Summer Vegetable Ceviche

This is from the cover of the August Food & Wine magazine. It leapt out at me, the bright colored vegetables and fruits glistening in a come hither way. It's the siren of summer salads. A veritable hussy of limey-sweet allure. How scrumptious does this sound, in mid-July when everyone is feeling languid and louche: summer vegetable ceviche -- bright, fresh vegetables in a lime dressing (with jalapenos, cilantro and nectarines)? Adapted from David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl. 

Vegetable ceviche from Food & Wine, August 2013

From Food & Wine, August 2013

I couldn't find lima beans at the farmer's market yesterday, so I substituted raw sugar snap peas sliced into 4-5 pieces. Also, I didn't have shallots and scallions, so I used finely chopped red onion.

1. 1 cup fresh baby lima (broad) beans (from about 1 1/2 pounds in the pod) or other shelling bean
2. 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
3. 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
4. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5. 1 scallion, thinly sliced
6. 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
7. 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
8. Sea salt
9. 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
10. 2 nectarines, cut into thin wedges
11. 1 Haas avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
12. 1 large orange bell pepper, finely julienned
13. 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
14. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro  

1. In a small saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the lima beans until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the beans and rinse under cold water.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the lime zest and juice with the olive oil, scallion, jalapeño and shallot; season the dressing with salt. Gently fold in the lima beans, corn, nectarines, avocado, orange pepper and tomatoes. Refrigerate the “ceviche” for at least 2 hours. Fold in the cilantro just before serving and serve the “ceviche” chilled.

-- The salad can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours. 

And may I share these sexy tomato photos, shot yesterday? How I love July.
 

tomatoes at the studio city farmers market yesterday

more ridiculously beautiful tomatoes yesterday