Three Dishes to "Play" on Your Mandoline
It’s not a grater. It’s not a peeler. What is that unusual and often unused utensil stuffed in the back of your kitchen drawer? Perhaps it is a mandoline, and the two of you can make beautiful music, together — well at least some tasty tunes. Here are three dishes you can “play” on your mandoline that will make your palate sing.
1) Fresh From the Garden Salad
First, prepare a salad with the lettuce of your choice. I personally prefer Romaine. Carefully adjust your mandoline setting to the thinnest slice. Reach for these favorite vegetables: Rainbow carrots, red onion, and veggie sweet mini peppers (available from your grocer or melissas.com). Position the mandoline over your salad bowl and slice away! (Once again, please be very careful not to get your fingers too close to the blade. Please remember, mandolines are very sharp.) One really easy dressing to add to your “Fresh from the Garden Salad” is a combo of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle lightly per your taste and enjoy!
Fresh From the Garden Salad photo by Lynn Gentile
2) Marinated Eggplant
On Valentine’s Day, my husband took me to Near Restaurant, where Chef/Owner Gaetano Nardulli makes the most delicately delicious marinated eggplants. As Chicago Tribune Food Critic, Phil Vettel writes about Chef Gaetano’s dish, “The marinated eggplant, which requires a three-day prep and is a delightful change of pace from the fried-eggplant routine, is so good I could eat it every day.” Here’s a link to my Kitchen Chat with Chef Gaetano Nardulli in which he shares the recipe for his marinated eggplant: http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/2013/06/26/kitchen-chat-delicious-italian-cuisine-with-chef-gaetano-nardulli/
3) English Tea Cucumber Sandwiches
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy an Afternoon Tea and the traditional cucumber sandwiches are delightful. Here is a fun recipe for these yummy sandwiches from allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/recipe/english-tea-cucumber-sandwiches/ Serve it with your favorite tea — even iced tea on a hot summer day.
Please share some of your favorite dishes in the comment section. I would love to hear from you.
Savor the day!