Local Summer Salads
Want to eat local through the steamy summer months? You’ll need to rethink your salad.
Medium
45 MIN
Use Okinawa spinach during the hot summer months when other greens are not found at local markets.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 2
For the Okinawa spinach pesto
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 cups Okinawa spinach, washed and dried thoroughly
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the grilled eggplant-corn salad
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices bread or 2 pieces focaccia, split
Instructions
To make pesto:
1. Toast walnuts in dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a food processor, pulse Okinawa spinach, toasted walnuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic until finely chopped.
3. While food processor is running, slowly stream in olive oil until the pesto is a smooth consistency. To finish, season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make grilled eggplant-corn salad:
4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush sliced eggplant rounds with olive oil over rounds and season with salt and pepper.
5. Grill eggplant around 4-5 minutes per side until tender and slightly charred. Grill corn on the cob, husk fully removed, until charred light brown, about 5-7 minutes. Cool grilled vegetables about 10 minutes.
6. Chop eggplant into bite-size pieces. Remove corn kernels from cob.
7. Place vegetables in large bowl and combine with goat cheese, parsley, basil and pepper.
To assemble:
8. Layer Okinawa spinach pesto on bottom slice of bread or focaccia. Add a half of cup of grilled eggplant summer corn salad on pesto and top with another slice of bread or focaccia.
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