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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Make Marinated Vegetables! ~ Our Favorite Sliced Summer Salad


“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.”
~ Claude Monet

Although Monet may disagree, to me a garden is a masterpiece when finally served on your seasonal menu! Easy to assemble and very versatile, this is our favorite way to prepare our summer harvest. 


Begin by washing, peeling (if necessary) and slicing all your fresh produce. Some ideas are cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers (the more colors the better!), carrots and onions (even if you don't like to eat raw onions, do include them for flavor). Some other fun additions to this salad would be whole olives or sliced Ortega chilies if your family likes them.



Next, place a layer of vegetables in your container and drizzle each layer with a bit of oil, vinegar and a sprinkling of seasoning salt.  We like to use olive oil and grape-seed oil (or a mix of both). For vinegars, we prefer red wine and balsamic but please use your favorite. Continue to layer and season your veggies until your container is nice and full. Then, place the lid on your sliced salad and give it a nice shake (or two) to infuse the oil, vinegar and seasonings (or toss with tongs if you don't have a lid).


Let your sliced salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least a few hours. The more time the merrier! I also give it a gentle shake or toss every hour or so (when I remember) to infuse the flavors even more. We like to make a batch in the morning and serve it in the evening. You can even prepare this the day before. It will last all week so feel free to prepare a large batch (or make a few containers worth and take where-ever you go). Prior to serving, test a few pieces to make sure there is enough seasoning, if not, add a bit more seasoning salt and give it one last toss.



I hope your family enjoys these marinated vegetables as much as ours! It is wonderful for all your summertime festivities! It is our go-to food for picnics and BBQ's and anywhere else our travels take us! 

6 comments:

  1. This sounds looks delicious and sounds easy to make! I'll keep this recipe in mind because before we know it harvest time will be here!

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  2. Perfect timing for a way to use up fresh produce! Our local farmer's market is teaming with fresh veggies, and I just love the idea of preparing them early in the morning to eat with the dinner meal. Hope you are having a wonderful vacation :)

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  3. Oh boy, this sounds delicious, my friend! I will have to keep this in mind for the next BBQ :) Thanks for sharing! I hope you're enjoying your time away. Hugs!

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  4. Definitely going to put this on the table some day soon. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Oh this looks absolutely delicious, JES! I love salad in summer...or any time of the year for that matter! What a fantastic way to use of freshly harvested vegetables...I can't wait for springtime - I am adding a lot of compost to my garden beds now, so hopefully our crops will give us a wonderful harvest:)
    Enjoy your vacation...I am sure you must be enjoying your time with your family!
    Blessings,
    Kelly-Anne

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  6. Yum! This reminds me of the marinated bean salads or marinated mushrooms that I'm used to seeing at family potlucks. I love those kinds of dishes.

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