Sweet Corn & Zucchini Salad with Feta

Mr. Keith took me on a very nice date night last week to Osteria Mozza courtesy of Alloy Entertainment and Warner Brothers... the producers of his new TV show. Yes, my man definitely has figured out the way to my heart. Use of his gift cards on me. It was our first time eating there and I must say that it was well worth the wait.  I know... we were wayyyy behind the bandwagon on that one, but holy food coma was it AMAZING. It totally lived up to the hype and we had such a wonderful meal. The view wasn't too bad either, as we found ourselves sitting next to the entire cast of Scandal... with Scott Foley in my direct eye line. Ah. The teenage girl in me was having flashbacks to pretty much every TV show that I ever used to watch. Thankfully, my husband was also in my direct eye line and he was the most handsome distraction in the restaurant. Though I'll admit, I kinda had a two-for-one view.

Besides my usual buratta indulgence, I stepped out of my comfort zone a little and ordered a sweet corn ravioli which pretty much changed my life and my opinion of corn that is sweet. I have always loved it, but always thought of it as something to be gnawed on... not enjoyed in a delicate pasta. So, it got me thinking what else I could add sweet corn too. The answer? Pretty much everything... including this amazing summer salad!

Thinly sliced zucchini and sweet corn make up this perfect salad to start any summer meal with! It is super fresh and light, but packed full of flavor with a little bit of spice. You could also add some chicken to make it a husband approved meal. I served it beside some heirloom tomatoes, grilled lobster, and lemony pasta with pecorino cheese! In my opinion (and the opinions of my dinner guests that night... ) the most perfect summer meal!

We were lucky enough to share the meal with our friends Rob and Krista who brought some amazing French wine. All in all, it was a night to dine for...

Sweet Corn & Zucchini Salad with Feta

Ingredients:
4 ears of sweet corn, husked
4 small zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup feta cheese,  crumbled

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Kosher salt

Method:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for about 3 minutes until bright yellow and tender.  Let cool and then cut the kernels from the cobs and set aside.

There are two ways that you can prepare the zucchini. You can use a mandolin to thinly slice it lengthwise. Or, you can hop on the Spiralizer trend and use the flat blade to create thin ribbons. I did this method because I thought it was prettier, but either way will work great! If you do not have either piece of equipment, you can use a veggie peeler to create thin ribbons.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and kosher salt.

Combine the zucchini, corn, basil, arugula, and parsley in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Top with the feta cheese and serve immediately.

I shared the leftover corn cobs with our current foster sheep... errr puppies....

They are 8 week old chihuahua poodles and in need of new homes!!! 

I know, SIGH... they are the most adorable creatures EVER!

xo

Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Wheat Berries

I just ate a grilled cheese for breakfast.... and it wasn't a healthy one. Some jerk left Kraft American cheese in our fridge after our BBQ and guess who found it? Yup. The girl with a serious grilled cheese addiction. I mean, my bread did have seeds in it, so there's that, but the last time we had any kind of processed food (other than popcorn and popsicles, I apparently have a serious problem with "pop" foods) in our house really escapes my memory. The worst part? I barely enjoyed it. You see, I'm Canadian (I know, coolness points everywhere) and we Canadians put ketchup on our grilled cheese (we also have universal healthcare. We're a crazy caucasian bunch.) But since we were all out of ketchup (maybe the cheese jerk stole it) I had to suffer my way through my "breakfast" with out it. It was traumatizing. 

On another note, I also had a bite of the amazing wheat berry salad with green beans and tomatoes I made for dinner last night. I am such a fat kid in the morning. I take bites of EVERYTHING. (Rich says I'm a fat kid all day. He "may" be right.) Anyways, it was a really good bite, and as promised, I am going to share the recipe with you. (I'll leave you to your own devices re: grilled cheese, because I believe in you!)

This salad is an awesome side dish with the dry rubbed chicken that I made last night. Actually, it would be a really great side dish with just about anything (even sad, ketchup-less grilled cheese.) It's light, filling, and unlike my breakfast, nutritious! The best part is, you can totally play around with this recipe, too. We had a TON of green beans in our CSA this week but you could try adding some corn, some different herbs.... There are 44 more days of summer, so you could really go crazy. 

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, cut into thirds
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large shallot, minced
1 clive garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Basil, lots of it!

Method:
Cook the wheat berries in boiling water for about an hour or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Blanche the beans in salted water until just tender, about three minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

To make the vinaigrette: Combine the minced shallot and garlic in a bowl with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the balance with more vinegar, oil, or salt, as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes in with the vinaigrette; this can sit for a while. Do not add the green beans until just before serving or they will discolor from the acid in the vinaigrette.I added tons of fresh basil because I'm obsessed with it. 

Summer Grilled Salad & Join a CSA!

Summer how I love thee. Let me count the ways:

Barbecues (Rich concurs)
Bikinis (Rich loves the even more than me)
Sun dresses (Rich may know what these are)
Self tanner (please note: not sun bathing. I am a ging after all.)

And of course peaches, plums, berries, watermelon, corn, 'maters (southern husband, I can say this) summer squash...... actually..... ALL SUMMER PRODUCE!!!

garden harvest!

Oh, summer produce. We are so lucky to live in California where our summer is year round and our produce is extra wonderful and easily accessible. However, if you love summer produce, but hate getting up early on Sunday morning, grabbing your hand woven reusable hemp bags, and braving the unkempt masses who keep trying to hand you a flyer so you'll "come check out their band, do what Richard and I just did... We joined a CSA!  And it has been seriously awesome. What is a CSA you ask? It is community supported agriculture. Every Thursday morning we wake up to a box filled with organic and seasonal fruits and vegetables right on our doorstep. Even better, the farmers know they can count on you to make a purchase, so you're helping lower the cost of seasonal organic produce, all without having to go see anyone's "band." The company that we go through is called Farm Fresh To You. Unlike a lot of CSA's there's no long term commitment, so can cancel at any time, let them know what you like, and if you are the tenth caller, we'll throw in a snazzy watermelon phone (Rich says that joke is funny to people who are old enough to remember the Sports Illustrated football phone. I am not one of those people). Seriously though, if you go to their website and enter the code 6164 you'll get $10.00 off when you check out! That's it. Infomercial over. (I'm obsessed.)

Between our CSA and our garden we have been super spoiled this summer. And with all of this bountiful produce we've had to get creative with what we eat so that it doesn't all go bad! This grilled salad is perfect for that! You can pretty much take whatever veggies you have in your fridge and add them to my super simple (sibilant) salad recipe!

Summer Grilled Salad

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
 2 ears of corn
1 onion, sliced
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
A few leaves of kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
Goat cheese (optional)
Chopped basil
Salt and pepper

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice and zest from 2 lemons
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
Salt and Pepper


Method:
Preheat your grill to medium high heat and prep your veggies! Slice the onion and squash. I kept the squash in large pieces for easier grilling. I left the peppers, corn, and kale whole. Toss everything with a little bit of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.

Grill your veggies until everything is slightly charred. The kale grills super fast, the corn will take 10 minutes or so. Once everything is grilled, set vegetables aside until cool enough to handle. This is a good time to make your dressing.

To make the dressing, combine lemon juice, zest, shallots, garlic, and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Once the veggies are cooled, chop the squash, bell peppers, and kale. Remove the corn kernels and toss all of the veggies together with the cooked quinoa and the dressing. To serve, top with chopped basil and goat cheese if you like.

Pickled Nectarine Salad with Arugula and Burrata

Oh, Monday- how I am never happy to see you. What a lame day of the week. It comes after a weekend usually filled with a few too many cocktails and indulgent food choices (if you couldn't tell by my previous post....) and by the time the weekend is over, Rich and I are usually scrambling to find a way to give our bodies just a little bit of nourishment after the three days of abuse they have been through. We're worn out, cranky, and going through carb withdrawals. If we had real jobs we probably would have killed each other by now. Can you imagine the two of us heading out the door Monday morning with our to-go coffee cups and a newspaper. In another lifetime, maybe.... but hopefully not.

Really, Monday's only redeeming quality is that the mail comes again (you know how I feel about the mail- it's the best.) Between all of my ridiculous monthly subscriptions (see: glossybox, birchbox, barkbox) the fact that I am a pretty devoted online shopper, and Richard and I both crossing our fingers for commercial residual checks.... the mail is a pretty exciting part of my day. Especially when Bon Appetit comes. Lucky for me, and my post weekend, salad craving, body, this month's issue had a recipe for the most delicious summer salad!!! Nectarines, arugula and burrata... some of my absolute favorite ingredients and they paired together absolutely perfectly. I switched up the recipe a bit and it turned out super yummy!

summer lunch. kale smoothie and this delicious salad.

Ingredients:

1 nectarine, thinly sliced (can be replaced with thinly sliced peaches)

1/4 small onion, thinly sliced

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground pepper

2 cups arugula

1/4 cup hand torn basil leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

4 oz burrata torn into 1 inch pieces (can be replaced with burrata's less creamy, less delicious cousin, mozzarella, though I wouldn't recommend it.) 

Method:

Toss nectarines, onion, vinegar, salt and peppers in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to get a nice pickled flavor. 

Remove the nectarines and onions from the vinegar and toss them with arugula and basil. Place the salad on plates, top with burrata and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and enjoy!

HOW TO: Pack the Perfect Picnic!

I have this kind of creepy obsession with picnics. This is news to nobody. It all started about 4 years ago when I went to Cinespia for the first time. (For those of you who live somewhere with a little more substance and purpose than Los Angeles, Cinespia is summer movie screenings at the Hollywood Cemetery and they are awesome.) Actually, my obsession started the second time I went. The first time that I picnicked with ghosts and tipsy hipsters, my Trader Joe's shopping bag of pre-packaged goodies was put to shame. I went home, purchased a proper picnic basket, educated myself on cheese and the importance of other incredibly yuppy snacks, and the rest is history. Some may be a little embarrassed by my picnic enthusiasm, but those who are lucky enough to be eating out of my basket (hmmm... that could be phrased in a less weirdly sexual way) are nothing less than thrilled. I just really love picnics.

1. My first Pic-Tip (that's a cuter way of saying picnic tip, obviously) is that any outing can be the perfect time for a picnic! Especially this time of year. Rich and recently went sailing and before the boat was booked, I was already thinking of snacks to pack.

2. Pack a pretty basket. It doesn't matter if you pack it heavy, that's what boys are for. If you are a cooler kind of chick, fine, so be it. But I think picnic baskets should be just that.... baskets.

2. Use jars to pack food. They are pretty AND you can eat right out of them. Again, they may be heavy, but see above. Plus, if you have leftovers, they can go right into the fridge when you get home. 

3. Put sauces and dressings on the side. Nobody likes a soggy salad. 

4. SALADS! Nothing better than a crisp snack on a hot day! Plus, salad possibilities are endless. For this picnic I made a roasted beet salad, a Brussels sprout salad with shallots and dijon, and a caprese salad.

5. This kind of goes with the jar tip.... but pack in food in clear containers! That way you can see what is in everything without having to open each container up. Plus, lets be honest.... it looks pretty. 

 6. Pack your plastics! We always use plastic dinnerware and govino glasses! They are not breakable, but they cut down on waste. I do buy disposable flatware, but made from corn, not petroleum. You may as well be friendly to the planet!

7.  Please, please, don't forget the cheese plate! Every good dinner party has one.... so every good picnic should, too! And make sure to pack your cheese knives- plastic ones are less than helpful. A few of my favorite picnic cheese that everyone will enjoy are manchego, camembert, and gorgonzola!

8. Remember some carbs. Salads are great on a hot summer's day, but we all need some carbs..... especially when there is alcohol involved, which, let's be honest.... what's a picnic without a few adult beverages? In this picnic I packed some quinoa tabbouleh, a baguette (key!) some crackers and some strawberry-basil hand pies!

** note- things you can eat with your hands are perfect for a picnic! Cookies are of course wonderful, but try hand pies in your next picnic! They are easy, delicious, and sure to impress!

9. BOOZE! Summer + day drinking are like two little tipsy peas in a pod....just perfect together. (Just remember a wine opener or look for a screw off top.... you don't want to bring the goods and not be able to drink them!)

10. These guys.... are awesome. I want one.

Happy picnicking!

Kale Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

That's me at age 3.
Adorable. I know. Thanks, Mom and Dad. 

Here is a list of the foods that I would not eat:
Brussels Sprouts
Beets (I actually still wouldn't even try beets until a few months ago)
Spinach
Cabbage
Peas
Bok Choy
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Kale (Did anyone eat Kale before 2012?)

....need I say more? What a picky little bitch I was. (Sorry Mom and Dad)

It really blows my mind that these crazy vegetables that my mother tried to poison me with as a child are now  staples in my diet. Let's take kale, for example. I would have rather eaten my own foot while sticking a fork in my eye than even have had a whiff of kale (or any other leafy green for that matter) anywhere near me. Now? Ok... well I still don't really like my greens, but I do hide them in just about everything. Especially kale. I add kale to just about every salad and every veggie dish I eat. Sometimes I'll even add kale to my kale (there are many kales). Which is why I literally dream about this kale caesar salad from my new favorite blog Two Blue Lemons (thank you, Rebecca!). This Caesar dressing takes 5 minutes to make and is so delicious it will blow your mind. And because kale is so hearty you can leave the dressing on this salad and it just keeps getting better!

kale caesar salad

Ingredients:

2 bunches kale
4 slices of bread... I used a loaf of olive bread from the Farmer's Market and it turned out super yummy! 
2 lemons
5 garlic cloves
1 farm fresh egg yolk
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for croutons
FRESH Parmesan cheese (fresh is the key word)
salt and pepper

Method:

Rinse kale. Remove the leafy parts of the kale from the tough stems and tear into bite sized pieces. 

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside. 

 In a blender, add the juice of 2 lemons, zest of 1 lemon, garlic cloves, egg yolk, pinch of salt and pepper. With the motor on, stream in the cup of olive oil until combined. The consistency just be that of heavy cream.

Toss the kale with the dressing and the croutons and enjoy!

Pea Shoot Salad with Strawberries and Shaved Cucumbers

I'm not going to lie.... spring is actually my least favorite time for seasonal produce. There are obviously a few winners: artichokes, asparagus, and every kind of citrus you can dream of. But come summer, my little farmer's market shopping heart is singing from the rooftops!  My freckles are beginning to pop up and my allergies are raging..... this can only mean one thing- SUMMER PRODUCE! Yippee! With the temperature rising, the hubby and I have started frequenting all of our local farmer's markets on a more than regular basis. And while I'm not up to my elbows in perfectly ripe peaches just yet, a few summer favorites have already started popping up... and a few new favorites!

How am I just now finding out about pea shoots!!!!

I love green peas. They taste just like green peas. We are a match made in heaven!

As you can imagine, pea shoots taste like the peas that they grow. They are sweet, crunchy, and so so tasty! Apparently you can replace most lettuces with them, add them to stir frys, or.... make this amazing salad. This was my first rodeo with my new favorite green, and it will certainly not be my last!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp organic honey (local if you have allergies!)
1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bunch of pea shoots
Almonds & goat cheese

Method:
Pour the honey and balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and reduce by 1/2 over low heat. Let cool. If you don't feel like making a reduction, Whole Foods sells a great balsamic reduction. I once bought it by accident.... best accident ever.

Toss the pea shoots, strawberries, and cucumbers together and drizzle the balsamic reduction on top. Top with almonds and goat cheese. I clearly was all out of goat cheese, but I really wish that I wasn't.

Rich told me this was one of his favorite salads of all time. That actually means something.... he is not as hyperbolic as I am.


***There are so many Farmer's Markets around town... LA Times Farmer's Markets is a great website if you want to venture away from the overwhelming Hollywood Farmer's Market on Sundays!

Menu Changes and Hair Chops

In true Sarah Keith fashion I have only the best of reasons why I haven't blogged in a month (er... 6 weeks.) BUT... to try something new and completely crazy, I am not even going to give any excuses, but go straight into the best blog post that I have ever written in the last month!

I have had two major life developments in the past few weeks. Don't get too excited.... neither has to do with buns in my oven or cooking shows starring yours truly (yet!) No, these two things are far less serious. Get ready......

1. I chopped my hair off. All of my pretty long hair that I spent months growing out for my wedding... CHOPPED! Watch out.

2. I have decided to stop eating meat. The word vegetarian may come to your mind.... and that is pretty damn accurate. However- let's clear a few things up......

I am a chef. I love food and I also have a husband that has agreed to cut back on his twice daily meat consumption, but has not agreed to be as drastic as his wonderful wife. So.... when you combine all of those things what do you get? This rant that I have decided to put in all caps just in case there are any misunderstandings. I WILL STILL BE COOKING, TAKING PHOTOS OF, BLOGGING ABOUT, AND LOVING THE TASTE OF MEAT. Yes, all caps. My point better be made after that.

So, you may wonder if all of the above is staying the same, then why stop eating meat in the first place? Well, I love animals.... sometimes too much (re: number of dogs in the Keith household) and as much as I love food, I can keep on loving it without consuming meat. That's that.

Here's the other thing related to the above rant..... let's say I am ohhhh, I dunno- In the south spending a weekend in Charleston and eating at my favorite restaurant with my sweet husband. If he orders the most amazing, inventive, culinary masterpiece that may contain meat you may ask- "Sarah, I know you are a vegetarian now, but since you are a chef and love food so much, will you still try your husbands dish?" The answer is yes. That's just life. Take it or leave it.

So I am sure at this point you are obviously biting your nails wondering what my recipes are going to start looking like and here's what you have to look forward to:

Dutch baby pancakes with blueberry vanilla maple syrup, bananas, and lemon zest. 

Roasted carrot salad with avocado, roasted beets, and citrus dressing.

Grilled zucchini salad with fresh basil, almonds, hazelnuts, and feta cheese. 

Caramelized fennel with kalamata olives, creamy goat cheese, roasted garlic, and fresh dill.

Orecchiette with roasted beets and arugula topped with shaved parmesan.

Kale caesar salad with homemade croutons.

Yup, that's a chicken. Told you nothings changing. 

Bridesmaid Brunch

It just so turns out that getting married (in 491 days) gives you a pretty good excuse to throw lots of fancy engagements to celebrate yourself (and your groom to be... I guess.)  I LOVE THIS. 

Last weekend I threw what I would like to congratulate myself and call "The Prettiest Brunch Ever."

I had my bridal party over, minus my pretty little sister (Hannah you were very missed,) for mimosas and mid morning appetizers to ask them to do everything I say for the next year or so. 

Tips on throwing a perfect brunch:

1. Keep the preparation simple so that you have more time to drink champagne with your friends. 

Yep.... that's my only tip. Lot's of pretty, chilled appetizers that pair perfectly with bubbly. 

....And I guess to use the plates that you don't let your fiancé eat off because they make the table look pretty

Note: Pretty table= important..... maybe even more important than the food because, let's be honest, after 4 glasses of champagne to celebrate yours truly....... the only thing any one remembers are the pictures. 

Watermelon salad with fresh mint and feta cheese.

Asparagus tossed in a bacon and sherry vinaigrette.

Prosciutto with melon.

2 bottles of champagne. 4 friends. 1 hour. totally acceptable. 

Pistachio cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. 

French baguettes and brie cheese. Heaven. 

I am so blessed to have such lovely friends to celebrate with!

Pistachio Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box instant pistachio pudding

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup water

This is the easiest recipe on earth. 

Combine all ingredients. Fill lined cupcake pan 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup butter

i package of cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients and whip until light and fluffy with a kitchen aid mixer (or a hand mixer.) You could do it by hand, by I think that's self abuse. 

Pickled Green Beans

We have picked about 300 green beans in the last two weeks.
Well, that is before Rich killed our green bean plant (he will be in a cranky mood in 5...4...3...2.... he takes murdering our plants extremely seriously.)
I take eating our plants seriously, but even I cannot eat 70 pounds of green beans.

So.... what the hell does one incredibly smart and attractive girl do with three bushels of green beans?

trendy.

Well, that (pretty and brilliant) girl jumps on this odd trend of pickling. 

Pickling is trendy?

......I guess so. 

I mean, when mason jars and canning pots have their own display at every snooty home and kitchen store, I am going to go out on a whim and say that I just may be jumping on the bandwagon with this whole thing. 

I am not a trailblazer. 

It just so happens that you can pickle just about anything..... and the majority of those things will taste really good in a bloody mary which is right up my ally. 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of green beans, trimmed (BS. I clearly did not weigh our harvest.... so stuff as many as will fit into a quart sized Mason Ball Jar)

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1/4 onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 jalapeno, sliced

2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp white granulated sugar

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp salt

3-5 sprigs of fresh dill (fresh dill is so yummy.... you can sub for dried, but you shouldn't)

Method:

These are refrigerator pickles. You do not need to sanitize the jar. You don't need to boil it. You don't need any equipment. 

Begin by filling the mason jar with green beans, sliced onions, jalapenos, garlic, and dill. Make it look nice for God's sake..... nobody wants to eat/ look at ugly food.

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and spices to a boil. 

Pour the hot mixture into the mason jar leaving about 1/2 an inch at the top. If there is still room at the top just add a little vinegar and water. Screw the lid on, set aside to cool and then refrigerate. The beans should be ready in a day or two and will last for a month in the fridge..... if you can muster up the will power to not devour them all in 3 days. 

Pick your veggies.... and eat them, too.

I have a garden.
If you know me, you know this.

If you know me, you also know that I share my garden with this sweet boy who... let's be honest.... does 90% of the work because he thinks I am the bee's knees. (I think he is more, but don't tell him.)

Annnnnd if you know Rich and I and have been to our humble abode anytime in the last 6 months, you know that our garden is blooming.
A lot.

How do you know this?
Because if you have come over anytime in the last 6 months you have been taken (forced) to go on one of Richard's  GARDEN TOURS....  of the deck, the front yard, the side yard.....


Not to brag, but.....

freshly picked garden salad.

Yep. All hand picked this morning from the garden. 

Well, except the chicken. 

Katie will not let me get anymore animals..... can dogs be taught to lay eggs?

PS. I'm pretty preachy about making your own salad dressing..... but I must admit my obsession with Stevie's Vinaigrette. It is well worth having it shipped from North Carolina (thank you Bruce and Cindy)

Delicious.