July 13, 2019
Over the past few days I have been considering my summer bucket list. What are the things I do that make me FEEL summer? I am still working on the list but here is what I have so far. Long bike rides through green fields, surrounded by puffy clouds. Hearing the dip and splash of paddles while kayaking. Sitting on the patio at twilight, raising a chilled glass of wine in salute to the crickets for their concert and to the fireflies for their pyrotechnics. Escaping the heat for a few hours in a cool movie theater to catch the summer action movie.
So much of summer for me is the flavor of it all. Produce ripens so quickly I feel a personal challenge to keep up and capture all the things before they subside again. Cooking is easy in this season. I trust the produce to show up with the flavor and minimal effort is required of me to allow them to shine. Salads easily creep back into rotation because I can construct them without heating up the kitchen too much and greens hold their own with flavor.
I look forward to this cherry and arugula salad every July. The sweet cherries blend well with the tart balsamic. The arugula has a sharpness that is mellowed by the smooth goat cheese. The bread croutons soaks in the vinaigrette, but maintain their crispness. This salad allows you to adjust the ingredients to your taste. If you want more acid, you can adjust the amount of balsamic. If you prefer more or less of a bread to arugula ratio…no one will judge you. I usually start with the recommended approach here and adjust to taste. Whatever you do, accept the challenge and don't let cherry season pass you by without enjoying this salad.
Bread Salad with Cherries, Arugula, and Goat Cheese
Recipe barely adapted from Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table
This salad makes four small side salad portions, or dinner for two if you add grilled chicken. I highly recommend a cold, crisp glass of wine to complement the sweet/tart/spiciness of the salad.
6 oz. rustic, day-old bread torn into 1 inch pieces
Olive oil
1/2 lb. Bing cherries, halved and pitted
1 clove garlic, smashed
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Arugula
Plain goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil. When hot, add the garlic clove and toss in the oil for a few minutes, just until the garlic starts to turn brown. The garlic should lightly flavor the oil, so watch carefully so the garlic doesn’t burn. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the bread and a small pinch of salt. Toss in hot oil until toasted and brown in places, approximately 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put one-third of the cherries in a small bowl and crush lightly with a fork so they release their juice, but don’t mash completely. Add 1 T. balsamic vinegar and 1 T. olive oil. Set aside for a few minutes.
When the bread is toasted, scrape into a large bowl. Set aside for a minute or two to cool slightly. Add the smashed cherry/balsamic mixture, the reserved halved cherries, and a couple turns of black pepper. Toss. Add a couple handfuls of arugula, the goat cheese and toss again. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, balsamic, or olive oil.