gratitude

How grateful I am for this:

 

The first lovely, delicate lettuce of the season, purchased yesterday from a charming, elderly gentleman farmer. Gratitude for the beauty and freshness of these greens, gratitude for the farmer. Gratitude for the first farmer's market of the season, gratitude for Spring!

And, gratitude for this tiny beauty growing in our garden:

 

It's a beautiful sight to see.

I love berry salads but am not a fan of the thick, sugary, goopy dressings that are often served with said salads. Recently, I decided to experiment (fancy that) and see what I could do with the bare minimum to dress a strawberry salad. Let me tell you, the result is bliss.

Meg's Spring Strawberry Salad

1 bunch of the freshest Spring greens you can find (or grow your own!)
1 bunch gorgeous strawberries, sliced thin
Raw pecans
Fresh chevre (Oh, how I love a really fine goat cheese! Buy the best you can afford. Cheap chevre tastes like wet goat fur.)
Extra virgin olive oil
Raspberry wine vinegar

Gently wash your Spring greens and give them a spin. Tear into bite-sized pieces. Watch out for kittens on the prowl. (As I was preparing my fresh -as in still graced with fine Kansas dirt- greens this evening, my kitty pounced on the counter, snagged a piece of lettuce, and ran off to devour it. That was certainly a first! She knows good greens when she smells them!)

Lovingly arrange the greens in your favorite salad bowls and generously sprinkle with sliced strawberries, pecans, and tiny dollops of chevre.

To dress, drizzle with very small amounts of both olive oil and raspberry vinegar. That's all. No goop needed. The amazing flavors of Spring will shine through!

Take a look at this beauty of a salad:

 

We ate our salads on the patio this evening, amidst the scent of lilacs on a gentle breeze. The house finches who are nesting in the evergreens around our patio watched us dine. It was a beautiful Spring night, a beautiful Spring meal. I am truly grateful!

PS - fix this for your Mama for Mother's Day and she will be dazzled!

celebration salad

Here's what was cooking in my kitchen today:

 

And the end result, thanks to Mom, Miranda, Martha (in absentia), and experimentation with electrical tape:

 

I think the Easter bunny will be proud. It sure was fun!

More fun is on the way for our family's special holiday dinner. Mom is cooking (yum!) and I have the pleasure of just bringing the salad. That's one thing that I get asked to do a lot as a veggie girl - bring the salad. And, I have just the salad to bring for Spring: my version of Tom and Beth's Mandarin Salad.

Tom and Beth are perhaps the most delightful couple on Planet Earth. I had the pleasure of taking yoga classes from Tom for about 10 years and our friendship grew and flourished during that time. His heartfelt, humorous, and deeply wise insights into life are a true blessing in my life. Plus, he's a total nut. In the best way possible. :) And, Beth is a treasure of gentleness and warmth. Together, they are the picture of love, which they so generously radiate into the world.

Tom and Beth are creating a beautiful retreat center, Timber Creek Hearth House, which you are welcome to learn more about here. We had the pleasure of visiting their gorgeous land and enjoying a lovely meal together in August 2002 in which we were served a most delicious salad. (How do I know the date? In a rare moment of archiving brilliance, I saved the email they sent with the recipe I requested and made sure that I noted the date. I wish I did this with all of the recipes shared with me by friends! What a fun history that would be in my recipe box. I will start today.) And, so, receiving that recipe has led me to make this delicious salad over and over again, for countless celebrations, remembering each time the kindness of Tom and Beth. That's how I think of this salad - in celebration. In friendship. Together, pure deliciousness. I hope you enjoy.

Celebration Salad
based on Tom & Beth's Mandarin Salad

In your favorite large salad bowl, generously toss together:
organic leaf lettuce
organic baby spinach
2 cups chopped celery
4 organic green onions, thinly sliced

Drain 2 - 3 cans of mandarin oranges (in juice, not water), reserving 1/2 cup of the juice. Gently sprinkle the oranges on top and enjoy their glowing loveliness!

 

Mix the dressing in your favorite cruet:
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1/2 C mandarin orange juice
4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (or dried if not in season)
dash salt and pepper

Shake well and serve with toasted almonds on the side. I have also topped this salad with gorgonzola, or strawberries, or sugared almonds. Make it your own for your own celebrations!

just as they are

So, I'm sitting in the waiting room of my doctor's office yesterday and in walks this elderly woman. I actually should say, in marches this elderly woman. She was an eye-catcher: red velvet pants, red high heels, black leather jacket, red furry earmuffs over platinum blond hair, teased way up. Wow! But, it gets better. She plants herself in front of the reception desk and belts out her name with a volume that woke everyone up - and there actually were two people snoozing in the lobby. (It was a great name, too. Fit her perfectly!) Once checked in, she took a chair up front and began rummaging around in her giant red (of course) purse. It sounded like she had pots and pans in there with all of the clanging going on. Then, she pulled out a huge bottle, whipped off those earmuffs, and began spraying herself with a fog of some perfume that I couldn't identify, but smelled thickly floral with perhaps a hint of cotton candy. A carnival-scented cloud hovered over the entire lobby.

I was riveted with this entrance. Everyone else was staring, too. How could you not?!? My first thought was, "Am I in the middle of some sort of performance art?" But as I watched her settle in to wait, seemingly unaware of the attention she had drawn to herself, I realized, this is just who she is. She's just being herself. Dang. It made me laugh inside and also marvel at her moxie. Wouldn't it be refreshing if we ALL showed our true selves to the world, velvet pants (if that's your thing) and all?

Okay, you've read this far. Probably you are wondering what this has to do with vegetarian cooking. I honestly do have a connection here and it has to do with salad dressing. Really.

I love veggies. Organic ones especially. I love their taste, scent, texture, and multitude of colors. And, I especially love them just as they are. Being themselves. Not covered up with globs of salad dressing (akin to stinky perfume, in my opinion) that masks their true flavor. Now I grew up with a wide selection of dressings in the fridge and still do enjoy a nice balsamic vinaigrette. But, for fresh salads that just shine with simple deliciousness, this is my dressing recipe:

Simple Deliciousness Dressing

drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
squirt of fresh lemon juice
sprinkle of herbs, fresh or dried** (I love basil, oregano, dill, thyme, you name it)

Create your dream salad. Put everything you love, or like, or are willing to give a try, into your favorite bowl. Make it pretty. Then, drizzle, squirt, and sprinkle right on top and enjoy.

I dare you to to enjoy vegetables just as they beautifully are, without covering them up. Put on some something red and channel the chutzpah of the woman above if you need a kick to get started. :)

 

**And, if you are seeking excellent dried herbs to flavor your meals, let me recommend Penzey's Spices. This gem in downtown OP is a sensory treat to visit. You can sniff away from glass jars and find all kids of great recipes, too. Plus, with their inexpensive prices, you can go a little wild trying new things.

 

Have fun!