A mini tour around the world occurred in my own little corner of Southwest Michigan the other day. A demonstration of some healthful recipes was presented at Bridgman Public Library by our local Stevensville, Martin’s Super Market School of Cooking. A foodie at heart, I wanted to see what kinds of things they were cooking up.
First stop (and why would you need to go any further?) was Italy; Cannellini and Green Bean Salad with Italian Dry Salame. This is a perfect summer potluck recipe because there is no worry about mayonnaise spoiling and it isn’t the kind of thing you have to worry about having a duplicate of. You’ve been there before … 6 different kinds of beans and 3 different potato salads…. nothing wrong with either, mind you, just highly over done…. (sorry the pictures turned out blurry)
The next recipe was an Asian Cashew Chicken Salad & Mandarin Oranges with a Peanut Butter and Ginger Dressing – serve with a side of rice (maybe cooked in chicken broth) and it is a beautiful, vibrant, multifaceted taste is sure to compliment egg rolls and fortune cookies or to stand alone!
Let’s cross over to the United States with a Farro, Kale and Blueberry Salad with a Lemony Vinaigrette. I was a little skeptical of the kale, but it was a nice texture with the Farro (or wheat berries). Kale is not a lettuce, but a member of the broccoli, cauliflower family and is an impressive source of nutrition. While you could substitute another fruit – why would you? The blueberries were a fitting compliment and texture to the rest of the salad.
This last salad screams “fresh” . Baby Arugula, Orange, Avocado and Fresh Mint Salad with a Champagne Vinaigrette – ohhh la la!!! If you were ever going to pull off a salad for brunch – this is the one!!
The last thing I felt like I needed to do in life was try a cold, fruit soup with Crème Fraiche and homemade brioche Vanilla Sugar Croutons. I have never been more mistaken. The show stopper for the evening, the grand finale of surprise and flavor came in the Chilled Black Cherry Soup (apparently cold fruity soup is a Scandinavian thing). I cannot wait to make this as a healthy refreshing summer dessert for friends and family. It is nothing short of a genius concept. Where has this been all of my life?
All recipes are through the Martin’s Super Market School of Cooking. When fall comes around, I urge you to attend the demo at Bridgman Public Library – you won’t be sorry you did!!!
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