I’ve been making bunches of salads so that we don’t have to keep cooking in this deadly heat. I wrote the recipes for these three delicious yumminesses up. They’re so lovely and tasty and light and you only have to heat up the kitchen once.

Summer Salad Mania (PDF) contains Summer Noodle Salad, Curry Rice Salad, and Mom’s Cucumber Salad.

PS: I’ve corrected a typo, an error, and clarified some things since this was first posted. I need a recipe tech editor, pronto!

PPS: The HBO documentary, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired was so good! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer’s documentary films are like.

This is my new favorite and I made it up, so I can share.

That new camera takes such pretty food pictures!

Make your own:

This makes a big pot- I’d think you could feed 6 or 8 with it.

2 cups brown rice (I used basmati)
4 cups water
splash olive oil
½ tsp. salt
1 lb. 13 oz. (the big one) can black beans, rinsed well and drained

Put everything but beans in big pot, bring to boil, then cover and simmer 40 min. (I like my beans really squishy, if you like yours more firm, wait until rice has cooked 50 minutes, add beans and cook 10 minutes more). Add black beans and stir to combine. Simmer 20 more minutes, until mixture is moist but not wet. Remove from heat.

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tsp. salt and black pepper to taste
7 oz. can chopped green chilies, including liquid
½ tsp. chili powder

In small saucepan (I like to use a small saucepan because it ½ sautees, ½ simmers.), heat oil and add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook over low heat until translucent, 10 minutes. Add chilies and chili powder. Cook over low heat until liquid is cooked mostly off, a few minutes more. Remove from heat.

After these two pots are done cooking, stir onion mixture into beans and rice. Serve topped with shredded cheese, corn and tomato salsa, and sour cream. Avocado would be good, too.

This would rock as a burrito, too.

Corn and Tomato Salsa

2 cups cooked corn kernels (frozen then thawed works, too)
2 tomatoes, chopped
a few tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped roughly
juice of 1 lime
¼ tsp cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
splash of balsamic vinegar

Mix together and chill until ready serve or serve at once.

There’s been some interest in my blocking board, and I don’t blame you. It’s great! It’s called a Sew E-Z Blocking Board (see it in my last post), and it’s served me well for years already. I have the larger size and love it. The only things I might complain about are that it’s not big enough to block really long things, like scarves and shawls (I do them on our bed), and the black felt fabric that covers the outside is a magnet for dog hair. It’s even heat proof, so you can steam or iron on it.

I bought mine on eBay, but that seller seems to be gone. Jo-Ann.com carries them, and they’re having a free shipping sale today, which is great, because these things weigh a TON. MARFSH7353 is the free shipping code for today.

And to prevent a sad, pictureless post, check out the awesome scones we had last weekend:

They were excellent- very light and delicious. I used this recipe, adding about 1/4 cup (packed) chopped scallions and forgetting to brush with milk.

Have a lovely Saturday!