© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Central Standard

Recipes For A Heatwave

On this Tuesday's Central Standard, a heat wave recipe exchange. Perfect ideas for those nights when stove is a four letter word.

For today's show we're joined by Beth Bader is the Co-author of The Cleaner Plate Club: More Than 100 Recipes for Real Food Your Kids Will Love. She blogs and offers recipes at the Expatriate's Kitchen and Eat Local Challenge. We're also joined by Shanita McAfee, Executive Chef and Owner of Magnolias Southern Bistro, located at 2932 Cherry Street in Kansas City.

TELL US:
What have you been eating a lot of lately? Share your heatwave recipes, for those nights you can’t bear to touch the stove. What have you been doing with your farm fresh veggies? Our heatwave recipe exchange hotline is 816-235-2888, send us a tweet, or shoot us an e-mail.

POTATO SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
From Beth Bader

To make this hearty salad into a perfect make-ahead summer meal, add sliced, hard-boiled eggs or canned tuna, or roast chicken. Unless you are cooking for a crowd, there will be leftovers, so store the salad greens separately from the other vegetables and dressing, combining the salad on the plate when ready to eat. If the greens are stored mixed with the dressing and vegetables, they will get wilted and dark.

  • 1 pound red-skinned potatoes, about 2-3 inch size each
  • 2 pounds fresh snap beans (green, yellow, purple, or Roma varieties, or a mix)
  • 1{1/2} pounds tomatoes (2 large), cored and seeded
  • 1 cup Quick Caramelized Onions (page 000)
  • 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
  • {1/2} cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, or parsley
  • Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 cups mixed salad greens, including chopped fresh herbs like basil or dill if desired

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes, and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Remove with tongs and let cool. Do not turn off the heat. Put the green beans in the still-boiling water, and let cook for 4 minutes to blanch. Remove with tongs and place into an ice water bath to stop the green beans from cooking more (they will get mushy and continue cooking if left hot).
2. Cut the cooled potatoes into wedges. Core the tomatoes by cutting the top and tough white core away. Gently squeeze to seed the tomatoes, removing the gel and seeds, leaving the flesh. Cut the tomatoes into similar-size wedges as the potatoes. Place the tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, onions, and capers in a very large serving bowl.

3. Whisk the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Continue whisking, drizzling in the olive oil to make a dressing. Add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the cooked vegetables. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Just before serving, add the salad greens to the bowl and toss with the vegetable and dressing mixture.

Serves 10.

GRILLED VEGETABLE NAPOLEON
From Shanita McAfee

Salad:

  • 3 cups Pea Shoots ( or Greens of Choice)
  • ¼ cup Red Onion thinly sliced
  • Vinaigrette
  • ½ cup Fresh Orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
  • 2 tablespoons grated red onion
  • 3-4 sage leaves

Set Pea Shoots aside. Combine all other ingredients in a blender.
Vegetables:

  • Grilled Mini Red Peppers
  • 1 Zucchini Sliced 1/4 inch thick and grilled
  • 1 squash  Sliced 1/4 inch thick and grilled
  • 1 Portobello Mushroom Grilled
  • Small Stalk Asparagus

Herb Goat Cheese:

  • 1/2 Cup Goat Cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Sour Cream
  • 3 tablespoons Herbs
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

To assemble:
Toss all vegetables in Olive Oil and Salt & Pepper. Grill and set aside.
Toss Pea Shoots in Vinaigrette place a small amount on to the plate, add a little goat cheese, Zucchini & Squash. Top with asparagus, then peppers.

COLD BREWED ICED COFFEE
From Beth Bader

Take one cup ground coffee, put it in a French press with six cups of room temperature water. Cover and let steep for 10 hours. Press out the coffee grains, and pour the concentrate into a container to store in the fridge. Dilute 1:1 with cold water to serve, place over ice. It's actually smoother and less acidic than regular coffee because of the cold extraction process.

WATERMELON, LIME, MINT & FETA SALAD
From Beth Bader

  • 1 small watermelon, seedless or seeded, and diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 1 tbs. white rum, optional
  • 2 tbs. chopped basil, chopped
  • 2 tbs. chopped mint, chopped
  • pinch salt
  • 6 oz. feta cheese crumbles

Place watermelon cubes on platter. Mix the lime, agave, rum and pinch salt. Drizzle over the top of the melon. Sprinkle on the herbs and feta.
"EVERYTHING" SLAW
From Beth Bader

Slaw Veggies:

  • 1 medium head of cabbage (napa here), chopped
  • 1 medium (or two small) heads of cauliflower, florets only
  • 1 bunch radishes, sliced thin
  • 3 scallions, white plus 2-inches green sliced thin
  • 2 garlic scapes, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup fresh mixed herbs, (dill, basil, sorrel, mint, lemon verbena)

Dressing:

  • 2/3 cup canola mayonnaise (non-GMO)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbs. Dijon mustard
  • 3 oz. bleu cheese crumbles
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • black pepper to taste

Toss fresh veggies together. Whisk dressing ingredients and toss with vegetables. Chill and allow to marry in flavor for at least two hours before serving.
SEE BETH IN PERSON:

Overland Park, KS Costco
1-3 p.m., Saturday, July 21, 2012
12221 Blue Valley Parkway
Overland Park, KS
(913) 217-2053

Lenexa, KS, Costco
1-3 pm, Friday, July 27, 2012
9350 Marshall Drive
Lenexa, KS

MORE HOT FOOD IDEAS:
Picnic Recipes: Watermelon Salad & Everything Slaw
Cooking On The Sunny Side: How Solar Chefs Put Food On The TableCool Down With A Hot Drink? It's Not As Crazy As You Think