Ta da: Introducing the Friday Finding Harmony Recipe of the Week

Today begins a new feature at Finding Harmony Blog—a weekly Friday recipe. I have duly noted that blogs offering quality recipes get higher views and shares. We are all so busy that it’s nice to get something useful out of a blog so I hope this becomes a reliable place for regular recipes from a mix of traditions—in keeping with my theme of finding harmony among all things …

The traditions might be …
Mennonite, Presbyterian, Southern, Northern, Lunar (just kidding).
Whether you’re a locavore, omnivore, carnivore or carnival-ore (just guess)
Whatever your thing: my motto is just get ‘er on the table. Keep eating together.

This also kicks off a countdown to (no I won’t put one of those frightening counters on my blog counting the minutes and seconds—they give me a panicky fright) encouraging folks to celebrate and keep family dinner because of all the good things eating together fosters. (That I go on about yadda yadda in my book, Whatever Happened to Dinner.) I’m lining up some other writers and bloggers for a week of special blog posts giving fresh ideas on how others enliven their food preparation, meals and fellowship around food: a food swapper, a supper clubber, a self-confessed group of nerds who come together to eat and play board games and more.

I’m also kicking up my commitment to this blog a notch and while I’ll continue to write on a variety of topics—inspirational (I hope), faith-related, family reminisces, local color stories, book reviews, and soon, Grandma stories (hoping!) and more—every Friday I’ll try to have a new recipe to share and illustrate.

Here’s an easy summer salad that is great for using up the bounty from gardens about now or your veggie refrigerator drawer or your CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box:

Simple Summer Garden Medley*

Wash and dice equal amounts of : (add or delete according to your supply on hand or tastes)

Zucchini
Yellow squash
Tomato
Cucumber
Green pepper
Red pepper

Add chopped onion to taste. Stir in 1-2 cans rinsed black beans and/or 1 quart corn. (If adding fresh corn, be sure to cook and cool it—great for using up those extra ears of corn you make for a meal but everyone is too stuffed to eat.) Add 1-2 cups Italian dressing and stir. (For just a small batch, try ½ cup quantity of each vegetable and ½ cup dressing.) Chill two hours or longer. Can be made a day ahead. Guaranteed to disappear at your next potluck or family reunion! It can even sit out at a picnic for a couple hours without too much worry of ruination.

Good way to use up the 1-2 leftover cooked ears from corn on the cob.

* Kid friendly to make and eat. As soon as your kids can safely handle simple knives, set them up with a cutting board and knife and let them chop away, under supervision of course. My kids always loved foods they helped to make. Also makes a great salad for kids starting to eat solid food on the BLW or F (Baby Led Weaning or Feeding) plan. Yes, Grandma-to-be is getting up to speed on current issues in child rearing and will have a book review soon!

(Two demerits on me for not knowing where I got this recipe; it’s in my recipe box without attribution but probably came from an email or staff newsletter that I printed and copied and trimmed off all the source notes. There are many similar out there and I doubt anyone can claim originality but if you gave me this recipe, particularly with the note “Guaranteed to disappear at your next family reunion” which was part of the original let me know and I’ll send you … something.)

Many recipes similar to this in Simply in Season cookbook. This is a newsy page with more info on Simply in Season, soon going for another reprint.