Corn on the Cob Becomes Your Favorite Summer Salad

Everywhere I turn I see fresh corn. At the farmers market, the supermarket, and deli- there's just no avoiding it. So, what ends up happening is I end up with a dozen in my fridge and no one eating them! Below is a great recipe for a summer salad packed with punch, perfect for a barbecue or potluck. Also, if you're ever looking for something to do with your leftover cooked corn on the cob, this is it.

Fresh Corn, Sugar Snap & Tomato Salad

Makes 1 large bowl

6 corn on the cob, cooked

2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced lengthwise

3 cups mixed baby tomatoes, halved

handful of roughly chopped cilantro

handful of roughly chopped mint

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon dried basil

lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Use a sharp knife to cut the corn off of the cob. Place all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. A great side to serve with grilled fish or meats. Can be made several hours in advance. People always go crazy for this one because it is so unique.

Thai-Style Summer Salmon (with Citrus, Ginger, Soy and Salted Peanuts)

Nobody really wants to do heavy cooking during the summer. This time of year, I am always searching for easy, quick, light dishes to prepare for dinner. Last week, I was playing around with some ingredients that I had in the fridge, and I came up with this fresh, summery salmon recipe that explodes with flavor and texture. I have made it 3 times since then! The fish is simply cooked in the oven, and then drizzled with this gorgeous citrusy-gingery-soy marinade, and topped with lots of freshly chopped cilantro, mint and salted peanuts. This casual salmon dish is perfect for a summer gathering, and can be prepared in no time. Use the leftovers on top of a mixed green salad or to stuff pitas for a brilliant lunch.

Thai- Style Summer Salad

Serves 6

1.5 pound Salmon fillet, skin removed ( I used Salmon Trout)

1/3 cup soy sauce

Juice from 1 large orange (or 1/4 cup orange juice)

1.5 tablespoons minced ginger

3 tablespoons plum sauce or duck sauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro

2 tablspoons roughly chopped mint leaves

3 tablespoons roughly chopped salted peanuts

Preheat the oven 375. Place the fish in a lightly greased baking dish, and cover with aluminum foil. Place in the oven, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until done to your liking. Remove from the oven, and uncover. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, ginger, plum/duck sauce and maple syrup. Before serving, spoon the marinade over the cooked fish. Sprinkle the cilantro, mint and peanuts. Enjoy!

Sour Cherries- my favorite!

I love, love, love the taste of cooking with sour cherries. Probably because they are hard to get, and pretty much only available once a year, as their season is brief, a few weeks at the end of June and beginning of July. Needless to say. when I spotted them at the market last week, I had to grab them. And the first thing that came to mind was without a doubt, sour cherry jam- there's nothing like it! Now, I must be honest, this isn't a typical 1-2-3 Kim recipe, working with sour cherries, ie., pitting the sour cherries, takes patience. But, it's really worthwhile, especially because chances are, you'll only do it once a year. It also helps if you find a handy assistant, as I did: my 11 year old niece.
I love David Lebovitz's recipe for "No Recipe Jam"- it's really brilliant.
Here's a link to his recipe in its entirety, I have the summed up version below: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2005/06/norecipe-yikes/
The results are out of this world. The difference between homemade and store-bought jams is so obvious, and so amazingly delicious. You should try it at least once. And there's no better fruit to make jam with than sour cherries!

Rinse the cherries under cold water. Remove the stems and pits from the cherries.

My gorgeous assistant pitting the cherries for me by hand as I catch up on my tv shows!

Here's how to pit the cherries: Gently tear open a tiny part of the cherry.

Remove the pit while leaving the cherry intact

Voila!

Place the cherries, and zest from 1-2 lemons in a large pot.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat

Squeeze the juice from 1-2 lemons over the cherries

Continue to boil until very bubbly, stirring throughout. Careful not to burn.

Add 1-2 cups of sugar over, and stir in. Allow the jam to simmer over Medium-High heat until it thickens, about 20- 25 minutes. Place in jars, and allow to cool before placing the lids over.

Enjoy!

Beautiful, Gushy, Crisp Meringues

 There is nothing more luxurious, sexy and luscious than silky, perfect meringues. They are lovely to look at and even lovelier to eat. I suppose that meringues may be one of those desserts that people might avoid because they assume that they are tricky to make. But, it's so worth the try, because if you master meringues, you master meringues... And, I mastered them on the first try, so why couldn't you? I love that meringues don't have to look perfectly shaped or structured, the beauty lies in their imperfections. I like to make really big, shiny meringues because they remind me of over-the-top marvelous jewels. They can be topped with shaved chocolate or a variety of chopped nuts, but I simply adore this recipe, "Cinnamon and Hazlenut Meringues" which is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Ottolenghi".

Cinnamon & Hazlenut Meringues
Makes about 12 big meringues

7 egg whites

1 cup superfine sugar

1/2 cup muscavado sugar (can be found at health food stores)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tablespoons hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 230 degrees. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a light simmer. Place the egg whites and both sugars in a heatproof bowl large enough to sit on top of the pan. Put it over the simmering water making sure it doesn't actually touch the water, leave it there for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the sugars dissolve into the egg whites. 

Pour this mixture into a bowl (or the bowl of a free-standing mixer like a Kitchen Aid) and use electric whisks on high speed. Whip for about 8 minutes until the mixture has cooled down completely. When ready, it should be firm and glossy, and keep its shape when you lift a bit with a spoon. 

Sprinkle the cinnamon over the meringue mix and use a spatula to gently fold it in. 

Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Have 2 large spoons ready.

Use one spoon to scoop up a generous spoonful of the meringue and the other to scape this out onto the tray. Leave plenty of room between the meringues, they can almost double in size!

Using the spoons, shape the meringues into dollops, the size of medium apples, and sprinkle with chopped hazlenuts.

Place in the oven and bake for about 1 and 1/2 hours. They will be ready when they are dry underneath and still a little soft in the center.  

Remove from the ovem and let cool. Store in a dry place, not the fridge! Meringues will keep for a few days.