creative
cooking
Ripe time
Savoring the bounty of summer
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, my family would take
car trips from the city out to the country. Our
destination: the abundant farms outside Seattle,
where we could purchase the ripe vegetables and
fruits that would start appearing in August. It was
always a special treat to have fresh produce.
With today’s global marketplace, fresh vegetables
and fruits are available year-round. Still, they seem
best this time of year, when they can be enjoyed in
long, lazy summer meals.
This recipe was created by Dave Lieberman,
author of Young & Hungry: More Than 100 Recipes
for Cooking Fresh and Affordable Food for Everyone (Hyperion Books, 2005)
and host of his own Food Network show, Good Deal with Dave Lieberman.
It appeared in Creative Cooking The Costco Way, our latest cookbook. An
electronic version of the cookbook can be found at costco.com, under
“Costco cookbook.”—Tim Talevich
Dave
Lieberman
Other recipes featuring fresh produce
from Delano Farms and other Costco
suppliers can be found in the August Online
Edition at costco.com under “Costco magazine.”
IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPHY
Red Grape, Grape Tomato
and Avocado Salad
1 small ripe Hass avocado Salt
About 25 Delano Farms Freshly ground
red grapes, quartered black pepper
20 grape tomatoes, About 15 fresh basil
halved leaves, finely chopped
1 small yellow bell or slivered
pepper, cut into Extra-virgin olive oil
1/8-inch dice Red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, sliced as
thinly as possible
1. Cut avocado in half lengthwise and twist to
separate the halves. Remove the pit by smacking a
chef’s knife into the pit and twisting it out.
2. Carefully remove the avocado flesh with a large
spoon and slice the avocado halves lengthwise into
1/4-inch slices.
3. Arrange avocado slices on 4 plates. Scatter grapes,
tomatoes, bell pepper and shallot around and a little
bit on top of the avocado slices.
4. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt and a few
grinds of pepper. Scatter basil on top.
5. Finish by drizzling with olive oil and vinegar.
Makes 4 servings.
