As the August heat bears down, it’s the season for refreshing punches, ice cream for dinner, and a crisper drawer overflowing with peak summer produce. We’ve all gotten a bit overzealous at the sight of those seasonal gems at the farmers’ market, but they don’t need to go to waste as soon as they lose their shine. All you need is a vibrant sauce to match their flavors, like the Cajun-inspired dressing in Chefs Boot Camp alum Kenny Gilbert’s recipe for strawberry, watermelon, and kale salad.
The recipe itself couldn’t be easier. Gilbert starts by cubing a cup of watermelon and quartering a couple handfuls of strawberries. Then, he slices up a few leaves of kale (you don’t even need to strip off the stems if the greens are young and tender enough) and some red onion. Finally, he tosses the salad with a supremely flavorful (and super simple) dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning, and chopped mint before topping it off with crumbled Cotija cheese. Best of all, this foolproof preparation is delicious with whatever produce is hogging your fridge space. Get the recipe and make it tonight.
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The James Beard Foundation's new cookbook, Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, offers up a host of delicious solutions to the pressing problem of food waste. Featuring 100 recipes from alumni of our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, Waste Not will teach you how to turn every root, bone, rind, and stem into an irresistible dish.
Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, published by Rizzoli, is on sale now. Order your copy today!
Frank Guerriero is the media assistant at the Beard Foundation. Find him on Instagram.
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