Summer Salads

     Most of Arnauld's side of the family lives on Long Island.  At the start of the year they decided to try and gather each month for a family dinner.  All of the gatherings have been on Long Island so far but today everyone will be meeting at Arnauld's mom's house for the first Connecticut party.  The party just so happens to coincide with one of the hottest days of the year!  Eating anything heavy on a day like today is not possible in my opinion.  I volunteered to make a few side dishes so when planning I just had light and summery on my mind.

Summer Pea, Watermelon, and Farro Salad
Recipe from Cooking Light (August 2011)

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked farro or wheat berries
1 cup fresh green peas
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup seedless watermelon, cubed
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh Romano cheese, shaved

Method
1. Place farro in a saucepan and cover with water, about 2 inches above farro.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Add green peas to the pan with the farro and cook for 2 more minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the farro with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Add the watermelon and parsley.  Gently mix to combine these ingredients.  Add the Romano cheese to top the salad off.

3 Bean Quinoa Salad
Recipe from Whole Foods

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Salt and Pepper
1/2 lb cooked green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup edamame, unshelled
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1 tsp dried tarragon

Method
1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water and drain.  Bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil in a small pot.  Add the quinoi and a pinch of salt.  Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer until the quinoa is tender and all of the water has been absorbed.  Uncover and allow to cool.
2. Put quinoa, green beans, edamame, kidney beans, dressing, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a large bowl  Toss well and serve chilled or at room temperature.