tomato, cucumber and radish salad / insalata di pomodori, cetrioli e ravanelli

July 7, 2019 | Simona

tomato, cucumber ad radish salad / IMG_1977

light, refreshing, colorful, flavorful: perfect!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Three months ago, I listened to an interview¹ with science writer Christie Aschwanden², author of the book Good To Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery³. I was so intrigued by what I heard that I purchased the book and learned a lot by reading it. While I am not a competitive athlete, I exercise regularly and a year and a half ago I started running regularly. Regardless of how far you push yourself, recovery is a fundamental component of physical activity.

Aschwanden's writing kept my attention throughout the whole book as I followed description of her experiences, interviews with experts and athletes, and the summary of her extensive research. If you want a taste of what the book is about, besides listening to the interview, you can read a five-point summary⁴. Aschwanden supports some things I have done for a long time, like not skipping sleep and drinking when I am thirsty. I do my best to listen to my body, because our body is really good at adapting to challenges and also at signaling when adjustments are needed. This active listening is often hard for us to do, pushed as we are by fads and unscientific claims.

cherry tomatoes means summer is here!
(bottom row: red and yellow tiger stripe)

Just as I was reading the book, summer arrived and with it produce I like, including tomatoes, corn, melons (meloni), green beans⁵. Running in warmer temperatures means sweating more and with it comes the desire to eat water-rich vegetables, like tomatoes and cucumbers. When I was a child, we would spend the day at the beach (if on vacation) or at the swimming pool (if in Perugia): in either case, it was nice to come home to a big salad made with pomodori da insalata (salad tomatoes, slicing tomatoes harvested while still a bit green) and slicing cucumbers, the kind with dark green skin. I now favor cherry tomatoes for salads and the array of cucumbers available is quite rich, including lemon, Boothby's blond, Japanese, to name just a few.

Armenian cucumbers

I am currently fascinated by the pale green, deeply ribbed, long Armenian cucumbers (cetrioli armeni), whose flesh is mild- and sweet-tasting. Genetically they are a musk melon (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus), rather than a cucumber (Cucumis sativus). The addition of peppery radishes creates a pleasant contrast of flavors, accented by fresh basil (basilico), indispensable companion.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Tomato, cucumber and radish salad

Ingredients:

12 ounces / 340 g cherry tomatoes (in the photo are red and yellow tiger stripe), preferably organic
10 ounces / 280 g Armenian cucumbers OR cucumbers of another slicing variety, preferably organic
4 ounces / 112 g radishes, preferably organic
1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
6-8 fresh basil leaves, shredded

Prepare the salad shortly before serving it.

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and, if they are long, cut each half in half or into thirds crosswise. Place in a salad bowl.

Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise and slice them into the salad bowl.

Grate the radishes using the extra-coarse side of your grater and add to the salad bowl.

Put the vinegar, olive oil and sea salt into a small glass jar. Screw on the lid and shake well. Distribute on the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle the basil, then toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, then serve.

Serves 4-5

tomato, cucumber ad radish salad / P1040021

this salad makes it easy to eat your daily quota of vegetables
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Light, refreshing, colorful and flavorful: this salad is perfect for lunch and dinner. Your body will thank you.

¹ Recording of the interview (on the same page you can access an excerpt of the book)
² The author's website
³ The book's website
⁴ The Greatest Tool for Recovery Might Be Common Sense (from Outside magazine)
⁵ See my previous post with a recipe for Green bean and torpedo onion salad

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di pomodori, cetrioli e ravanelli

or launch the insalata di pomodori, cetrioli e ravanelli audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

This is my second contribution to the 36th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started 11 years ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

I am contributing my salad also to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

tomatoes, Armenian cucumbers, cucumbers, radished, salad, Italian food

recipe: tomato, cucumber and radish salad

July 6, 2019 | Simona

Tomato, cucumber and radish salad

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: N/A

Keywords: salad side gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian tomatoes cucumbers radishes Italian summer

Ingredients (4-5)

12 ounces / 340 g cherry tomatoes (in the photo are red and yellow tiger stripe), preferably organic
10 ounces / 280 g Armenian cucumbers OR cucumbers of another slicing variety, preferably organic
4 ounces / 112 g radishes, preferably organic
1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
6-8 fresh basil leaves, shredded

Instructions

Prepare the salad shortly before serving it.

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and, if they are long, cut each half in half or into thirds crosswise. Place in a salad bowl.

Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise and slice them into the salad bowl.

Grate the radishes using the extra-coarse side of your grater and add to the salad bowl.

Go to the full post on Tomato, cucumber and radish salad

recipe: corn salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado and lemon cucumber (insalata di mais)

May 3, 2014 | Simona

Corn salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado and lemon cucumber

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords:roast salad tomatoes corn avocado cucumber

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a side dish)

2 nice, fresh ears of corn, still wrapped in their husks (if they aren’t, wrap them in foil before roasting them) and with their silks attached
2 dozens cherry tomatoes(when I use bigger tomatoes, like Blush, I decrease this quantity)
1 ripe avocado
1 lemon cucumber
Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper, to taste
Chive blossom vinegar or sherry vinegar
A few fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Instructions

Roast corn in the oven at 450 F for 20 minutes (on a baking sheet). Let cool briefly, then remove the husks. Working on a shallow bowl or pyrex dish, use a knife to separate kernels and scrapings from the cob. (Save the empty cobs to make stock or broth.)

Cut cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. If they are long, like the Blush, cut them crosswise into two or three pieces, depending on their size. Peel and dice lemon cucumber. Cut avocado into half, remove pit and dice pulp. Put all the ingredients in a bowl, add some vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently. Sprinkle basil on the salad and toss again. Serve and enjoy.

Go to the full post on insalata di mais con pomodori ciliegia, avocado e cetriolo limone / corn salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado and lemon cucumber

torta salata con pomodori ciliegia e formaggio / savory tart with cherry tomatoes and cheese

August 9, 2012 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

take some sun-ripened cherry tomatoes

Consumption of tomatoes in our household is intense this time of the year. We receive a basket of cherry tomatoes every week in our CSA box, plus some larger tomatoes, and I supplement that allowance with purchases at the farmers' market. I like the baskets of mixed varieties, which allow a taste comparison. For this tart, which I have made four times in the last three weeks, I have used mostly Blush tomatoes.

and some homemade Colby

Colby, which I have made twice in recent months, using Jim Wallace's recipe, melts nicely and it is therefore perfect for the tart. It is also nice to eat as is. The version shown above includes cacao nibs, my personal touch, previously added to other cheeses (like Bel Paese).

The base for the tart is the "alternative" puff pastry (pasta sfoglia "alternativa") presented in an earlier post. As in the case of the savory tart with ricotta and baby leafy greens, more than a recipe, this is a suggestion: the puff pastry is a canvas on which you can try a combination of ingredients. And of course, the given quantities can be adjusted to fill a bigger tart.

and make a nice savory tart

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Savory tart with cherry tomatoes and cheese

Ingredients:

165 g / 5 3/4 oz. (half a batch) of "alternative" puff pastry (or equivalent amount of regular puff pastry)
Semi-hard cheese of choice that melts well: I used my homemade Colby
Cherry tomatoes (in the rendition above, I used the Blush variety)
A few leaves of fresh basil (basilico), chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Roll out the pastry until fairly thin, then place it on the lined baking sheet. I like to make a rectangular tart. Prick the shell with a fork in several places. Cut a wedge of the cheese and then slice it fairly thin. Distribute pieces of cheese over rolled pastry, leaving a border all around (about 1/2 inch) and also leaving a bit of space in between, where you can place the tomatoes. Keep in mind that in melting, the cheese takes up a bit more surface space.

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and distribute on the pastry, in between pieces of cheese. Sprinkle basil slivers over the tomatoes. I never weighed the cheese or the tomatoes, relying on my sense of balance to adjust the quantities: you want to be able to taste all the ingredients.

Pinch the pastry all around to raise it slightly and fold to make a kind of border. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the visible crust is light golden, about 25 minutes. As usual, the time varies with the oven. Check the tart after 20 minutes and estimate the time remaining.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven, let rest briefly, then cut the tart, serve and enjoy.

This is not something you want to make every day, since puff pastry is rich in butter. Cut into smaller pieces, the tart makes a nice appetizer (antipasto). And you can boast about having made the puff pastry yourself.

¹ In Italy, cherry tomatoes are also referred to as pomodorini ciliegia and pomodori ciliegini.

This is my contribution to edition #346 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

torta salata con pomodori ciliegia e formaggio

or launch the torta salata con pomodori ciliegia e formaggio audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

[jump to Comments]

puff pastry, cheese, savory tart, cherry tomato

torta salata con pomodori ciliegia e formaggio

pomodori ciliegia maturi

Il consumo di pomodori a casa nostra in questo periodo dell'anno è notevole. Riceviamo un cestino di pomodori ciliegia ogni settimana nella cassettina insieme ad alcuni pomodori da insalata o da sugo, e ne compro sempre un po' al farmers' market. Mi piacciono i cestini misti, perché uno può fare il confronto tra diverse varietà. Per questa torta salata, che ho già fatto quattro volte nel giro di poco tempo, ho usato soprattutto i pomodorini di varietà Blush (blush in inglese è il rossore sul volto di una persona).

e del formaggio Colby fatto in casa

Il formaggio Colby, che ho fatto due volte negli ultimi mesi seguendo la ricetta di Jim Wallace, fonde bene ed è perciò perfetto per questa torta salata. Questo formaggio originale americano è anche ottimo da gustare al naturale. La versione che si vede nella foto include granella di cacao, un tocco personale che ho aggiunto anche ad altri formaggi (per esempio, Bel Paese).

La base per la torta salata è fatta con la pasta sfoglia "alternativa" della quale ho parlato in un post di qualche tempo fa. Come nel caso della torta salata con ricotta e verdure novelle, più che una ricetta, questo è un suggerimento: la pasta sfoglia è una tela sulla quale potete provare a combinare degli ingredienti che vi ispirano. E naturalmente, le dosi possono essere adattate a preparare una torta più grande.

per fare un'ottima torta salata

Ingredienti:

165 g pasta sfoglia "alternativa" (metà di quella che ottenete seguendo le dosi della ricetta), oppure la stessa quantità di pasta sfoglia tradizionale
formaggio semi-duro che fonde bene: io ho usato il mio Colby fatto in casa
pomodori ciliegia (nella torta della foto ho usato pomodorini di varietà Blush)
alcune foglie di basilico fresco, spezzettate

Scaldare il forno a 190 C e foderare una lastra da forno con tappetino di silicone per forno o carta da forno. Stendere la pasta sfoglia fina e poi muoverla sulla lastra foderata. Bucherellare la superficie con una forchetta in diversi punti. Tagliare il formaggio a fettine piuttosto fine e poi a pezzi. Distribuire sulla pasta sfoglia lasciando tutto intorno un bordo di circa 1,25 cm e anche un po' di spazio tra un pezzetto e l'altro (tenere presente che fondendo il formaggio si espande).

Tagliare i pomodori a metà per lungo e distribuirli sulla superficie, appoggiandoli tra un pezzetto di formaggio e l'altro. Distribuire il basilico sui pomodori. Non ho mai pesato il formaggio o i pomodori, basandomi sul mio senso dell'equilibrio per le quantità: l'idea è di poter distinguere il sapore dei vari ingredienti.

Pizzicare la pasta sfoglia tutto intorno per sollevare leggermente il bordo, poi ripiegarlo su se stesso. Infornare e cuocere fino a quando la crosta è dorata, 25 minuti circa. Come si sa, ogni forno è un po' diverso e quindi è bene controllare la torta dopo 20 minuti e valutare quanto tempo manca.

Tirare fuori la teglia dal forno, far riposare brevemente la torta e poi tagliare e servire. Questo non è un piatto da fare tutti i giorni, dal momento che la pasta sfoglia è ricca di burro. Tagliata a quadrotti, questa torta salata può essere servita come antipasto.

Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 346 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Kris di Tutto a occhio.

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.

recipe: roasted corn salad with hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes and lemon cucumber (insalata di mais arrosto con cuori di palma, pomodori ciliegia e cetriolo limone)

August 18, 2011 | Simona

Roasted corn salad with hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes and lemon cucumber

by Simona Carini

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn, still wrapped in their husks (if they aren’t, wrap them in foil before roasting them) and with their silks attached
2 hearts of palm (I used canned)
2 dozens cherry tomatoes (I used Sun Gold) [variation I: 8 yellow Blush tomatoes]
1 lemon cucumber
sea salt and freshly milled black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons drained yogurt (see Note below)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
fresh dill [variation I: shiso (perilla) Britton chiffonade], to taste (use tender leaves at the top of a branch)

Note: I used non-fat yogurt, but you can also use low-fat and full-fat plain yogurt. Line a small colander with a piece of cotton cloth and spoon some yogurt of choice in it. Place colander on a bowl to catch the whey. Let drain in the fridge overnight, then store in a container. Use as base for spread or dressing.

Roast corn in the oven at 450 F for 20 minutes. Let cool briefly, then remove the husks. Working on a shallow bowl or pyrex dish, use a knife to separate kernels and scrapings from the cob. This page from bon appetít describes precisely the way I do this with the knife. (Save the empty cobs to make stock or broth.) Rinse hearts of palm and slice crosswise. Cut cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. [variation I: Cut each Blush tomato in half lengthwise and then cut each half into three pieces crosswise.] Peel and dice lemon cucumber. Put all the ingredients in a bowl, add salt and pepper and toss gently.

In a ramekin, mix together drained yogurt and Dijon mustard, then spoon on the salad. Snip dill on the surface of the salad and toss well. [variation I: Sprinkle shiso on the salad and toss well.] Refrigerate until shortly before serving. I don’t like fridge-cold salads, so I always let them reach a mellower temperature before enjoying them.

Back to the post on insalata di mais arrosto

or Back to the post on prima variazione sul tema insalata di mais arrosto / first variation on a theme of roasted corn salad

recipe: Caprese salad with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and ciliegine (insalata caprese con pomodori ciliegia arrosto e ciliegie di mozzarella)

May 11, 2011 | Simona

Caprese salad with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and ciliegine

by Simona Carini

Ingredients:

cherry tomatoes
olive oil
sea salt, to taste
fresh basil leaves
mozzarella ciliegine (bite-sized mozzarella)

Heat the oven to 350 F. After removing the stem (if present), cut each tomato in half lengthwise and place in a bowl. Toss the tomato halves lightly with a bit of salt and of olive oil and some slivered basil leaves. (I like my tomatoes without salt, but I don’t expect people to agree with me.) Arrange the tomato halves in one layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and bake them for 45 minutes. (Check after 40 minutes.)

A few minutes before the oven timer is set to beep, cut in half some bite-sized mozzarella and put them in one layer on small plates (I actually like to use bowls). Take the baking sheet out of the oven and delicately spoon the tomatoes over the mozzarella. Optionally add a touch of olive oil and/or a bit of slivered basil. Serve immediately.

I have omitted quantities in the description of the recipe, because those can be varied according to your taste and the number of people sharing the dish. I serve it as part of a multi-course dinner, and for the two of us, I roast a pint of tomatoes and allocate about 10 ciliegine per portion. I also go lightly with basil, based on my personal preference regarding the balance of flavors. You can adjust each element according to your taste. Also, in the absence of bite-sized mozzarella, you can use sliced mozzarella balls.

Back to the post on insalata caprese con pomodori ciliegia arrosto e ciliegie di mozzarella / Caprese salad with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and ciliegine

crema (da spalmare) di fagioli, cipolle e pomodori ciliegia¹ / bean, onion and cherry tomato spread

August 27, 2010 | Simona

This is another example of serendipity (serendipità) at work in the kitchen.

A little while ago, I cooked some beans (half a cup of dry beans) with the idea of puréeing them with leftover roasted onions. I did, and the result needed some punch.

I had previously roasted a pint of cherry tomatoes and used most, but not all, to dress a batch of gnocchi di ricotta (I always halve the original recipe, which comes from “The Zuni Cafe Cookbook” by Judy Rodgers and always use my homemade ricotta). I added the leftover tomatoes to the food processor where the bean and onion purée was, together with a few additional leaves of basil, and the result of a few seconds of whizzing was amazing. We enjoyed it on bread and on crackers (both homemade).

Here is the recipe:

half a cup of dry beans (canario or cannellini), soaked overnight and then cooked as described in this post
half a cup of roasted onions with [balsamic] vinegar and rosemary (recipe from “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” by Deborah Madison)
half a cup of roasted cherry tomatoes with basil (recipe below).

Process beans and onions until fairly smooth, then add the tomatoes and process briefly. Taste the spread and adjust salt, freshly ground pepper and fresh basil (basilico) before refrigerating. Take out of the fridge half an hour before serving.

I oven-roast halved cherry tomatoes at 350 F for 45 minutes (check them after 40 minutes). Before roasting them, I toss them lightly with a bit of olive oil and some slivered fresh basil. I don't use salt, due to an old personal preference. I then arrange them in one layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and place in the oven. When done, I spoon them onto or into their final destination.

I made the spread several times as described above, then tried an alternative for when I don't have leftover roasted onions with [balsamic] vinegar and rosemary. Warm up some olive oil in a small frying pan and add 3/4 cup chopped onion plus the leaves of a few sprigs of thyme. Cook until soft and add to the cooked beans, then proceed with the recipe as described above. The flavor of the resulting spread is different from the version described before, but still very good (at least that is what I think).

¹ In Italy, cherry tomatoes are also referred to as pomodorini ciliegia and pomodori ciliegini.

This is my submission for My Legume Love Affair #26, the current edition of the popular, legume-centered event created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, which I have the honor of hosting.

In this post you will find the links to the two parts of the roundup.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

crema (da spalmare) di fagioli, cipolle e pomodori ciliegia

or launch the crema (da spalmare) di fagioli, cipolle e pomodori ciliegia audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]