No-Cook Summer Meals

Marinated Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, canned
8-10 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
3-4 black olives, pitted and chopped
3 shallots, peeled and minced
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Lettuce leaves

Directions:
Place beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and black olives into a mixing bowl. Whisk shallots, oregano, olive oil, vinegar and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Combine beans with dressing. Place 1/2 cup bean mixture in individual lettuce leaves. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese.
*Recipe from chef Andrea Beaman

Zucchini Pesto "Pasta"

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini, peeled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sun-blushed tomatoes, roughly chopped (can substitute sun-dried tomatoes)
3/4 cup mozzarella pearls or quartered bocconcini
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Basil leaves to garnish

Pesto:
2 cups basil leaves, stems removed, tightly packed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. crushed garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup raw pine nuts
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
For the "pasta," cut zucchini into thin noodles using a vegetable spiral slicer. You can also use a vegetable peeler to create long strips by drawing the peeler down all sides of the zucchini until you reach the core.

Place the zucchini noodles in a medium bowl and add the chopped cherry and sun-blushed tomatoes and olive oil. For the sauce, place basil, olive oil, garlic and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until chopped. Add the pine nuts and process until smooth. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Do not over-process; you should still see flecks of pine nuts throughout. (Extra pesto will keep for five days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It makes a nice sandwich spread or salad dressing addition.)

To assemble, gently toss the zucchini and tomato mixture with just enough pesto to coat. Toss in mozzarella pearls. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
*Recipe from chef Jennifer Moore

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

Ingredients:
4 oz. rice vermicelli noodles
12 8-inch spring roll rice paper wrappers
1 bunch basil (Thai basil if possible), leaves only
1 bunch mint, leaves only
1 bunch cilantro
2 cups mung bean sprouts, rinsed
1 large cucumber, peeled and julienned
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned

Optional:
1 cup plain chopped peanuts
1/2 lb. large cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and sliced lengthwise

Directions:
Soak the rice vermicelli in a bowl of hot water until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Rinse to cool, drain and set aside. Clear a work surface (such as a large wooden cutting board) for rolling the summer rolls, and set aside a plate that is large enough to hold the finished rolls in a single layer. Place all the prepared ingredients on separate small plates and create an assembly line with the plates arranged in the following order: rice paper wrappers, shrimp, rice noodles, mung bean sprouts, mint, basil, cilantro, cucumber, carrots, peanuts.

Fill a shallow dish with hot water. One at a time, soak each rice paper wrapper in the hot water until pliable, about 20 seconds. Carefully remove the wrapper to the cutting board, laying it out flat. Lay 3 shrimp halves in a row, cut side up, just below the center of the wrapper. Layer some rice noodles over the shrimp, followed by a few mung bean sprouts, 3-5 mint leaves, 3 basil leaves, 3 sprigs of cilantro, some cucumber and carrot and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Fold the bottom half of the rice paper wrapper over the filling. Holding it firmly in place, fold the sides of the wrapper in. Then, pressing firmly down to hold the folds in place, continue rolling until the roll is tightly closed. (Don't despair, this takes some practice!) Repeat until all the rolls are complete. Turn each roll so that the rice paper seam faces downward and the row of shrimp faces up. Serve with peanut or Thai spring roll sauce.

Rolls may be made six hours ahead and chilled, wrapped in dampened paper towels in a sealed plastic bag or container. These make great appetizers or a lovely light summery meal. This can also be a fun family affair by laying all the ingredients on the table and everyone assembles their own rolls to their preference on their plates.
*Recipe from chef Jennifer Moore