Roasted Vegetable Salad and Berry Crostini Recipes with trip to Jacob's Cove

On the weekends you can usually find me wandering around the different farmer stands at the Downtown Salt Lake Farmer's Market. I search from the yummiest looking produce that I can use to make a fresh meal that day. Bright red beets, elegant carrots with their stems still attached, fresh goat cheese, juicy blush berries, and bright yellow squash to make up the most colorful salad you've ever layed eyes on.

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Sorrel and Yukon Gold Potato Soup Recipe inspired by Vinto

Last week a group of folks with distinguished palates and popular food blogs around Salt Lake City gathered at Vinto Pizzeria for the second Vintage Mixer (an underground supper club inspired by this blog). We ate and laughed and ate some more. A favorite dish of the evening was this mysterious Sorrel Zuppa, a creamy lemon flavored soup with yukon gold potatoes, sorrel (some call it lemon spinach), and cream. After tasting something so amazing and unusual I always want to go home and try making it myself and so I did and I'll be sharing it with you today.

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500th Post on the Vintage Mixer

Getting older doesn't bother me much, I enjoy the wisdom gained, the deeper relationships, the occasional sun spots, and all of the memories made, but when I saw that the blog was almost to its 500th post, I kind of freaked out.  I've been blogging for quite a while now. What started as a travel blog to document a few of my trips overseas, ending up spinning into a recipe blog and a resource blog for locals in Salt Lake. Of the many things I hoped to accomplish with the blog, only a few came to fruition, BUT so much more that I didn't intend has bloomed because of this blog.

Famous Sourdough Pancakes with blackberries from Silver Fork Lodge

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Best Salads in Salt Lake City

Summer time screams lighter fare - salads, grilling, frozen yogurt, sparkling wine, tacos.  I've had my fare share of salads around Salt Lake and thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorites with you.  From rasberries and apricot dressing, to roasted vegetables and quinoa, not all salads have to be boring and leafy. Not that I have a problem with leafy.

Here are a few of my favorite Salads around Salt Lake:

Verdura Chopped Salad by Vinto Pizzeria (pictured above)- mixed greens, quinoa, beets, butternut squash, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin seeds, edamame, red onion, and a light lemon-basil vinaigrette.  This is a hearty salad with dense beans and grains and I especially love all of the vegetables; they are chopped up really small making the dish easy to enjoy.

Raspberry Walnut Salad with Goat Cheese by Gourmandise- mixed greens topped with raspberries, candied walnuts, red peppers and crumbled goat cheese, served with a house made apricot vinaigrette. The generous amounts of goat cheese on this salad will bring a smile right to your face, or at least it did mine. Also, I like that Gourmandise served their dressing on the side, allowing you to choose how much you like on your salad. After a taste of this apricot vinaigrette, I knew I'd be using up most of the dressing and then even dragging a few tears of my bread through it as well.

House Salad by Black Widow Café - Mixed baby greens, oranges, candied sunflower seeds, smoked onions, shaved Beehive cheddar, and berry-basil vinaigrette. This is one of the most lovely salads for the price. It is served wrapped tightly in a sliver of cucumber making a short tower of salad.  Its petite size is made up for in big flavor with the smokey onions and candied seeds.

House Pasta Salad by Desert Edge- chunky vegetables over penne pasta in a light dressing with feta cheese and olive.  This is a salad for the non-lettuce loves, with lots of heartiness and flavor.

Seaweed Salad by Whole Foods- I honestly don't know what's all in this salad but I love it. Cashews, thin strands of raw seaweed, cucumbers and a few other ingredients leave me just feeling so good.

Fire Grilled Chicken Salad by Cafe Rio- Some of you might turn your nose up at this but I must be honest, this 'fast-food' salad is honestly delicious.  Its not good for me but good for my soul.  My Texas roots often call for slow cooked meat and Mexican flavors so I satisfy it by the occasional Rio Salad.

And after eating these summer salads I need a generous scoop of ice cream. Its just not summer without it!


What are some of your favorite salads around Salt Lake?  I would love more ideas.

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Almond Toasts with Berry Cream and Mangos

As a food blogger, creative recipes and beautiful dishes constantly envelop me.  From my favorite food sites like tastespotting to my favorite bloggers, I am overflowing with ideas and inspiration.  One blog has especially caught my eye with her healthy and inventive flavors, Scandi Foodie. As a Finnish blogger gone rogue with her English blog, she has many recipes that after seeing, I knew I had to try.

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River Rafting on the Rogue

Our first river rafting trip was everything but boring. Because of high waters in Idaho, we decided to play it safe and switch our trip to a river in Southern Oregon. Of course, we took full advantage of being in Oregon and enjoyed some wine tasting while we where there, which I told you about last week but I couldn't continue blogging without also telling you about our river experience!

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Cowhorn Vineyard and Wine Tasting in Southern Oregon

A trip of negotiating the wild Rogue River of Southern Oregon could only be complete by stopping at a few wineries while in the area.  Before we jumped on our rafts and headed into the rugged scenery, we took a day to explore this well hyped wine region. After-all, we needed a few good bottles of wine to bring onto the river with us anyways, right?

Not realizing many of the wineries are closed on Mondays, we all jumped in the car and navigated our way towards a small list of recommended wineries and vineyards.  As we began to find out the operating hours, we decided to call up a few of the favorited ones on our list. The owner of Cowhorn Winery graciously answered his phone on his day off, and after a brief conversation with my very savvy friend, he decided he would open a few bottles for us down by his vineyard for a private tasting.

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Savor the Summit at 350 Main

Roasted lobster tail, seared sea scallops with caviar and wasabi aioli, grilled portobello mushrooms with root vegetables, and blackened pork tenderloin were a few of the dishes that lined our table this year at Savor the Summit. We wined and dined at 350 Main, enjoying their eclectic selection of fresh seafood and pairings. Every year we look forward to challenging our taste buds at this annual Park City event. Not only do we look forward to amazing food, but we enjoy meeting new people at our dinner table and walking Main Street gazing at all of the beautiful table scapes. 

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Blueberry, Corn and Feta Salsa

This colorful mixture of blueberries, corn, feta, and red chilies makes the perfect 4th of July dish to share with friends. You can try this as spicy dip or a fresh salad. Enjoy the dish knowing you are eating seasonally because both blueberries and corn are in season right now.  Happy 4th of July!

Spicy Blueberry, Corn and Feta Salsa
by Seven Spoons

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 red chilies, finely minced, seeded if desired
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup crumbled feta or queso fresco
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil, then the corn. Sauté for about 2 minutes, until the corn begins to brighten in colour. Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute more, stirring often. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the green onion and red chilies. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Allow the vegetables to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the corn mixture with the blueberries and cilantro tossing gently to combine. Pour over the lime juice, along with an extra glug of olive oil if desired. Stir again, then gently fold in the feta or queso fresco. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, checking for seasoning before serving.

Serve as a side dish at your summer barbecue or with chips as a salsa for a great snack or appetizer.

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Utah's Seasonal Produce in July

July in Utah makes me think of wild flowers up Little Cottonwood Canyon, camping, mojitos on the back patio, and Saturdays at the Farmer's Market. This mid summer month brings us bright blue blueberries, sweet corn, lots of fresh herbs (especially mint and parsley), beets, broccoli, juicy cherries, crisp cucumbers, garlic, green onions, a wide variety of lettuce, mint, new potatoes, peas, rhubarb, and strawberries.

To download this month's wall paper on your computer, please see the first post on Seasonal Produce in Utah.

Here are some recipes to make use of all of the great foods in season:

Sweet Potato and Black Been Tacos with Fresh Cilantro and Cabbage Slaw by Mountain Mama Cooks
Summer Chop Salad with Cucumber and Garbanzo Beans by Mountain Mama Cooks
Roasted Zucchini with Green Onions and Feta by Kalyn's Kitchen
Quinoa with Black Beans and Corn by Cookin' Canuck
Chinese Cucumber Salad by me
Strawberry Hand Pies by Barbara Bakes
Cherry Rhubarb Crisp by Two Peas and Their Pod
Blueberry Semifreddo by Completely Delicious
Summer Fruit Salad by Food Finery
Blueberry Tartlets by me

And you must check out this beautiful photo tour through seasonal produce by Jenn at Delightful Delicacies.

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