Beautiful weather aside, the summer in Halton region brings an abundance of farm-fresh produce. For home cooks, it’s the season to get inspired by beautiful heads of lettuce, berries and field tomatoes dripping in their juices, sweet corn, peppers, garlic scapes, and more.
For professional chefs, it’s no different: the warmer months are a time to source vegetables and fruits more locally, and really punch up the flavour. In the hot weather, guests are craving crisp bowls of greens and herbaceous sauces.
At Radius on Brant Street, the Charred Corn + Chickpea Salad is a stunner. It comes back every summer, with corn sourced from Snyder’s Sweet Corn — a family-run, Caledonia farm stand. Alongside chickpeas, the corn is paired with snap peas, dates, feta and mint, all dressed in an aleppo lime vinaigrette and topped with pumpkin seeds. The result is a hearty bowl packed with texture and flavour.
This salad is a labour of love. It was created by talented chef Ashley Hoar from catering company Real Roots Kitchen in collaboration with Radius and their partner Chelsea Ladd of Soulful Co. “It’s a wonderful option for either lunch or dinner,” says Lisa Mercanti-Ladd, partner and CMO at Radius Hospitality.
Over at Spencer’s, a staple of the Burlington waterfront, executive chef Matteo Paonessa is a huge fan of their Spencer’s Wedge salad. It’s an upscale take on a wedge salad that leaves out the usual tomato and bacon, but sticks to its steakhouse roots with a creamy dressing. Layered with iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, poached apples, shallots (both pickled and crispy), shaved celery, lemon zest and microgreens, it hits all the right notes. “The ranch dressing brings a creamy richness that falls through the layers of lettuce, balancing with the crunch of the crispy shallots and the freshly shaved celery,” says Paonessa.
Spencer’s sources microgreens for the salad from Earth to Table Farm. “It’s a collection of classic ingredients brought together in one clean, crisp dish,” says Paonessa. The chef recommends a pairing of Drylands sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, or a cold beer.
MAKE YOUR OWN RESTAURANT-CALIBRE SALAD
When it’s hot out, let the home oven hibernate. Here are some tips on how to craft the perfect summer salad.
Consider Textures
Any great dish, salad or not, has a variety of textures to it. For crunch, try adding your favourite seeds or chopped nuts. Cucumber, fresh pear slices, and fresh lettuce are fabulous crisp ingredients to add to the mix. For softness, experiment with avocado or cherry tomatoes, and for chewiness you could throw in some dried fruit.
Check all the flavour boxes
Along with a base of olive oil, avocado oil, or nut oil, aim for these flavour essentials:
Tangy – Use balsamic vinegar for deep, rich tang, apple cider vinegar for a crisp apple-fruitiness, or fresh lemon juice for a zesty freshness. A dash of sumac is another lip-smacking addition for tang.
Sweet – A spoonful of honey, maple syrup, or agave helps tone down the acidity of vinegar or citrus.
The Emulsifier – Adding a dab of Dijon mustard tastes lovely and helps the oil and vinegar to mix together smoothly.
Look Local
Visit your local farmer’s market to get the best salad ingredients. Or read the produce label at the grocery store — typically, it will list the region it’s sourced from. If you’re feeling ambitious and have a green thumb, take to growing your own food! A good place to start is growing a herb or two, which, in the right conditions, can be kept indoors.
Make it a Main
Bump up the protein to transform a simple salad to an entire meal. A seared salmon fillet, barbecued flank steak and marinated shrimp are all great options. And don’t forget about the carbohydrates to keep you satisfied! Some examples are sourdough croutons, starchy vegetables like roasted sweet potato, or grains like quinoa and beans.
By Lauren Medeiros