Chop Salad: Eat the Rainbow!

Chopped Salad

This is the simplest way to enjoy as many summer vegetables as possible in one meal. You can add in whatever vegetables you have handy, do not feel limited by the recipe. Even peaches make a wonderful addition to this salad! To step it up a notch, fry some thinly sliced shallots and throw these perfect crunchy morsels on top. When it's hot out, there is no better meal to celebrate the bounty of Summer time. 

Serves 2 for Dinner or lunch

Ingredients:

1 large cucumbers 

1 heirloom tomato 

1 pt cherry tomatoes, tops removed, sliced in half

1 ear sweet corn, kernels cut off of the ear 

1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons

2 sweet peppers 

2 eggs 

Dressing: 

¼ cup lemon juice

½ cup olive oil 

1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane or pushed through a garlic press

1 tsp salt 

Lots of freshly cracked pepper 

For the top: 

½ pt sheeps milk feta

1 cup freshly picked basil leaves

2 Tbsp capers 

1 Tbsp caraway seeds 

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 Tbsp poppy seeds 

Edible flowers!

½ cup neutral oil for frying (canola, safflower, sunflower, avocado, grapeseed)

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized sauce pot. Carefully add the eggs and set a time for 7 minutes. Cook the eggs at a gentle boil. While they are cooking, prepare a bowl with ice water. Once the timer goes off, place the eggs in the ice water. 

In a separate frying pan, warm up the frying oil until it sizzles when a piece of shallot is dropped in. Add all of your sliced shallots and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly. Once they are gold brown, remove them from the oil with a mesh strainer or slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined plate to cool. 

Chop all of the remaining vegetables into bite sized pieces. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and taste to adjust seasoning. In another small bowl combine all of the seeds and spices with the crispy fried shallots. In a large salad bowl, combine all of the vegetables and toss with enough dressing to coat everything lightly. Top with crumbled feta, soft boiled eggs cut in half, fresh basil, edible flowers and a generous sprinkle of seeds and crispy shallots. Enjoy!