In my opinion, August and September are the very best months for garden fresh suppers. It seems like everything–from tomatoes and zucchini to broccoli and berries–is more abundant than ever. So tonight I made a colorful dinner filled to the brim with seasonal vegetables.
I served grilled chicken with zesty arugula pesto and ripe tomatoes–a color combination that resembled emeralds and rubies. On the side, an enormous green salad with greens, peppers, onions, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and cucumbers, as well as a delicious potato salad. Below are the recipes for the potato salad and arugula pesto. Both are absolutely delicious and just sing “summer.”
Lemon-Arugula Pesto
2 cups packed arugula
1/2 cup packed parsley leaves
1 tbs. walnuts
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Juice of half lemon
2 tbs. water
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
Combine arugula, parsley, walnuts, and garlic in food processor and pulse until combined. Add lemon juice, water, and olive oil along with the salt and process until a smooth paste forms. The great thing about using arugula in pesto instead of basil is that it won’t brown as quickly, so this version retains it’s vibrant color for a few days in the fridge.
Green Onion and Dijon Potato Salad
1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 green onions, white and green parts thinly slices
2 tbs. white wine vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Cube the potatoes and place in a pot. Cover completely with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10-14 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Drain.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the parsley and green onions. Separately, whisk together the vinegar, oil, and mustard. Pour this mixture over the potatoes and toss well to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy the salad warm, room temperature, or cold. (Keeps for 2 days in the fridge…although the green onions may become slightly muted in color with time.)
