Dreaming of our next wanderlust escape is always top of mind for the Travel Curator team. As we embrace the new normal and look closer to home (literally) for travel inspiration, we’re getting creative with experiences you can do at home to evoke the spirit of your favorite travel destination. Welcome to our Travel Curator At Home series and for our first edition, we are showcasing delicious Seasonal Salads, loved by chefs, foodies, and stylish tastemakers. Throw them together and travel off in your mind to your idea of paradise.
Sweet & Spicy Farm Stand Corn Salad by Kelli Delaney Kot, Travel Curator Hamptons Tastemaker
As the custodian of the Hamptons best-kept secrets, Kelli is the one we turn to for tips on the hot right now and tried and true restaurants. Like her personal fave Farm Stand- Halsey Farm in Water Mill, whose vibrant dishes are filled with fresh local ingredients, like their sweet corn which is the star of this gem of a salad.
Ingredients
- 4 husks of corn
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tsp white wine vinegar
- Half an avocado, cubed
- Large handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced
- Handful of arugula, chopped
- Handful of basil, chopped
- 1 small shallot, minced
- ½ of a lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp goat cheese, dusted lightly with cayenne pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 radish, thinly sliced
- Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice tomatoes and add to a mixing bowl, along with the olive oil, vinegar, minced shallot, minced garlic, salt & pepper, and lemon juice. Mix all and let sit.
- Once preheated, bake the corn (in their husks) for 25 minutes and let cool. Next, husk the corn and cut off the cob, placing the kernels into a large bowl.
- Stir in the marinated tomatoes mix, add the chopped arugula and basil, then top with goat cheese and avocado. Voila!
Summer Watermelon & Feta Salad by Melanie Brandman, Travel Curator Founder
Travel Curator founder Melanie Brandman gives this perennial summer favorite a refreshing new spin. This salad lights up the table with its delicious summer flavors and colors and can be thrown together quickly after a day at the beach.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of cubed, seedless watermelon
- 2 cups of feta cheese
- 1 cup of pistachios
- 15 Kalamata Olives (or other black olives)
- ¼ cup Mint
- Mint & edible pansies, for decoration
Dressing
- ¼ cup Red grapefruit olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon of honey
Directions
- Cut watermelon into cubes, sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt flakes and place in a colander.
- In another bowl, mix together feta cheese (cut into chunks approximately ½ the size of the watermelon cubes), roughly cut pistachios and olives and finely cut mint.
- Put all the dressing ingredients into a mason jar and shake vigorously Season to taste.
- Just before serving, place all ingredients in a salad bowl and shake dressing once more before adding to the salad. Decorate the salad with mint sprigs and edible flowers.
Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad by Hazel Jane Lyons, Travel Curator Lifestyle Contributor
As a passionate foodie, Hazel’s Instagram account is filled with her creative, mouth-watering dishes. Taking culinary inspiration from her Irish roots and globetrotting adventures, Hazel is self-taught and cooks intuitively not via a cookbook. We adore her Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad- the creamy burrata perfectly pairs and compliments the juicy succulent peaches
Ingredients
- 6 Peaches
- 1 Burrata (cut into 6)
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Blood Orange Olive Oil
- 2-3 cups arugula
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Red chili flakes
- Handful of basil
- Drizzle of Aged Balsamico
Directions
- Halve the peaches and brush with olive oil and honey (the honey gives it the char marks.) Grill peaches on BBQ at 450 degrees for 6 minutes each side.
- In a salad bowl place the arugula, grilled peaches and burrata. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with red chili flakes. Dress with basil sprigs and just before serving, drizzle with Aged Balsamic.
Beet Salad by Elena Apostolides, Hamptons Private Chef
A hot in-demand private chef in East Hampton, Elena designs dreamy menus for dinner parties, weddings, and special events. Her Beet Salad recipe is a true work of art, especially since it comes infused with the fresh local beets sourced at Balsam Farms in Amagansett and Montauk.
Ingredients:
- An assortment of colorful beets (red, yellow, pink- all the variations you can find!)
- Garlic
- Rosemary or thyme
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Edible flowers and pea shoots, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a deep baking dish (3 – 4 inches deep) with parchment or tin foil.
- Separate beets by color, so that they don’t bleed into each other and muddy the gorgeous colors. Place the whole beets into the dish (or two dishes if needed) and sprinkle olive oil over them. Throw in a few garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme or rosemary. You may want to reserve one or two beets to shave for garnish.
- Pour water into the dish until beets are halfway covered. This will help steam them, making them easier to peel. Cover the dish very tightly with foil, so the steam doesn’t escape.
- Next, place beets into the oven. For smaller beets, 30 minutes should do the trick. For larger ones, allocate 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- To see if beets are done, stick a small paring knife into one of them. If it pierces easily into the middle of the beet, it’s done. If not, cover again and cook them more. Be careful when opening the tin foil, as a lot of steam will come out!
- Once finished cooking, allow the beets to cool a bit. When they’re still a touch warm is the best time to peel them. Use latex gloves if you have them as the red will stain your fingers. We like to use a few paper towels to help rub the skin off, and any stubborn pieces you can just cut off.
- After peeling, cut the beets into wedges or any shape you desire. Cut the tops off of them since they’re a bit earthy and bitter. Separate the colors so you can marinate them separately to preserve the range of flavor.
- For the marinade, add olive oil, salt and pepper to all of them; use balsamic vinegar for red beets, red wine vinegar for pink beets, white wine vinegar or rice vinegar for yellow beets. We find it’s best to let them marinate overnight.
- Once ready to serve, try a beet to check for seasoning. Once you’re happy with the flavor, use a colander to strain the beets of any excess liquid (straining one color at a time). Spoon the beets into a wide bowl and garnish with raw shaved beets, pea shoots, and edible flowers. Bon Appetit!
