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

While the potatoes are boiling, chop the eggs, onions, and pickles and place in a large mixing bowl. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper. Keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to mix the salad.

Drain and cool the potatoes until they can be comfortably handled with bare hands. Cut the potatoes into cubes, discarding any large strips of skin that come off easily.

Add the potatoes and dressing to the large mixing bowl with the other ingredients and mix well. Chill the salad for 2-3 hours or until you are ready to serve.

The timing could not have been better. Three and a half days of sunshine, ocean breeze, and t-shirt weather was a welcome break from the chilly winter in Ohio.

When I travel, I love visiting local farmers markets, especially if my destination boasts a lengthy growing season. Because I limit my “exotic” produce purchases in Ohio to very special occasions, I jump at the chance to buy them when they’re grown just a few miles away. In southern California, I was after two things: citrus and avocados. And I came back with plenty of both! Definitely worth packing lightly so I could stuff my carry-on with produce on the flight home.

But how to use my precious cargo I kicked it off when a bright, fresh, totally California salad.

This salad starts with a bed of spinach and mixed greens and ends with a drizzle of blood orange vinaigrette. But the components in the middle provide a delightful mix of textures, flavors, and colors, the most striking of which is the blood orange.

The mottled scarlet flesh of this orange is not just pretty to look at. It’s sweet and enormously juice, which makes it an ideal candidate for doubling both as a salad topping and as a dressing ingredient.

Combined with a wee amount of shallots, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, the blood orange juice produces a lovely dressing that would delight on many salads, not just this one.

Other than mixing the dressing, this salad is as simple as can be and really doesn’t require much explanation. Just toss everything on the greens and ta-da! It’s a beauty!

If you’re looking for a salad that you’ll actually WANT to eat, this is definitely on that list. Creamy avocado, bright citrus, crunchy sunflower seeds, and zesty feta play nicely together. It’s filling and satisfying, features I look for when making salad that serves as a meal.

We still have a good 4-6 weeks of decidedly non-t-shirt weather in Ohio, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t sit back and enjoy a summery salad and pretend we’re somewhere warmer, bluer, and California-y-er.

*sigh*

Blood Orange & Avocado Salad
Adapted from Joy the Baker

Note: This recipe makes enough for one as a main course or 2-3 as a side salad. There will be more dressing than you need for one salad, but it will last for 4-5 days, so you can use it for round two or three later in the week. Also, if you have the chance to make the dressing in advance, it gets even better overnight.

3 blood oranges (1 1/2 for the salad, 1 1/2 for the dressing)
1 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 T minced shallots
a couple cranks of freshly ground black pepper
2 large handfuls of spinach or mixed greens
1/2 a small avocado
1/4 c feta cheese crumbles
1 1/2 T salted sunflower seed kernels

Slice two of the blood oranges in half. Juice three of the halves and strain juice into a small bowl. Slice away the peel of the remaining half and the remaining whole orange, then carefully slice into disks. Set the oranges aside.

To complete the dressing, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, shallots, and black pepper to the blood orange juice and whisk vigorously until combined. Adjust to taste and set aside.

Add spinach to a plate and sprinkle place oranges on top of the spinach. Sprinkle with feta and sunflower seeds. Slice the avocado and peel back the skin, adding the avocado strips to the salad. Shake or whisk dressing once more and drizzle over salad to taste. Serve immediately and dream of California produce.

And yet a week ago, my heart was full with summer. And so was my pantry. I’d harvested the last batch of tomatoes from my garden, and after celebrating some of them with some BLT sandwiches, I wanted to try them in a different configuration: as a salad!

This salad is inspired by one that Brad and I usually split at one of our favorite restaurants, and it’s simple enough that I’m frankly stunned I’ve never attempted something like it at home.

It starts with iceberg lettuce.

Now I know that iceberg lettuce gets a lot of flak these days. With the popularity of arugala, mesclun, baby greens, micro greens, and more, the old head of watery lettuce is somewhat of a black sheep. And it’s true, it does have little to no nutritional content. But for it’s shape, there’s nothing better for making a wedge salad.

So there’s the wedge. Then it’s um, really really easy to finish the salad part.

Bacon, parmesan, tomato, green onion, and ranch dressing dress up this wedge of iceberg for a night on the town.

A variety of textures, flavors, and colors make this salad a lot of fun to serve, and even more fun to eat. The saltiness of the bacon plays nicely against the cool and creamy ranch, and the tomatoes work in tandem with the bacon just as well here as they do on a sandwich. Make sure you serve it on a big plate with a sharp knife though… it turns out there’s a lot of lettuce hidden in that wedge!

BLT Wedge Salad
Inspired by Brio Tuscan Grille

Makes two salads

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
half a head of iceberg lettuce, cut into two wedges
1/2 c ranch dressing
1/3 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
one green onion, chopped
one small tomato, diced

Cook bacon and soak up any additional grease on a plate lined with paper towels. Chop bacon into small pieces and set aside. Remove the outer leaf of the half lettuce head, chop off the dense core, and chop into two wedges.

Place each wedge on a large plate with the peak of the ridge facing up. Drizzle half of the ranch dressing over each wedge. Sprinkle half of the bacon, parmesan, green onion, and tomato over each wedge.

Serve immediately. Make sure to grab a sharp knife to chop your salad into delicious bits!

My, summer has gone quickly, hasn’t it?

While most of my friends sense summer only through the seasonal changes, my university job means the seasons are still distinctively marked by the ends and beginning of semesters. It seems so recent that I was fighting graduation traffic on campus, sending Brad off on an internship, and excitedly making a list of all the recipes, garden projects, canning extravaganzas, and social outings I’d surely have time for in the balmy months of summer.

But here we are, at the beginning of August. Aaaaaaand the list is still really long. Is it possible that it’s longer?

It is. Probably because I keep ignoring the recipes I have on my list to make because I get cravings to make something out of left field. Like this.

I told you a few months ago about the shocking realization that I love turkey salad, so one day when I didn’t feel like cooking but felt like eating something tasty and new, I decided to try a version with chicken, instead. Crunchy little nuts & veggies, chewy golden raisins, and a healthy heap of rosemary make this salad quite a treat.

But most importantly, it’s a quick, filling dinner full of flavor and crunch, for these hot summer evenings when the temperatures are high and the lists are long. School is starting soon – it’s time to get busy and check things off!

Rosemary Cashew Chicken Salad

1 1/2 cooked chicken breast, chopped
3/4 c salted cashews, roughly chopped
1/2 c golden raisins
1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 c red onion, diced
1/3 c mayonnaise
1 tsp ground rosemary
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)

If you’re starting with raw chicken breast, trim of fat and cook to your liking. I rub black pepper and seasoned salt into mine and pan sear it until cooked through. Once chicken is cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes before chopping into cubes.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste if desired. Serve with crackers or, if you prefer, on a sandwich.

Ah, summer. Welcomed in over Memorial Day with cookouts, good friends, and sunny weather, it’s a season of bounty in most of the States. In North Carolina, summer came (and often comes) early: the farms and gardens here are already flush with zucchini, peaches, blueberries, tomatoes, and even peppers.

I, however, skipped my market trip this week in favor of a long weekend visiting dear friends in Madison, Wisconsin.

As seems to be more and more common for me, I spent a lot of my trip observing not just the city itself, but the food. And let me tell you. I was pleasantly surprised by what Madison had to offer.

Just two blocks from my friends’ apartment, the crowds at the city’s largest farmers market were rivaled only by the huge quantities of locally produced food. At first glance, the market here looked like Durham’s two months ago: green spears of asparagus, waxy baby onions, and the first tender snap peas covered the tables.

But there were also treasures not easily obtained in the Bull City.

One would think that local market-goers would tire of cheese in the Nation’s Dairyland. But no… many booths, each of them packed with customers, purveyed cheeses aged for years and curds made only hours before (some of which may or may not have returned in my backpack with a small ice pack). Even beyond the tiny white tops of the farmers market, it was clear that Madison loves its food.

It was a lovely little vacation, full of interesting new restaurants and local meals enjoyed with friends. But now it’s back to work! And enjoying the fruits of the South.

Or, in this case, the vegetables.

We have a long enough growing season here that broccoli and cauliflower can  be harvested twice, both in late spring and late fall. This recipe actually came to me as a holiday recipe: a way of acknowledging the tradition of serving cranberries without a gelatinous sauce. It serves that purpose well, but I’ve come to enjoy it as a meal all on its own in these early summer weeks when broccoli and cauliflower are so readily available.

Though these two tasty brassicas are the feature of this salad, it is studded with a cast of equally delicious companions. Cool onions, cranberries, freshly grated cheddar, and crisp bacon add lots of flavor and color.

Isn’t that pretty If you’re not making this for immediate use, you can leave it this way in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Do take caution, though… you may be tempted to steal all the bacon from the top. Don’t do it! It’s soooo good in the salad.

The dressing comes together just as easily as the salad! A little mayo, vinegar, and sugar whisked together. You can make this in advance, or if you prefer, right before you drizzle it into your goodies.

And then you have it! Hearty enough to eat on its own, savory and sweet, and a cool dish that doesn’t require the oven! This is definitely one recipe you’ll want to make more than once.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Adapted from Mindy T.

4 c small broccoli florets, about 2 medium stalks
4 c small cauliflower florets, about 2 medium heads
1 c red onion, diced
1 c dried cranberries
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and roughly chopped, or 1 c bacon bits
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c + 2 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 c + 2 T granulated sugar

In a large bowl, layer all solid ingredients in the order listed. In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise,vinegar, and sugar. Place both bowls in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, drizzle dressing over the layered ingredients and mix thoroughly. Salad is best immediately served, but makes excellent leftovers for several days.

Let’s take a minute to talk about real life.

Some days, there is time to make fresh pasta. Fancy desserts. Elaborate multi-course meals.

Most days though, it’s all I can do to get out the door in the morning toting a breakfast and lunch, and on show days, dinner, so that I can avoid the oh-so-tempting bounties of college food available at work. Especially in January, when fresh food is somewhat difficult to come by and most of my cravings are for something warm and filling.

But I’ve found an answer. An answer to the winter blues, the I-don’t-feel-like-cooking doldrums, and the whoa-we-have-so-much-leftover-turkey-from-the-holidays reality in my freezer.

Sierra’s turkey salad.

I know I’m probably way late catching this train. I’ve never really been a fan of chicken salads and won’t come within ten feet of tuna salads, so I suppose I thought turkey salad would be equally unpleasant. I. Was. Wrong.

Accompanied by fresh apples, dried cranberries and golden raisins, and some roughly chopped pecans, this may now be my new favorite way to eat turkey. It comes together quickly, tastes amazing, and is filling in even small quantities.

And you can mix it up, too. I think Sierra used almonds in hers. I tried my first batch with chopped celery, but raw celery is quite hated for someone else in this apartment, so I’ll leave it out from now on. You could probably also spice it up with some cayenne if you favor a zingy salad. Your food, your call.

And look how pretty! This is how turkey salad looks when it gets dressed up to go to a party. Complete with paparazzi, apparently.

Luckily for me, it looks pretty good in work clothes, too!

I’m always on the hunt for seasonal but delicious recipes to make during the winter. This year, I’m looking to you for ideas! As incentive, I’m sending half a dozen Hot Chocolate Sticks to one random person who contributes an idea to my winter recipe catalog. You get sticks, I get recipes, it’s a great deal.

How to Enter to Win Hot Chocolate Sticks CLOSED

1. Leave a comment on this post describing one of your favorite winter recipes.
OR
2. Like 30 Pounds of Apples on Facebook (early adopters, you’ll have to leave a comment to throw your hat in the game!)

Enter by Sunday night at 11:59pm… winner will be announced Monday (someone’s case of the Mondays fly right out the door.)

Good luck!

Sierra’s Turkey Salad
Adapted from Sierra. And Captain Obvious.

Makes 4-5 cups

2 c cooked turkey, torn or cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 medium apple, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/3 c golden raisins
1/3 c chopped pecans
1/2 c scant mayonnaise
1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Adjust seasoning as desired. Serve with wheat crackers or bread. Take it to work for lunch and everyone else will be jealous.

Mmmmm spring. The time when my cravings for cool, green salads kicks into full gear. Lucky for me, the tables at the farmer’s market are bowing under the weight of every kind of lettuce, cabbage, chard, and shoot I could possibly want. In fact, here, we are lucky to have two major growing seasons for leafy greens, as well as a fair amount all winter. It’s fabulous.

Bok choy is actually a pretty new leafy green for me, introduced to me in this recipe from Brad’s mother on their visit last fall. For some reason, I’ve made it with lasagne both times we’ve had it. It makes a great side for pasta.

Sidebar: if you don’t already know who Brad is, I should probably bring you in the loop since he’ll probably be mentioned a lot here. I really hate the word “boyfriend” (for some reason I always think of giggling tweens when I say it) but it’s a challenge to find an accurate word for what he is to me. Domestic partner Significant other Un-wed spouse Romantic roommate Best best friend Anyway, you get the point.

I digress. The bok choy.

Ah, yes. These leaves could seriously be ambassadors of all things leafy. Represent, Leafy Goodness.

If you are having trouble finding it, bok choy apparently dons several alternate spellings: pak choi, bok choi, pak choy, and chinese cabbage. Both the leaves and the stalks offer a fresh crunch. Add to that the sauté of almonds, ramen noodles, and sesame seeds, and you’re in for a lot of texture. Mysteriously, this salad still remains relatively crunchy as next-day leftovers, a definite plus.

This salad is basically constructed in three parts: dressing, greens & scallions, crunchy starchy business, and dressing. I recommend preparing them in that order so your dressing has time to cool before you toss everything together.

Go on, try it! You’ll be glad you did.

Crunchy Bok Choy Salad
Adapted from Mindy T.

Dressing
3 T soy sauce
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/2 c oil

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat and place in refrigerator to cool.

Greens
1-2 heads bok choy, roughly chopped
4-5 full scallion stalks, chopped

Separate bok choy stalks and wash. Chop into bite-size pieces. Repeat with the scallions. Drain in a colander and spin or towel off extra water. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Crunchiness
1-2 T oil (for sauté)
2 packages ramen noodles, broken up (Do NOT use the seasoning. Unless you want salad that tastes that chicken soup. Bad news.)
1/2 c sliced almonds
1 oz sesame seeds
1/2 T garlic powder

Heat oil in a fry pan or sauté pan. Combine ingredients in pan and stir occasionally. Cook until noodles and almonds begin to brown. Remove from heat to a room temperature bowl to prevent burning.

Combine dressing, greens, and crunchiness right before you are ready to serve.