Corn and Radish Salad With Spicy Lime Dressing

Years ago I discovered that raw corn is absolutely delicious in a salad. When you have had enough ears of roasted or steamed corn, why not try a cooler approach? Make this crunchy salad while fresh corn is at its peak. The recipe, by Nick Fauchald, was posted on Food and Wine's Website.

2 tbl. fresh lime juice

1 small jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. honey

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears depending on size)

6 medium radishes, halved and thinly sliced crosswise

1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

In a blender, puree the lime juice, jalapeno, honey and cumin. With the machine on, add the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the corn with the radishes, parsley, red onion and dressing. Season the salad with salt and pepper, transfer to plates and serve.

Serves 4

Tasty Turkey Burgers

I've had lots of turkey burgers in my life. Most of them were dry and uninteresting. But my brother Bill introduced me to DiPaola ground turkey which is sold in Grand Army Plaza farmer's market on Saturdays. I bought some and located a 2003 recipe from Epicurious that seemed to have enough add-ins to insure a flavorful burger. The changes I made were based on ingredients not available at home at the time. I'm sticking with my pared down version. Thanks Bill, these were delicious.

2 medium yellow onions

1 clove garlic

2 tbl. olive oil and another 2 tbl olive oil

1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast (either combination of dark and white or dark only)

3 tbl. dried bread crumbs, preferably panko

2 tbl. barbecue sauce

3 tbl. quick-cooking or old fashioned oats (not instant)

1 tsp. dried oregano

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel the onions and cut into 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch pieces. Peel the garlic and chop finely. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until onions start to brown. Add water, 1 tbl. at a time to prevent burning. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl, and let cool for 10 minutes.

To the same bowl, add the turkey, bread crumbs, barbecue sauce, oats, oregano and salt and pepper. Mix well and shape into 9 burgers.

In a large skillet or 2 burner griddle, add the remaining 2 tbl. olive oil. Cook the burgers over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip the burgers carefully and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until golden brown and the interior is no longer pink.

Yield 9 burgers

Notes: I omitted dried basil, which I don't believe adds to the flavor and toasted wheat germ, which I didn't have. Instead of barbecue sauce I used 1 tbl. ketchup and 1 tbl. prepared horseradish. The burgers had a crunchy crust and looked very appealing. They were flavorful with a slightly spicy kick. I served the dish with skillet browned potatoes and sauteed zucchini. This would probably make a lovely meatloaf. Follow instructions in Elaine's recipe for turkey meatloaf posted on 3/17/09.

Chili-Lime Crab Salad

My oven is broken and we've had a string of over 90 degree days. It is definitely not the time to be roasting, baking or broiling. This recipe, recommended by Deb, is a perfect summer meal, creating its own cool sizzle. I hadn't bought crabmeat in over twenty years but it is worth the splurge to enjoy this salad. Come on, give this simple and elegant salad a try. The recipe was printed in the July 2008 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. I have made minor changes to it.

5 tbl. fresh lime juice

2 1/2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tbl. vegetable oil

1 tbl. very finely chopped jalapeno

1 tbl. chopped cilantro, plus cilantro for garnish

1/2 tbl. honey (optional)

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over

2 Hass avocados, diced (1/2 inch)

1/3 cup minced red onion

1 large heirloom tomato, cut into four 1/2 inch thick slices

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice with the olive oil, vegetable oil, jalapeno, chopped cilantro, optional honey and garlic. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

In another small bowl, toss the crab with 3 tbl. of the dressing and season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, gently toss the avocado with the red onion and 2 tbl. of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a tomato slice on each plate. Top with the avocado and the crab and garnish with the cilantro. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top.

Serves 4

Notes: For a variation, substitute chopped red and yellow cherry tomatoes for the sliced tomato.

If crabmeat is just too dear, the salad will also taste delicious with gently poached shrimp.

Ravioli with veggies

I have been making a version of ravioli with veggies for years. It is flexible, easy and enjoyed by everyone. Instead of tossing pre-made ravioli into tomato sauce, I use veggies sauteed in olive oil as the sauce. The sauteed veggies do not overpower the ravioli filling as tomato sauce sometimes does. When Irene (of Irene's Brisket-posted 4/6/09) heard about my technique, she decided it would work well with that package of lobster ravioli she had in her freezer. Here is a basic version. There is plenty of room for variations but please use good quality ravioli.

3 tbl. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 zucchini, diced

2 red or yellow peppers, diced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 packages refrigerated ravioli (24 ravioli per package)- cheese, cheese and spinach, mushroom, butternut squash, lobster, are all good choices. Separate all the ravioli squares.

handful of basil leaves, torn

freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Saute garlic over medium heat for 1 minute. Add zucchini and peppers and, stirring frequently, continue to saute for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a spaghetti pot, heat water to boiling. When water is vigorously boiling, add the ravioli. When water returns to a boil, lower heat and cook until ravioli floats to the top of the water. Remove 1 ravioli, cut in half to make sure that it is heated through. When done, drain ravioli into colander.

Return drained ravioli to spaghetti pot. Add veggies and oil, tossing gently. Add basil leaves, tossing again.

Serve ravioli and pass parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Notes: Select any kind of ravioli that appeals to you. Use two different kinds if you wish. The vegetables can also change depending on what's on hand or in season. A few days ago I used carrots, cut into small dice, along with peppers. Cherry tomatoes, yellow summer squash and sliced mushrooms would also be good choices.

The veggies can be made an hour in advance and left in the skillet.