Favorite August Recipes

As a gardener, August is one of my favorite times of year. All of the hard work and nurturing of the last 4 months is finally (if we’re lucky) starting to produce its bounty. I have been tailoring my weekly meal planning around what’s popping up fresh at home, and at the farmers market.

With limited full sun exposure space in my yard, I decided to try fabric grow pots this year, in hopes of avoiding some of the pesky insects that come with in ground planting, as well as the option to have moveable pots to maximize sunlight. The veggies that I planted in the fabric pots this year were tomatoes (3 varieties), pickling cucumbers, peppers (3 varieties), eggplant, squash (2 varieties) and swiss chard. I also love to grow culinary herbs like basil, chives, dill, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cilantro and parsley.

My two recipes to share this month are a Mediterranean Hearts of Palm “Pasta” Salad, and a super fresh Zesty Shrimp Ceviche.

Image: traderjoes.com

Mediterranean Hearts of Palm “Pasta” Salad with Tofu | Gluten Free & Vegan

One of my favorite summer sides has always been a cold pasta salad, packed with fresh garden veggies and herbs. Since becoming gluten free, that has provided a little bit of a challenge. Gluten free pasta can be a little less forgiving when chilled, often falls apart, and doesn’t always absorb the flavors of the dish. Since I discovered Hearts of Palm pasta, I have been obsessed. I love the texture - it holds up and remains consistent as leftovers. It takes on whatever taste you marinade it with, which is a huge win. AND — it doesn’t require cooking! Adding the marinaded tofu provided some extra protein, and was a large enough batch to have for multiple lunches that week.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Marinated Tofu & Dressing:

• 8 oz firm tofu, cut into 1/2″ cubes (I used Trader Joes Organic Sprouted Tofu, Extra Firm)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (French dijon is my personal favorite!)

• Juice of 1 medium lemon (approx 1/4 cup)

• 1-2 cloves of garden or farmers market garlic, finely minced

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

For the Pasta Salad:

• 9 oz linguini shaped Hearts of Palm Pasta (I used Trader Joes Hearts of Palm Pasta)
  This DOES NOT need to be cooked, it’s ready to serve

• 2 oz marinaded artichoke hearts, quartered

• 1 cup cucumbers, peeled and sliced

• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

• 1/3 cup sliced kalamata olives

• 1/3 cup roasted red peppers, thinly sliced or diced. I like to blister whole peppers in a cast iron pan, or on the grill before deseeding and slicing. The char adds and extra layer of flavor.

• 1/2 cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped. I used basil, oregano, thyme and chives

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prep the Tofu: add the oil, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl and whisk well. Transfer the tofu to the bowl and use a spatula to gently fold the tofu into the marinade, until every piece is coated. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or transfer to a sealable container and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours for a more pronounced flavor.

2. Prep the Salad: Add the pasta, vegetables and herbs to a large mixing bowl along with the tofu and marinade (this is the dressing). Fold everything together until the dressing is evenly distributed. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

3. Serve: Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to combine.
   
   

Zesty Shrimp Ceviche | Gluten Free

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound raw medium-large shrimp (fresh is best, but frozen and thawed works too)

• 1 shallot, finely minced

• 1 ½ teaspoon course kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• ¾ cup fresh lime juice (4–6 limes) freshly squeezed

• 1–2 garden or farmers market garlic cloves very finely minced

• 1 medium to hot pepper seeded. Start conservatively, more to taste.
  I like to blister a jalapeño or a few shishito peppers in a cast iron pan or on the grill before deseeding & choping, the char adds and extra layer of flavor

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup diced tomatoes

• 1 cup cucumbers, peeled and diced

• 1 teaspoon smoked cumin

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1-2 ripe Avocado, diced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a glass bowl toss the onion, salt and the lime juice.

2. Remove the shells and tails from the shrimp. I like to chop each shrimp into about 3 pieces, for easier bites.

3. Add the shrimp, garlic, cilantro and peppers, gently mix. Be sure that the fish is submerged in the lime juice.

4. Cover and refrigerated for a minimum of 60 minutes, up to 12 is ideal. The longer you marinate the fish, the more “cooked” it becomes.

5. Gently combine in the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, cumin and olive oil. Refrigerator for another 30-60 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust the salt and heat, as needed.

6. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips (I love Scoops - tasty and functional).