Corn Salad

My husband is not American. Or he's not a United Statesian- he is from that other America, that continent and change that is so easy to overlook. Thus, he is weird. He doesn't like puppies, or sunshine, or swimming. Or corn on the cob.

Yes. I married a man who hates summer.

So this is corn off of the cob, although it is still too sweet. Because he doesn't like sweet corn either.

Take two handfuls of sweet peppers. Char in an unoiled pan until soft and remove. Cut the kernels off of four ears of corn. Add 1 tbs. oil to pan, and saute corn until soft. Chop the peppers into 1/2 inch sections and add to corn. Stir.

See, if we weren't hanging out with other cultures, we would have never made something this tasty.

Green bean and okra stir fry

I might be allergic to okra but it is so delightful I continue to eat it. (I suspect inulin.) Down in this giant city thing, the only places to buy okra are those famed inner city convenience stores and farmer's markets catering to Asians. I serve this as a side dish to the Annapurna dal.

Heat 1 tbs oil on high heat and add 1 tsp. mustard seeds. Stir until seeds start to pop. Add 1/2 pound okra, 1 chopped serrano chile, and 1/4 pound green beans, broken into pieces. Cook, stirring frequently, until okra is tender and beans are bright green.

Sprinkle with salt and cumin. Serve.

Tomato Cucumber Indian Salad

I've been making the Annapurna dal a lot this summer, but I've been using quick cooking mung beans and throwing them into the rice cooker. Since sludge is our goal, it's great to not have to worry about burning. This is one of the side dishes I favor.

Slice three or four good tomatoes and a couple of pickling cucumbers. Sprinkle with cumin and salt. Stir and serve.

Few ingredients, an entire dinner that doesn't require a stove- life in summer is pretty good.

Annapurna Dal

It looks like baby poop. I should learn how to take decent photos.

This soup is named for the restaurant in Nevada City, not the mountain. The secret is using dried baby garbanzo beans- although I suppose you could use red or yellow lentils.

Serves 2.

Take one cup of the chosen legume. Simmer with three cups water until soft (45 minutes). Crush with a food processor or potato masher (or a fork).

While the garbanzitos are cooking, dice one onion. Saute at very low heat in 1 tbs safflower oil until caramelized. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground cumin) and briefly increase the heat in order to toast the spices.

Mix the caramelized onions and the legumes. Salt to taste. Eat.