A Surplus of Salads and One Great Pasta

A sampling of our weekly Sunday produce collection.

A gorgeous morning on the last day of August.

To be frank, it felt like this summer went by in a blink (while wearing a mask). It was June and joyful, then July was sweet (our anniversary) and sweltering, and then it was August. We spent lots of time outside, enjoyed a lot of summer seafood, had fun on my birthday, and then all of a sudden, it was over. I blinked and it’s now September.

Obviously, summer weather isn’t totally gone yet, but the general “summer slow-down” is shifting further and further away. On the bright side, because there always is one, we ate very well during those last days of August! Salads dominated the dinner table as we “cooked” with the season and made sure to have as much produce as possible. Additionally, we re-discovered the yum that is baked zucchini sticks and found a recipe that really toasted summer in the most wonderful, delicious way.

The meals you will find below are all excellent options any time of year, but they really highlight late-summer particularly well because of the fresh, local produce. Feel free to mix-and-match salad ingredients, proteins, and dressings for what you have available. Salads are supposed to be easy dinners - don’t stress out over salad. It’s not worth it. ;)

As always, all of our dinners are gluten free and recipes are noted when available. Please leave a comment if you have any questions. We’d love to hear from you.

Chicken Shawarma Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

Recipe for Chicken Shawarma is from the cookbook Cook90 by David Tamarkin. We adapted the recipe to be made as a salad (rather than a filling for a pita sandwich).

Fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta provide the pops of flavor in this delicious dish. Not to mention the baked chicken, covered in shawarma spices, that adds plenty of protein and flavor power as well.

This dish is light, but filling, and has a summery, mediterranean vibe that I welcome all year long. In fact, I would happily have this salad in the winter to offer a glimpse at the joyful season ahead. Next time, I think we’ll add olives!

Corn and Chickpea Bowl with Miso-Jalapeno Tahini

Recipe is from Bon Appetit. Find it right here. It’s naturally gluten free!

If you look closely, you’ll realize that this bowl is essentially a salad covered in lots of corn and chickpeas. Nothing wrong with that! We added fresh tomatoes for a pop of color because yellow and green aren’t always the most vibrant duo.

I loved this dinner because it was healthy and filling, but also super flavorful thanks to the awesome tahini dressing. It was slightly spicy, slightly salty, and the best compliment to the bowl of greens, chickpeas, and corn. Oh yeah, do not forget that feta! It’s creamy texture (and saltiness) really made this dish come to life. This was very much a #meatlessmeal (salad) I’d make again and again.

Crispy Chicken Salad with Creamy Peanut Dressing

This is an original dish, but we used a creamy peanut dressing recipe from The Lemon Bowl and doubled it. Trust me - double it!

Out of all the salads we make around here, I find this one to always be the most satisfying, delicious, and smile-inducing. Am I talking about a salad making me smile? Yes. Because a salad can be boring. But a salad topped with crispy, panko-crusted chicken, avocado, and a divine peanut dressing is a star.

We could’ve grilled the chicken, of course, but having pieces of crispy chicken amidst a healthy bowl of greens and veggies is just way more fun. The cucumbers added an extra crunchy element and the tomatoes were a must. Every meal right now includes tomatoes because it’s the end of August. #tomatoseason.

For a salad that packs a punch, and will hopefully make you smile, make this one. I cannot wait to have it again! Be sure to use gluten free panko for the chicken and feel free to use a different dressing if peanuts cause problems.

Baked Zucchini Sticks with a Veggie Medley

Recipe for the zucchini sticks can be found here. Note: we used GF Italian breadcrumbs instead of the various spices listed.

For when you have run out of salad greens, but are still well-stocked with vegetables, make a meal like this one. We went meatless again, twice in one week(!), and made these crunchy, baked zucchini sticks as the “main” element of our dinner. You could also think of this plate as “dinner snacks” since the total dish is basically an appetizer and side dish. Fun!

The zucchini sticks (be sure to make a dipping sauce) were clearly not a full dinner so we added a side of summer veggies (corn and squash), with chickpeas thrown in for protein. It was really good and an easy way to make a fuller meal out of fairly minimal ingredients. Seth added the sliced tomatoes for their vibrant color and because, again, it’s the tail-end of tomato season and we just have so many! Plus, they were delicious. :)

Ziti with Sausage, Sweet Corn, Broccoli, and Tomatoes

Recipe by Jacques Pepin and can be found in the NY Times Cooking App.

For all of you summer-pasta-loving folks, this dinner is for you. Here is a delicious dinner that showcases summer’s best and then adds pasta and sausage to make a truly incredible meal. Plus, it’s pretty quick to prepare! This is a winning dinner that everyone will enjoy - just be sure to use gluten free pasta. ;)

We opted to make this dish with Jovial Foods grain-free cassava flour elbow pasta and it was excellent. This is a new product, which I think is a great alternative to their other gluten free brown rice pasta. Now, if you want to (or need to) eat grain free, you can easily do so! I did not notice any difference in flavor or texture; I’m a fan!

Even with only eight ounces of pasta, this dinner could have easily served six people - or more! It’s a summer-bounty-filled dinner that’s exploding with flavor and exceptional ingredients. I suppose it’s possible to make it any time of year (thank you frozen corn), but honestly? I think it shines brightest right now when the produce is perfection and the tomatoes are superb.

Let’s be real: we will make this again. I won’t care if we use frozen corn in December and non-local tomatoes. It’s just that good. ;)

Grilled Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

Original dish - find the Caesar dressing recipe right here.

There’s never a bad time to have a Caesar salad with chicken for dinner. It’s delicious every single time! Maybe I’m biased because I really love Caesar salad, but like, where’s the non-awesome part? Our version this time around included grilled cajun chicken (just add cajun spices to the chicken before grilling), fresh tomatoes (of course), and gluten free croutons (AKA Aleia’s plain stuffing mix).

Caesar salads are salty, crunchy, satisfying, and pretty much my go-to salad when I want to fill my plate with greens (but not miss out on a seriously delicious meal). I know we’ve shared many salads, but this one will always be near the top of my favorite-greens-list. And if you’re not a fan of the forever-classic Caesar, then why not try one of the other salads I’ve shared? I’m sure you will find one to love and make often - no matter the season!

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Enjoy!

Mollie and Seth

We visited Rockport a few weeks ago for about two minutes - long enough for a quick photo!