Guest Post: Summer Greens Salad with Grapes, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts

A few months back, I had the honor of sharing a guest post for Joy of Joylicious blog on her birthday. She is one talented lady, so I was delighted and not a bit surprised when many of you were as excited to discover her as I was to introduce her. There's been plenty of fabulous stuff going on since then over at Joylicious, ranging from a website redesign to irresistible new recipes like these honey yogurt berry popsicles. But being the sweetheart she is, Joy still took the time to make us a lovely picnic-worthy summer salad. And here to tell you all about it, I present to you my good friend, Joy!

I met Xiaolu this year through the wonderful World of blogging. I was initially attracted to her jaw-dropping photos on 6 Bittersweets and with time have discovered that her inner beauty was just as beautiful as her talent. She was sweet enough to bake me cupcakes on my birthday and even mailed me the adorable pompoms she used to decorate them with. See why I love this girl? You’re the sweetest Xiaolu, thank you for having me guest post on your blog today.

When I was a little girl, my family loved going on picnics. My fondest memories were of us laying a big blanket across the softest patch of earth we could find. Dad would carry the large cooler of food, Mom trotting along with miscellaneous bags of “stuff”, and I’d follow clumsily behind lugging a Sprite bottle half the size of my body (at the time.) We’d sit there enjoying chive dumplings dipped in chili oil, drunken chicken with ginger and scallions, boiled peanuts, marinated beancurd – what? You thought I was going to say, sandwiches and potato salad?



Laying there for hours, we’d talk about our hopes and dreams, laugh about memories of our families back home. We’d play card games that mostly involved math because dad said my math skills were subpar at best. But it was still fun, promise =). And we’d always end our picnics with my favorite part.

The food would be packed up, trash thrown away, and when there was nothing else left except for the blanket on the ground I’d lay in the middle of it. Mom and dad would grab opposite ends of the blanket and with a slick flick of their wrists they’d fling me up to the sky. I’d fly up so-high that I’d be only inches away from the clouds. Closing my eyes, embracing my weightless moments in the air, laughing so hard my stomach would hurt as tears streamed down my face. Though I’m no longer small enough to be thrown into oblivion, I still very much love my picnics.



With Summers being blistering hot, the only thing that I feel good eating are salads. They’re light, easy to prepare and most certainly healthy. This recipe would be perfect for picnics – Summer Greens with Tart Cherries, Goat Cheese and Walnuts. Dress the salad when you’re ready to eat to ensure the best results.

Summer Greens Salad with Red Grapes, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts [Printable Recipe]

Serves 4; prep time: 15 minutes



5 cups of mixed greens, washed

1/2 cup red grapes, washed

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup walnuts

4 oz. goat cheese

2 Tbsp high-quality olive oil

Fleur de sel salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste



In a large bowl mix greens, grapes, onion, and walnuts together. Drizzle generously with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Top with goat cheese slices (1 oz. per serving) and serve immediately.

The Only Soup I Need This Summer (Mango Crab Gazpacho)

The longer I blog, the more I recognize that "foodies" come in all varieties. This is quite a relief to me as I used to think I was missing some gene prevalent among many foodies that programs a love of dining out. Yes I'll plan a few restaurants to hit if I'm going on vacation, but most days I honestly prefer food I've cooked or baked with my own hands over anything served to me by a waiter.

Lord knows this isn't because I fancy my cooking skills better than a restaurant chef's. There's simply something magical about the process of turning simple ingredients into a flavorful, satisfying meal that I'm addicted to. Plus as a health-conscious pescatarian (who eats no meat except seafood), I'm a bit wary of restaurant dishes drowned in butter or containing hidden meat products like chicken broth.

That being said, I'm not immune to the charms of particularly excellent restaurant food. Today's mango crab gazpacho is actually inspired by a soup I sampled my first week working in D.C. It's been four years since that meal and I can honestly say I've been dreaming of recreating that gazpacho every summer since. Well I've finally done it, and while I can't guarantee it's as good as Ceiba's, it's every bit as refreshing and addictive as I remember. In fact I've already decided...this is the only soup I'll need for the rest of the summer =D.

Mango Crab Gazpacho Soup [Printable Recipe]
Adapted from mango gazpacho on Allrecipes
Serves 4 to 6

XIAOLU'S NOTES: For my vegetarian/vegan friends, feel free to omit the crab entirely or replace with some other mildly flavored protein. The flavor profile won't be the same, but it'll still be a wonderfully refreshing summer soup =D.

2 cups diced fresh mango, divided
1 1/4 cups orange juice
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large cucumber, seeded and diced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced [optional]
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro OR basil, plus larger leaves to garnish
1 to 2 slices wheat bread, well-toasted and crusts removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 1 1/2 cups jumbo lump crab, picked over

Reserve 1/3 cup each diced cucumber and bell pepper for garnish. Process ingredients from mango through cilantro in a food processor or blender until smooth. Tear toasted bread into chunks, add to food processor, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be made several hours before serving.)

When ready to serve, toss reserved cucumber, bell pepper, and cilantro leaves together with the crab. Pour chilled gazpacho into serving bowls or cups, then divide the topping evenly among the bowls. Direct each diner to stir the topping into the soup before eating.

Farewell To Summer (Tomato Panzanella Salad)

With Labor Day just around the corner and my first classes in 3 years (!!!) starting in a week, I could no longer keep the wool over my eyes. Summer was slipping away, and fall would come a knockin' at any moment. Ever the foodie, my first thought was to gorge on as much abundant summer produce as I could get my hands on before it's all swept off with the fallen leaves.

Not that I don't love pumpkins and sweet potatoes. Citrus fruit and apple pies. Hearty soups and creamy casseroles. And believe it or not, I even enjoy the taste of the stalwart cabbage once in a while. But none of that compares to biting into a ripe and flavorful summer tomato. So I made it a point to enjoy a lot of tomato salads. Simply sliced, sometimes with a sprinkling of fresh mint and salty feta. Other times with only a spoonful of sugar the way my mom used to serve it. Delicious either way.

Then for the times I craved something with more substance, I found this delightful panzanella salad. Toasted chunks of bread absorb every bit of delicious juice released by the tomatoes. A dollop of creamy ricotta adds just the right amount of richness. Fast, fresh, and flavorful -- this is precisely the type of summer meal I'll miss when the weather turns. But I won't get too down. After all, there'll be plenty of fall bounty to keep me occupied for months yet!

Tomato Panzanella with Ricotta [Printable Recipe]
Slightly adapted from Everyday Food Volume 74
Serves 4

1/2 pound day-old crusty bread, cut or torn into 1 inch pieces
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Course salt and ground pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large
15 ounces ricotta cheese (or fresh mozzarella if preferred)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread bread in a single layer and bake until dry and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, vinegar, and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add toasted bread and basil, toss to combine. Let sit 20 - 30 minutes to allow bread to soak up liquid. Top with dollops of ricotta and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.