Winging It

In the summer, I’m a big fan of winging it dinner-wise. One night, dinner might be something inspired by a bike ride to the farmer’s market or friends dropping by. Dinner might be a delicious pressed sandwich on the way home from losing a tennis match, or a burger at the pool. It might be hummus. I find that if I do my usual plan-shop-cook thing, I end up staring down a fridge full of wilting vegetables and getting stressed out—not how I want to spend my summer afternoons.

All that being said, I do love to create delicious, beautiful, and healthy dishes with all the gorgeous produce that’s currently in season. I just don’t like to be tied down to when and how I’ll eat what I make. This Summer Fruit & Vegetable Ceviche Salad uses some of my favorite summer things—fresh corn, nectarines, and fancy little tomatoes—and is great because it can be either a lovely appetizer (with chips), a side dish (a great addition to a pot luck or barbecue), or a light vegetarian supper (served with warm tortillas). It’s a really tasty option when it’s 95 degrees at 6 p.m. and the stove is off limits.

Summer Fruit & Vegetable Ceviche

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen organic edamame (soy beans without the pods)
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes’ worth)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• Sea salt
• 1 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• 2 nectarines, cut into thin wedges
• 1 large avocado, cut into 1/2? cubes
• 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1? slices (or red bell pepper)
• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Boil edamame for 5 mins. in salted water; rinse under cold water. In large bowl, whisk lime juice with olive oil, scallion, jalapeño, and shallot; season dressing with salt. Gently fold in edamame, corn, nectarines, avocado, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Stir in cilantro before serving. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve chilled. Eat outside.