Cooking in Kate’s Kitchen

Those whom I cook for (few and far between), know that I have my “go-to” dishes (swiss steak) and that’s about it. But, from time to time, I like to draw points of inspiration from some of the best. Katie Brown, Chef de Cuisine at Play Food & Wine, is one of the most talented and innovative chefs in Ottawa. So, I thought, why not take a page out of her book? I attempted to recreate her own invention, “the radish and cucumber salad”. This salad is perfect for a light, refreshing lunch and, surprisingly, is incredibly easy to prepare. Read on to find out how…

You will need:

3 Cucumbers

Bunch of radish

Lemons (2 or more)

Bunch of fresh mint

Vegetable Oil

Cream Cheese x 2

Cream

Serves 4

1. Let cream cheese temp, about 30 minutes, at room temperature.

2. Pour vegetable oil into a bowl, muddle mint in the oil. Let sit for 20 minutes.

3.Slice cucumbers and radish.

4.Whip cream cheese into a mousse-like texture, add cream as needed to lift the texture. Add lemon juice and blend.

5. Strain mint leaves from the oil. Toss the cucs and radish in the mint-infused oil. Add salt and pepper.

6. Serve veg over cream cheese mousse, add lemon zest as garnish.  A quick and easy recipe for a fresh summer salad!

I was serving more than 4, so I decided to divvy up the cream cheese and veg into small portions, served over Breton crackers. Juuuuuust as yummy!