Cucumber Salad

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Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad Triptich

It's hard to believe that in less than a week I leave for Alaska. A few months ago, I was approached by the Copper River salmon fishery to join them on a trip to Cordova, Alaska. The idea of being on a boat with fishermen, to watch them catch salmon and then eat it fresh... well, there's nothing that could bring me more joy.  I envision myself on the deck of this vessel, hands open, awaiting a slice of sashimi. Ok, maybe I'm getting carried away. It most likely won't go exactly as I imagine (a boy can dream, though, right?), but I'm fairly certain that I'll eat the freshest fish I've ever consumed.

I'm also thrilled to be away from the 90+ degree weather we've had here. I swore I wouldn't complain about the heat, but, what can I say, this is what us Bostonians do. We can't help but talk about the temperature, except between April and May (when we whine about the rain) and September and October. Right now it looks to be in the 60s while I'm in Cordova. Which sounds perfect to me!

I refuse to turn on the oven when it's above 80 degrees and, therefore, we've been eating a lot of salads. Not lettuce-laden salads, but hearty salads loaded with grilled fish and hard-boiled eggs and cheese.  This pickled cucumber salad often makes its way onto the plate. It does the trick in cooling things down: the combination of thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh herbs and vinegar helps cut the heat and humidity in just a few bites.

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Cucumber Salad

Servings 8-10 servings as a side

Ingredients

4 cucumbers, slightly peeled, leaving a little green for color 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped 1 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp salt Black pepper 1 tbsp fresh or dried dill

Directions

1. Thinly slice the cucumbers using a mandolin, grater or with a food processor.  Put the sliced cucumber in a bowl and pour white vinegar over them.  Sprinkle in the sugar, salt, some black pepper, dill, and mint.

2. Stir together and let sit for about 2 hours before using.  Great alone, or can be served on top of a green salad.

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View the full recap and get recipes over at Boston.com Thanks to the team for a great shoot! Styling and Food Recipes: DomestiKatedLife Wine And Event Space: The Urban Grape Shoot Coordination: All Heart PR Floral Arrangements: Boston Pollen Vintage Glassware: Farm & Fable

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

One of the major differences between our old place and the new house is that we no longer have central A/C. So far, we've done pretty well... making sure to open all the windows at the end of the day as the temp cools and then closing them first thing in the morning. At this point, we do our best to avoid cooking indoors. It's hard to fathom turning on the oven when you're already sweating buckets.

Eric is usually the grill-master in our house, but once in a while, usually when I have a project that necessitates it, I'll get the thing going. Earlier this year, I was contacted by Frontier Natural Products Co-op to do some recipe development and photography for their "Grill the Goodness" campaign featuring their line of organic seafood seasonings. Since we're fully into grilling season, I hope you all enjoy these recipes. I'm fond of all of them, but these scallops, paired with a bright citrus, grilled romaine and avocado salad, is something I could eat every day and never get tired of it.

Once you make this, be sure to check out the other two recipes, Ginger and Honey Glazed Salmon and Grilled Blackened Shrimp, over at the Frontier website.

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the grilled scallops

20-25 large sea scallops (approximately 3 lbs) 2 tablespoons Frontier Co-op’s Blackened Seafood Seasoning 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the grilled romaine salad

2 hearts of romaine, washed and dried 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the dressing 1 orange, segmented 1 grapefruit, segmented 1 avocado, pit removed and sliced Juice of a lime 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced 1 teaspoon Kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1.Heat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Pat scallops dry and toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Coat with Blackened Seafood Seasoning.

3. In a bowl, whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, the red wine vinegar, dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

4. Cut the romaine hearts in half lengthwise and brush with vinaigrette.

5. Grill the romaine, cut side down, for two minutes, until it starts to brown. Flip and cook for another minute or two to get some color on it. Transfer to a plate.

6. Grill scallops for 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the scallops and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops. Set them aside on a plate. Cooking scallops for a few minutes at high heat results in a seared outside and a soft, rare inside.

7. In a bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, cilantro, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper until combined.

8. To make the salad, plate each romaine wedge and top with citrus segments and sliced avocado. Drizzle dressing over salad.

9. Add 5 scallops to each plate next to the salad and serve.