Triple Pickle Chopped Salad with Torn Mozzarella

Growing up, I was a pickle purist. The only pickle I truly liked was a kosher dill with extra garlic. But fortunately for me, I have since branched out. Chow chow or pickled green tomato relish was my gateway pickle to a whole new world. At this point, it’s difficult to find a pickle I don’t like. Bread and butter pickles and I are still touch-and-go, but other than that I’m across-the-board pro-pickle. So if I like them all why not pile them all in one place? And that place happens to be this Triple Pickle Chopped Salad with Torn Mozzarella. A salad that doubles down on what I think is everybody’s favorite parts of a salad – the pickle-y bits and the cheese. So without further ado, let’s tackle this briny wonder.
Fried Green Tomato Salad with Figs and Halloumi

It’s peak tomato season, so my breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours have been dominated by the juicy fruit of the moment. But in this sea of tomato perfection, there are bound to be a few stragglers. A few hard green holdouts, if you will. Your knee-jerk reaction may be to find these late bloomers in a cozy space on a window sill and wait for them to slowly blush. But I have another more immediate alternative – this Fried Green Tomato Salad with Figs and Halloumi. Paired with a creamy Chive Buttermilk Dressing this salad is less of a salad and more of a late summer treat. So let’s get into it!
Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad

Potato salad can be a difficult dish to get excited about. It always plays second fiddle. Always a side, never a main. But if there was ever a rendition that deserved the spotlight, it’s this Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad. This over-the-top crowd-pleaser features creamy baby Yukon gold potatoes tossed with thinly sliced scallions and celery dressed in a caramelized shallot and sour cream dressing. The salad is topped with quartered hard-boiled eggs, celery leaves, and of course, crushed sour cream and onion chips. They are crinkle-cut chips and yes, I do think that makes a difference. I don’t know about you, but I think this salad is far from a sidekick. So let’s make it!
Smashed Cucumber Sesame Noodles

Sesame noodles are well-trodden territory at this point. But that doesn’t make them any less compelling. Every summer they factor rather prominently into my diet. When the world is inhospitably humid they are my favorite thing to slurp on. But in order to make blog-worthy sesame noodles, I knew I had to make them different. Because the Internet needs another straightforward sesame noodle recipe like I need another hole in my head. Luckily, I’ve been riffing on sesame noodles for several summers now. And these Smashed Cucumber Sesame Noodles are the most recent and my current favorite incarnation. So without further ado, let me introduce you to my main noodle squeeze.