I don't know where you live but it's a scorcher right about now in NY. We've been waiting for summer to really arrive and now it's officially a swamp. Speaking of weather, I've been under it for some time now. So before this heat wave landed upon us (even though it's summer) I made a ginormous batch of soup. I have been eating it for days. And since it was a ginormous quantity, I figured I would be enjoying it again and again as well as serving it to my hubby and sister. But with the thermometer outside soaring damn near human body temp, I don't care how much soup I have left over. Frigging 95 degrees screams for something cooler.

I had some ideas. Well, I always have ideas. Main one. Use up the egads amount of tomatoes and basil I bought last week. It's a fact that I am very easily enticed at the farmer's market by produce's beauty. But in all fairness, I bought them in anticipation of hosting guests for a Pizza Sunday Party. Those plans were foiled. Which left me with more tomatoes and basil than two people can comfortably eat unless forced by some game show stunt. Since last week's basil-ed potatoes went over so well, I made another batch of that sauce and quickly got to figuring out the rest.

The abundance. Don't be fooled. That is only half the tomatoes and 1/3 of the basil I STILL HAVE!! (Plus some went into that ginormous soup. And don't forget to look at that beautiful blue bowl by Miller Pottery

I had romaine lettuce. Perfect as boats to fill with good shit. (The heat made me curse.)
I had zucchini and yellow squash.
I had hearts of palm and chick peas. Ever present in my pantry.
I had thoughts. (sometimes good; other times, well...)

Even though it was hot out, the zucchini and squash needed to be cooked in my opinion. Reason: I just really wasn't feeling their raw essence for this dish. Since it was cleaning day and the house was gleaming, no way was I going to make a mess of the stove. In the oven went the squashes. And a few tomatoes whole, too. I roasted them at 400 degrees until nicely caramelized.

Oiled, salted and peppered for the oven roasting.

Everything else, cut up and ready. I sliced up some more tomatoes raw. One, because I had a ton, and two because I'm a fan of duality. Warm tomatoes, cool tomatoes.

Once the veggies were out of the oven, the only chore that remained; Assembly. I don't need to hold your hand for this part, do I? Take your leaf and stuff it with what you love. A little of this and little of that and drizzle some of that banging basil sauce a top. (Chop up some leftover chicken, or toss in some tuna. Be creative.)

Light but satisfying. Cool yet with just enough warmth to make it feel like dinner and not a snack. Crap, I think I yanked this one out from nowhere, and hit it out of the park. (The heat made me say that part, too.) Jill and JC loved them. Yeah, I won't be eating soup. I got me some leftover lettuce boats to my rescue.

When the weather is too hot to think. Just jump in a boat and bring along whatever's in your kitchen.

I think I can safely say that the summer has arrived. We waited a long time and endured rain, cold and a much drawn out winter plus a non-existent spring. So it's time to bring on the summer and bring out the salads.

Now you know from previous posts that salads can be made from any ingredient and are definitely not limited to summertime. But I will admit that Summer and salads seem perfectly made for each other. As Forrest Gump once declared, "We was like peas and carrots, Jenny and me." (I guess back in the day peas and carrots were a common combo.)

Some summer salads can be filling like Orzo Pasta Salad, while others can be light and refreshing like Graped Up Bibb Salad or S alad Baby. Today's salad version is the latter, a refreshing burst of both color and flavor. Although I must have winter still on my mind, since this salad I often like serving in the fall and winter, but actually works equally well for summer.

Ingredients

6-8 c Baby Arugula
2 navel oranges, segmented
3/4 c pomegranate seeds
1/3 c red onion, thinly slice
1.5 c hearts of palm, thick slices
2/3 c Medjool Dates, sliced (optional)

Dressing
1/3 c juice from orange
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 c olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

This is fairly self explanatory, so no need for any complicated directions here. A simple assemble 'em up kinda salad.

Segment the orange, capturing the juices in a bowl as you cut them.
Slice the onions. I use a mandolin to get them super thin.
Cut the hearts of palm into 1/2" slices.
Remove pit and slice or dice the dates.
Open the pomegranate and remove the seeds making sure to take off any of the white pith.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together.

Arrange the platter in any way you see fit and drizzle the dressing over top. Recommendation: enjoy a crisp glass of white wine while you platter this up. I guarantee it will increase creativity and the overall enjoyment level of preparation.

I love the colors of this salad which is why I dubbed it 'A Jewel of a Salad', the tones are just that. What I really relish is the diverse flavors and textures that this offers. The arugula is peppery while the orange is cool and refreshing. The hearts of palm are mild and soft then the pomegranate offers up crunch and tang. The red onion gives the spicy note, and if you decide to use the dates, their sweetness is a perfect counterbalance. This is a salad that reaches all sensory notes, and shows how well sweet and savory, tangy and peppery play off one another. BBQ's are a-calling so bring this jewel of salad along to brighten any plate, or palate for that matter.