Napping in Corn Fields

I know it may be hard to believe, but I actually have slept in a corn field. No, it wasn't during my crazy college years. I was 11 years old and attending my friend's sleepover birthday party. Since it was August, and we were in Cooperstown - a place where there are more corn fields than dwellings - it made perfect sense for us to sleep under the stars in the field next to her house.

The morning after the party, while we waited patiently for our parents to pick us up, we were each allowed to pick a few ears of corn from the stalks and take them home. Naturally, when I approached the car with an armful of ears, my mother looked at me and remarked "Well, looks like we're going to have to make some more corn salad!" I did not protest, corn salad is one of the most delicious summer dishes of all-time.


One of my favorite things about summer salads is that they are basically foolproof. The basic formula of combining fresh vegetables, dressing and cheese always yields a delicious dish for any table. This corn salad definitely falls into this category, it is simple, tasty and easy to assemble. And, since it is currently the height of corn season in the northeast, there is no better time for me to share this recipe with you. It also feels especially appropriate since this salad has pretty much been the most popular food in my kitchen for the past two weeks.


What I like about preparing this, apart from the ease with which I can do it while my daughter naps, is how the flavor improves over time. Since I usually make this during the daytime I allow it to sit in the refrigerator until dinner which allows the flavors to meld and ripen. I also love that, like all good salads, the ingredients are flexible. If there are additional vegetables or herbs at my fingertips I simply throw them in and, voila, I have a whole new variation. I suggest that you feel free to do the same. Lately I've served this salad to guests, my family and even added it to a summer buffet. It also doubles or triples well if you need to make it for a big crowd. I hope you enjoy this summer vegetable salad as much as I do. And, for the record, I procure my corn at the farmers' market these days, not at sleepovers.

Naptime's Summer Corn Salad
8 ears of corn, cooked and kernels stripped
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
1/3 c. basil, chopped

For dressing:
1/3 c. olive oil
4 T. red-wine vinegar
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste


1. Boil corn in a pot of salted water for 7 minutes, or until kernels are fully cooked. Cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife. Place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, onions and basil, mix to combine.

2. Whisk together dressing in a separate bowl and pour over corn, stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until serving.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: It is always helpful when salads can be made ahead of time, especially when the flavor gets better after it sits.
Naptime Stopwatch: The longest part about making this is the boiling the corn. After that it is simply a matter of assembling the ingredients and giving it a good store.
Naptime Reviews: Everyone loves this salad, especially people looking for a great gluten-free dish. Even my daughter seems to adore this, though the last time she ate it she picked out the onion.

Napping with the Heart of an Artichoke

By all accounts my grandmother Harriet was a remarkable woman. She could recite the Lord's prayer in her sleep, crochet a baby blanket with one hand, and play poker for hours on end. She also wholeheartedly embraced her community, delivering meals to housebound elderly from the trunk of her Ford Thunderbird, regularly being issued speeding tickets along her route. In short, she was a woman of contradictions and we loved her for it. Many people attributed her near-century of volunteer activity and good health to "solid genes" and a healthy joie de vivre, but I am pretty sure her secret was eating artichokes.


Artichokes are often referred to as the "nutritional powerhouse" of vegetables and, given Harriet's long life, I wonder if she was on to something. She preferred artichokes over every other vegetable, consuming one daily and serving them to us whenever we visited. She favored eating them boiled until soft, except in the warm weather when we all wanted relief from hot foods. In the summer Harriet would dream up new ways to serve us her favorite veggie, often incorporating them into green salads, serving them cold alongside grilled chicken and adding them to quiches. Her imagination served her well and all of her meals were delicious, but, above all, my favorite was her "famous" artichoke heart pasta salad. Unfortunately, though she made this salad for me dozens of times, she never wrote down the recipe, so last summer I had to rely on my memories to write a new one.


My goal in recreating this dish was to make a salad that replicated hers in both texture and flavor, and was able to last in the fridge without getting gummy. I tried a few different combination's of pasta shapes and vinegars until, at the end of last summer, I managed to create a flavor medley that evoked the memories of my grandmother's version. The taste of my final recipe differs slightly from the original. It maintains the core flavors of artichoke hearts and sweet tomatoes wrapped in a tangy vinaigrette, but I revised her formula by adding toasted pine nuts for crunch, as well as some lemon juice to crank up the flavor. I also chose to use orzo instead of fusilli because I find that orzo is less starchy and holds up better when chilled. Since completing this Naptime Chef recipe challenge I have made this salad at least a dozen times. In doing so I discovered that, in addition being great to serve my family, it is a tasty side dish to serve at luncheons and makes a nice addition to any buffet table. Everyone who has eaten it raves about the taste, including my husband and daughter. I have to admit, I was initially surprised that my daughter liked artichoke hearts, until I realized I hadn't considered her artichoke-obsessed lineage. I mean, after all, she is Harriet's great-granddaughter, and that explains it all.

Naptime Orzo with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes - inspired by my grandmother
1 1/2 c. orzo
4 T. pine nuts, toasted
1 10oz. package of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/3 c. olive oil
4 T. red-wine vinegar
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Cook orzo in a pot of salted boiling water accordingy to package directions.
2. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar and lemon zest in a bowl, set aside.
3. Toast the pine nuts, be careful not to let them burn.
4. Halve the cherry tomatoes and set aside in a separate bowl.
5. Take the thawed artichoke hearts and cut them into quarters. You can add as many, or as little, of the artichoke hearts to the salad as you like to suit your tastes.
6. Once the orzo is cooked, drain it and put in a large bowl.
7. First, add the artichoke hearts and pine nuts and mix it around. Then, add the tomatoes and give the salad another few stirs.
8. Pour over the vinaigrette and gently mix it in until fully incorporated.
9. Finally, add the lemon juice and mix it into the salad.
10. Add salt & pepper to taste. Can be served warm or cold.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: Like all good salads this recipe is flexible, you could add more, or less, of any ingredient you choose. I have also toyed with the idea of adding roasted cherry tomatoes to see if I would enjoy a richer tomato flavor. I plan to try this over the summer and will let you know.
Naptime Stopwatch: This salad takes about 35-40 minutes to prepare from start to finish. It is the perfect dish to prepare during naptime, this allows the pasta to cool before you serve it for dinner. Naptime Reviews: My whole family adores this salad, especially my daughter and husband. I have also served it at luncheons to great reviews, it travels well and is a great accompaniment to any buffet.

Napping in Green Stalks

Spring cleaning began late this year. The warm weather arrived in the northeast later than planned, leaving me with less time to get through my spring chore list. You see, spring is a critical season for me, without it I would never be prepared for the arrival of summer. When the thermometer finally creeps north of sixty degrees it is like someone zaps me with a defibrillator. Every morning the early sunlight and fresh breezes blast me out of bed, sending me racing through my day, to-do lists in hand, preparing for the hot summer ahead. In the past week I have tackled my important seasonal chores like swapping winter sweaters for summer blouses, cleaning the winter grime off our windows and removing the fleece foot muff from my daughter's stroller. It is not unusual that, while I am sprucing up my household, I take time to spruce up my recipes as well. After all it is not just my closets that need spring cleaning, my kitchen does, too.


One of my favorite ways to liven up spring menus is by adding lots of fresh greens obtained at our local farmer's market or gourmet food store. Last week, while I was shopping, I encountered my very first bundle of local asparagus. It was pencil thin, bright green and begging for me to take it home. Naturally, I was thrilled that one of my favorite vegetables was finally available again and promptly added it to my basket. Now, just so everyone knows, I wasn't always good at preparing asparagus. My first few attempts at replicating my mother's blanched asparagus with herbed butter were disastrous. I boiled the asparagus until it was as limp as a spaghetti noodle, dunked it in ice water to no effect and essentially served myself a tasteless, murky green vegetable. The good news, however, is that over time my techniques have much improved and my asparagus preparation, though simple, is delicious. So, to kick off the asparagus season this year, I decided to start with a recipe I had saved to celebrate the occasion.


I originally encountered the idea for this recipe when reading Cooking for Mr. Latte, by Amanda Hesser. I loved the idea of a citrus vinaigrette contrasting the flavors of the peppery arugula. I have made this salad a few times in the past ten days and it has gotten better and better each time. I have even experimented with a few substitutions, adding lemon juice instead of orange juice to the dressing, and adding cherry tomatoes for additional color and flavor. Every experiment has yielded excellent results, proving that this recipe is quite flexible. The best part is that most of it can be prepared during naptime. Simply cook the asparagus, cut it into one inch pieces and let it cool. Then, prepare the vinaigrette and leave it, covered, in the fridge. At dinner time you merely have to assemble the salad by putting the ingredients together in a bowl and giving it a good toss, a procedure you could probably do in your sleep. We found that each bite of this salad contains many layers of flavors along with a satisfying crunch from the asparagus shoots. Yesterday, after finishing our last helping, my husband remarked that this is his favorite spring salad yet. I was, of course, thrilled to hear this and will definitely be adding this salad to my to-do list tomorrow.

Naptime Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Citrus Vinaigrette - adapted from Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser
3/4 lb. thin asparagus, trimmed
2 large handfuls arugula
Juice of 1 orange (I used a sweet mineola) OR Juice of 1 lemon for a more tart taste
1 t. red wine vinegar
1 T. whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Salt & Pepper to taste
Ideas for Additions if you want: 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 c. toasted pine nuts; feta cheese instead of goat cheese.

1. Cook asparagus in a pot of boiling water, seasoned with salt, for about 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain the water and run the asparagus under cold tap water to stop cooking.
2. Dry the asparagus completely on a kitchen towel, then slice into one inch pieces and combine in a bowl with the arugula.
3. In a small bowl whisk together citrus juice, vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until fully combined.
4. Pour vinaigrette over the asparagus and arugula, toss to coat.
5. Top salad with crumbled goat cheese and serve.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This recipe is a great way to enjoy green vegetables in a new form. Like any salad, you can add or subtract what you would like. I would recommend adding the tomatoes if you like them, they added an additional flavor that we enjoyed.
Naptime Stopwatch: This salad is a cinch to prepare. It took about 20 minutes to prepare all of the ingredients during naptime, then about 2 minutes to combine at dinner time.
Naptime Reviews: My daughter has not yet developed a taste for asparagus, but that is OK with me. I think she will learn to like it in the next few years. In the mean time, my husband and I plan to eat this quite often this summer!