Salads fit the season

The musical charm of Linda Steidel's voice wins you over before her tempting dishes steal your heart. Her soft Southern drawl is songlike, pleasingly rhythmic as a gentle rain.

Steidel, a cookbook author and cooking teacher, grew up in Lubbock, Texas. But years spent as an international flight attendant gave her myriad opportunities to hone her culinary skills in Europe and America.

She studied with food authorities such as Jo Bettoja in Italy, Anne Willan at La Varenne and wine and food experts from the Napa region, including those at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

"When flying international, we ate out, and even without a lot of money, we ate incredible, delicious meals at restaurants," she said, explaining that her childhood exposure to food was limited to the five dishes her mother prepared.

"While living in New York City, I took classes with Sheri Zitron. She offered cooking classes in her home, teaching five students at a time. I signed up for a six-week course. It was way too expensive for me, but I got hooked and signed up for more. She was a wonderful teacher, and I developed a lot of my teaching techniques from her."

Those teaching skills include the ability to make cooking fun and easy. Her vibrantly flavored dishes work perfectly for home cooks. The recipes maintain a simple-is-best theme while using colorful, fresh ingredients to their best advantage.

Her new book, "For Every Season There Is a Salad" (Brio, $29.95), shows off her talent for creating salads that can be the main course, or team with other dishes to make a meal.

Steidel hasn't always been a salad fan.

"As a child, I hated salad," she said. "It was iceberg lettuce and bottled dressing. Maybe a tomato. But as I learned to cook, I really got into fresh salad dressings. I eat salads every day now. And I get my students excited about salads, too." The book is arranged by season, and its summer chapter offers an amazing assortment of delectable warm-weather salads. Here are some samples.

GRILLED ZUCCHINI AND BELL PEPPER FATTOUSH

Yield: Six servings

Grill: 3 medium red and/or orange bell peppers, cored, seeded, quartered

4 to 5 slender zucchini, trimmed, cut lengthwise in half

Two 5- to 6-inch pita breads, each cut horizontally into 2 discs

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 8-ounce cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes

12 cherry tomatoes, each halved

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1⁄3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1⁄2 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 4-ounce piece feta cheese, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes

Procedure

Heat barbecue. Clean grate. Brush peppers, zucchini and bread on both sides with oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Grill peppers and zucchini until lightly charred and just tender, turning often, about six minutes. Transfer vegetables to a foillined baking sheet. Grill bread until lightly charred and just crisp, turning often, about three minutes. Transfer to sheet with vegetables and cool. Tear bread into 1-inch pieces.

Cut peppers lengthwise into 1⁄2-inch wide strips, then crosswise into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Cut zucchini lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Place in large bowl.

Add cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, olives, mint and cilantro and toss to combine. Add bread pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice and cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad. Toss to coat. Add feta and gently mix into salad. Serve.

Source: "For Every Season There Is a Salad" (Brio, $29.95)

GRILLED APPLE, ARUGULA AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

Yield: Six servings

3 Granny Smith apples, halved, cored

3 slices crusty, Tuscan-style bread cut into 1-inch chunks

2 bunches arugula, trimmed and torn into large pieces

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

1⁄2 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1⁄3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Procedure

Place the apples cut side down on a medium-hot grill and cook for about five minutes or until well-browned. At the same time, place the bread on the grill and toast until golden-brown. Remove the apples and bread from the grill when they are nicely toasted.

When they are cool enough to handle, cut the apples into thin slices and toss in a bowl with the bread.

Add the arugula, grapes, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Just before serving, sprinkle with blue cheese.

Source: "For Every Season There Is a Salad" (Brio, $29.95)

MAC AND CHEESE SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK DRESSING

Yield: Six servings

1 pound fusilli or macaroni

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil

For dressing:

1⁄2 cup mayonnaise

1⁄2 cup sour cream

1⁄2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1⁄4 cup thinly sliced chives

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced shallots

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For salad:

1⁄4 cup thinly sliced green onion

3 ounces ricotta salata, grated (about 3⁄4 cup), see cook's notes

5 cups loosely packed mache or baby spinach leaves, see cook's notes

Cook's notes: Ricotta salata is ricotta cheese that has been pressed, salted and dried. It is sold at markets with large specialty cheese sections, such as Bristol Farms or Whole Foods. If you can't find it, substitute pecorino cheese. Mache is sometimes called lamb's lettuce.

Procedure

Cook pasta a few hours ahead and drain, running cold water over it. Drain. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta. Toss and cover with plastic wrap.

To make buttermilk dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk in a bowl. Add dill, chives, garlic, shallots and lemon juice; whisk again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place pasta in large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in enough dressing to coat it generously. Fold in green onions, cheese and mache or baby spinach. Mound the salad on a large platter and serve.

Source: "For Every Season There Is a Salad" (Brio, $29.95)