manhattanmorsels: Sam's Summer Fruit Salad

Restaurant-stalking all of the Top Chef-ers is quite nearly impossible taking into consideration my budget, propensity to save..or be cheap?..., full-time job (spent in what has been lovingly deemed the “cubefarm”), and..lack of private jet? But my mouth waters each time I rewatch seasons past for the [insert embarrassing number]th time, and so I decided the best solution was to attempt to recreate dishes in my own kitchen. Let’s start with something easy, shall we?

I put Sam's Summer Fruit Salad with Spicy Mint Chimichurri and Spinach together for some friends a few weeks ago, and although I wouldn’t say this dish called for much “cooking” (Is the Season 2 finale replaying in your head too? TC “It dawned on me, he didn’t cook anything..” Padma “So” TC “This is a cooking competition!”) - it certainly was refreshing. Claiming to serve 6, the dish was consumed by my four friends at a rapid pace, who were then left to stare, disappointed, at an empty bowl. I made a few edits to the recipe (found here) due to Trader Joe’s selection, but I’m sure my not-(yet)-so-discerning palate wasn’t particularly bothered. The great thing is in order to buy the required fruit, you’ll be forced to buy a lot, and then you can make much more than the recipe suggests. And you will definitely want to. (& by the way, Happy National Watermelon Day..nom nom..okay..I have and hate to admit this..I'm not a watermelon fan).

And what is Sam Talbot up to these days? Well New-Yorkers, I would suggest buying tickets to see him this Saturday at The Summer BBQ Blowout Festival. If you happen to be busy do not fret - Imperial No. Nine, a sustainable seafood concept located off the lobby of the Mondrian Soho, or the Surf Lodge in Montauk await you. As does his upcoming book. And even if the ridiculousness of Season 2 and “the incident” soured you a bit, I’m sure his good looks or his commitment to diabetes advocacy (most recently joining “Life First” Diabetes Awareness Campaign) are redeeming qualities.