Guest post from Gaiam: Two Summer Salads

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." -Chief Seattle Those are the words that first draw your attention on the Gaiam "About" page, and on this dewy, clear Sunday morning, they really resonate. Gaiam is a Boulder-based company that specializes in organic living, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, and I'm just tapping into what a resource their site is. The blog, for one thing, is packed with great material, from healthy recipes and eco-living tips, to important and thought-provoking information, such as articles on the relationship between sickness and profit, the impact of disappearing honeybees. I'm bookmarking this site for regular reference, and am so pleased to have a chance to share these two fresh and gorgeous summer salads from Erica Hill, at Boulder-based Gaiam TV. Enjoy!

Black bean, tomato, avocado and corn salad:

• 2 cups black beans (if canned, well rinsed)
• 4 Roma or similar tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1-2 avocados, diced (optional)
• 2-3 ears of grilled sweet corn, or 1 cup frozen, thawed
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• Hot sauce (Tabasco or your favorite)
• 1 juiced lime plus zest
• 1-2 tbs Olive oil
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp sea salt

Combine a few shakes of hot sauce with olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt and lime juice and zest and set aside.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.  If you don’t eat corn, feel free to substitute avocado.  Or, add both!  Mix the dressing with salad and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or more before serving.   Lately, I’ve decided that making beans from dried is worth the effort.  If you make a big batch, you can portion them out in cup sized portions and place in the freezer- that way you have beans ready to go, just like canned, but with less sodium and better taste and texture.  This dish makes a great summer side dish.

 

Nectarine and tomato salad:

• 3-4 ripe nectarines or peaches sliced
• 3-4 ripe tomatoes of your choice, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro OR mint OR basil
• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Fresh squeezed lime OR lemon juice

Slice the tomatoes and peaches/nectarines the same size.  Mix with red onions and chili flakes and fresh herbs.  Cilantro, basil and mint all work very well, and you can change it up based on what you have on hand.  Just before serving, toss with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice.

Erica Hill works with Gaiam TV, a healthy lifestyle media company based in Colorado that produces a wide range of nutrition videos.