Spotlight summer’s flavors

When you get to market, start your menu planning by taking stock of what is available. Then, think about your favorite backyard foods like coleslaw, potato salad, bean salad and apple pie, and consider new ways to make them fresher, healthier and tastier.

When is coleslaw more than coleslaw? When it starts with a cabbage grown in the cool East Mountains of Albuquerque or the high valleys of the north. Add cilantro and ginger to enhance the crisp flavor.

What about a twist on a standard potato salad? Using New Mexico’s early potatoes, along with other fresh ingredients like summer squash, corn and cherry tomatoes, you will ensure that vegetables are front and center on your table.

Or, enjoy July’s rainbow of red-purple-yellow fingerling potatoes that have skin so thin they don’t need to be peeled. Add fresh herbs and a little butter, and you might find yourself dreaming about these pillows of comfort.

Look for green and purple beans, Chinese long beans and more. Make a fresh bean salad to knock the socks off your neighbors at the block party, or steam them for yourself and add goat cheese, almonds and sun-dried tomatoes for a special treat.

About tomatoes

What party is complete without dessert? Some people celebrate the tartness of early season apples by merely salting and eating fresh slices, but apple pies and applesauce are always applauded.

As for the tomatoes, Dan Borneo, a grower from Albuquerque, provided these observations about the tomato season:

n The dry spring has kept the weeds at bay, especially the mustard weed. That may reduce the likelihood of curly top – enemy of many a tomato plant – as some experts say mustard weed is home of the beet leaf hopper, which carries the curly top virus.

n Spring’s dryness, windiness and cold nights have been brutal on tomato plants. Last year Borneo noticed that the tomatoes he planted in mid-May with no extra protection other than a cloth covering produced tomatoes earlier than those he planted in mid-April in “wall-o’-waters” (a plant protector). This year he put them in the ground at the beginning of June.

n Borneo advises that if you can keep your tomatoes relatively shaded and cool, and the wind stops, the tomatoes may do OK. A remay cloth (an opaque, finely spun polyester fabric spread over your plants) will give shade, protect them from wind and bugs, and will hold in some of the heat during the night. But be careful: Cloths can keep bugs in as well as out.

Whether you enjoy the fruits of your garden, support farmers at nearby growers’ market or both, July is the time to jump into a local, fresh and healthy summer.

SPICY NAPA CABBAGE SLAW WITH CILANTRO DRESSING

Yield: 4 servings

Ginger and rice vinegar give this coleslaw its favor. The serrano pepper gives it some heat.

1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon grated peeled ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 fresh serrano chile, finely chopped, with seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small head Napa cabbage (1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, ginger, oil, chile and salt. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. Let stand for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.

- Adapted from www.epicurious.com

FARMERS’ MARKET POTATO SALAD

Yield: 6 servings (about 1 cup each)

1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)

2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup vertically sliced red onion

3/4 cup diced zucchini or other summer squash

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place corn and potatoes on a jelly-roll pan (cookie tray with sides). Drizzle vegetables with 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Place mixture in a large bowl.

Combine tarragon and next 5 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Gradually add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Drizzle potato mixture with dressing; toss gently to coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with olive oil on medium high.

Add onion and zucchini to pan; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini mixture and tomatoes to potato mixture; toss gently to combine.

- Adapted from www.cookinglight.com

5-MINUTE BEANS

Serves 2-3

Green beans are a rich source of vitamin K, C and A, as well as carotenoid phytonutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.

2 medium cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound fresh green beans

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

3 tablespoons goat cheese

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

4-5 drops tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoons sliced sun dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons roasted red bell peppers

1 tablespoons chopped basil

Chop garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with 2 inches of water. While steam is building up in steamer, cut ends off green beans. Steam for 5 minutes.

To mellow the flavor of the garlic, add garlic to green beans for the last 2 minutes of steaming.

A fork should pierce through the beans easily when they are done. Transfer to a bowl. For more flavor, toss green beans with the remaining ingredients while beans are hot.

- Recipe adapted from www.whfoods.com