Block Party

Two houses and seven years ago I lived on one of those blocks where block parties were a regular event. As long as the weather was nice we were out there sharing great food and hanging out. I was very sad to leave that street, I’d never had that kind of neighborhood experience before, and though since I’ve left many people have also moved away, I still keep in touch with many of them. This was the kind of street, and these were the kind of people that if an emergency came up you could hand your beloved child to any one of them and know she’d be in good hands.

A few weeks ago I heard from my former neighbor Sara, inviting me to a Kenilworth block party. Though I’ve been back a few times to visit this was the first block party I was going to since my unhappy departure. I was excited about seeing old friends  and looking forward to what was sure to be some great food.

Back when I was living there Melody was famous for her amazing salads. It was she who taught me the trick of making a killer salad; one fruit, one nut and one cheese, and I’ve stuck with that winning formula ever since. Melody and her family no longer live there, so no great salad.

There was a yummy asparagus galette-type item (the best thing I tried). Someone made a hot buffalo chicken dip which was interesting, but more like a casserole than a dip. There were a few pasta salads, and some homemade desserts. Someone actually called and had pizza delivered which was a first for me. I had been hoping Rueben would make his wonderful smoked salmon, but either I missed it, or he didn’t make it. No ribs, no barbecued chicken, but there were tons of kids, a mini pool and a fun time was had by all.

Though I don’t consider myself particularly competitive when it comes to food I feel I need to perform. I figured a salad of some sort would be good, so I looked through my cupboards and found lentils and quinoa, and the concept for my salad was born. I wanted some crunchy veggies, fresh herbs and feta, and ended up with something reminiscent of the Near East Tabbouleh salad that I grew up on.

The salad was a hit with kids and adults, and though people were guessing what was in it, no one identified the mint. Clearly it’s not overpowering, but it adds a freshness that’s great in a summer salad. Do you have a go to salad you take to summer potlucks or block party types of events?

Quinoa and Lentil Salad

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Serves	8-10
Prep time	1 hour
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	1 hour, 30 minutes
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (washed and toasted)
• 8oz green lentils
• 1 pint grape tomatoes (halved lengthwise)
• 1/2 Medium cucumber (peeled and seeded, and cut into 1/2)
• 4oz feta cheese (cut into 1/2)
• 4 scallions (sliced thin)
• 1 bunch Italian parsely (rough chopped)
• 1 Small bunch of mint (about 12 leaves, cut into chiffonade)
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions

Quinoa

Step 1

To wash quinoa put it into a bowl of cold water and swish it around with a whisk until it starts to foam Drain and change water and swish again Drain quinoa Heat a large pan over medium heat and add wet quinoa Toast quinoa stirring constantly until it starts to brown and you hear it popping (you will definitely hear it) Add quinoa to 2 cups of boiling salted water and simmer covered for 15 minutes Fluff, and cool

Lentils

Step 2

Add lentils to 2-3 cups of salted water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes Drain and let cool

Salad assembly

Step 3

Combine cooled quinoa and lentils in a large bowl Add scallions, cucumbers, mint and most of the parsley reserving some for a garnish

Step 4

In the bowl of a food processor combine lemon juice, oil and mustard with salt and pepper Toss salad with dressing Chill and serve