Never underestimate the power of a fruit platter to wow, dazzle and surprise your pals.

The fruit platter (or bowl) has always played an important role in our family gatherings.  I have vivid memories of Grandma D’s scalloped-edged watermelon fruit bowl, replete with melon, berries and grapes.  And my mom generally has a bowl in in the fridge loaded w/ pineapple, berries and grapes.

Keeping the family tradition alive my cousin, Krista, brought this beautiful platter to our badminton/ping pong/bbq fiesta last weekend.

Mix colors, mix fruits and let inspiration be your guide.

Summer is the season for simplicity so fire up the grill for this tasty treat.  We hosted a pupsitter fiesta for our pals who took care of Meta while we were in Spain.  The eggplant got rave reviews, even from those who didn’t think they liked eggplant.

It looks beautiful on a platter and works warm or cold.  Place it next to something green for contrast.  You may even want to make a little extra to add to a lunch salad.

2 med eggplants
olive oil
sea salt

Slice eggplant to 1/3 inch thickness, leaving the skin on.  Allow slices to sweat on a towel for 20-30 min.  They’ll expell a bit of their moisture.  Brush both sides with olive oil and take them outside.  Grill for 10-15 min depending on heat intensity, flipping once.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve.

Vinaigrette is your all-purpose, add-to-anything-and-make-it-good dressing, and is especially useful in the summer when our diets shift to lighter fare.

Like a utility infielder* in baseball, it can assume multiple roles.  The obvious is salads but don’t overlook it for roasted vegetables, a cold pasta toss or a bowl of braised beans or lentils.

Most folks use more oil than vinegar but I like a half-to-half ratio.  I’ve made this with red wine, balsamic, raspberry and rice vinegars, all with respectable results.  I went nouveau recently and used a pomegranate-infused balsamic vinegar.

.5 c extra virgin olive oil
.5 c red vinegar of your choice
1 T mustard (I prefer dijon or stone-ground)
pinch of thyme
pinch of minced garlic or garlic powder
dash of S & P

Add everything to a bowl for whisking or a jar for shaking.  And make sure your jar has a lid.  That should seem obvious but we do live in the States where every possible risk must be pointed out.

*Note use of a term I’ve only heard in casual conversations.  While I understand the concept of a utility infielder I couldn’t name one, having not watched a baseball game in nearly two decades.

This zippy slaw is the perfect accompaniment to stir fry in the cooler months and could easily stand on its own during the warmer ones, especially with an added protein.  Most of the ingredients are things we generally have stocked and (cabbage soap box alert) cabbage has an incredibly long refrigerator shelf life.

1/2 – 3/4 head cabbage

juice of one orange
2 T mayo
2 T rice vinegar
1 T chili garlic paste
2 T sweet thai chili sauce
1 t soy
1 t ginger powder (or 1 T fresh ginger)

1/4 c toasted sesame seeds

Shred cabbage and place it in a bowl large enough to slosh around with the sauce.  Mix the sauce and add to cabbage.  Refrigerate for about an hour, or until serving.  When serving time is nigh, toast sesame seeds for about a minute and add them to your slaw.

Thanks to Mrs. Marv for the image.

This salad was originally inspired by the Moosewood Cookbook, the simple, beige volume published in 1977.

Bulgur Salad is extremely malleable, so toss in whatever you have on hand that seems to fit.  Use shallots in place of garlic, throw in fresh tomatoes if you have them, serve the salad over purple cabbage, toss in chickpeas or nuts.  You get the idea.

Herb measurements are for the dry variety so this can easily be made from pantry items. Make a big batch on Sunday night and you’ve got lunches in the bag for a few days.

2 c bulgur wheat
2 c water
1/4 c olive oil
3 lemons (juice of)
2-3 cloves garlic
1/3 c onion
1/2 c greek or nicoise olives
1/2 c goat cheese or feta
3 t dill
2 t mint
1 t oregano
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Pour boiling water over bulgur, cover and let stand for 10-15 minutes.  Add everything but the cheese, cover tightly and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, add cheese and any other accoutrements.  I usually give mine a squirt of Sriracha Rooster Sauce for a little kick.

And if you haven’t yet converted to the cult of Mollie Katzen, check out her out.