I don't have a lot of time to write to you today before I leave for work. I've squandered my morning sitting out on the back porch with Maisy, watching the Leonid Meteor Shower. It was nice viewing, but—*Brrrr*—it's darn cold out!
So, as I sit here trying to thaw all the bits and pieces near and dear to me, I can practically guarantee the Geminids show (December 13/14) will have to go on without me next month. ;)
I did want to take a few minutes to talk about what is often the most neglected course with dinner—the salad.
We've sure come a long way from once-upon-a-time when we tossed a bit of iceberg lettuce in a bowl with a chunk of greenhouse tomato and drowned it all in a thick coating of Thousand Island dressing. But, seriously, who could blame us? Iceberg lettuce might be fine shredded as filler in a taco shell, but it's a sorry excuse for salad fixins given the alternatives you can find at the market today.
Last night, I was warming-up some leftover Golumpkis for supper. Now, I know folks usually grimace when you mention leftovers, but, believe me, cabbage roll-ups are even better on Day 2. Because my mom made these Golumpkis, I KNEW they were going to be delicious. However, since I didn't have another side-dish planned, I thought a nice salad would round-out the menu.
Although I'm a huge fan of fresh spinach, romaine and those tender baby greens most often labeled as "spring mix," my absolute favorite dinner green is "living" Butter Lettuce.
So, as I sit here trying to thaw all the bits and pieces near and dear to me, I can practically guarantee the Geminids show (December 13/14) will have to go on without me next month. ;)
I did want to take a few minutes to talk about what is often the most neglected course with dinner—the salad.
We've sure come a long way from once-upon-a-time when we tossed a bit of iceberg lettuce in a bowl with a chunk of greenhouse tomato and drowned it all in a thick coating of Thousand Island dressing. But, seriously, who could blame us? Iceberg lettuce might be fine shredded as filler in a taco shell, but it's a sorry excuse for salad fixins given the alternatives you can find at the market today.
Last night, I was warming-up some leftover Golumpkis for supper. Now, I know folks usually grimace when you mention leftovers, but, believe me, cabbage roll-ups are even better on Day 2. Because my mom made these Golumpkis, I KNEW they were going to be delicious. However, since I didn't have another side-dish planned, I thought a nice salad would round-out the menu.
Although I'm a huge fan of fresh spinach, romaine and those tender baby greens most often labeled as "spring mix," my absolute favorite dinner green is "living" Butter Lettuce.
You can usually find butter lettuce sold in a large plastic clamshell. This special variety of loose leaf head lettuce is grown in water (hydroponic) and packaged with its root ball intact. It has a delicate mild-to-sweet flavor with a firm-crisp texture. I swear, it's so tender and delicious, you can even eat the stems. At the end of the day, you only need to toss away the root ball.
In fact, this lettuce is so special, it deserves a plate of its own. I served it here on a large glass dinner plate. As the leaves fan out in all directions, a little lettuce offers a lot of plate coverage.
The real beauty of this salad comes from what you use to compliment the greens. It's no secret that we eat with our eyes, so I try to decorate the plate like a painter's palette—with lots of color.
I almost always have carrots and fresh tomatoes in the vegetable bin, so that's a given, but don't stop there. Frozen sliced peaches are perfect to keep on hand because you only need to pull out a few at a time. Thaw and cut them into bite-size pieces right over the salad. Don't have peaches? Slice up a bit of cantaloupe melon. Just don't be afraid to risk something different. I also tossed on dried cranberries, chopped salad olives and pine nuts.
But the what really makes this salad amazing is crumbled Tomato-Basil herb Feta cheese. There's just something about the pungent flavor of the Feta that compliments the sweet fruits.
Finally, serve the salad with raspberry vinaigrette, a balsamic vinegar infusion or Italian. It's all good... oh, and you can just put that thick, heavy dressing right back in the fridge. This salad definitely won't want its living lettuce "smothered." ;)
In fact, this lettuce is so special, it deserves a plate of its own. I served it here on a large glass dinner plate. As the leaves fan out in all directions, a little lettuce offers a lot of plate coverage.
The real beauty of this salad comes from what you use to compliment the greens. It's no secret that we eat with our eyes, so I try to decorate the plate like a painter's palette—with lots of color.
I almost always have carrots and fresh tomatoes in the vegetable bin, so that's a given, but don't stop there. Frozen sliced peaches are perfect to keep on hand because you only need to pull out a few at a time. Thaw and cut them into bite-size pieces right over the salad. Don't have peaches? Slice up a bit of cantaloupe melon. Just don't be afraid to risk something different. I also tossed on dried cranberries, chopped salad olives and pine nuts.
But the what really makes this salad amazing is crumbled Tomato-Basil herb Feta cheese. There's just something about the pungent flavor of the Feta that compliments the sweet fruits.
Finally, serve the salad with raspberry vinaigrette, a balsamic vinegar infusion or Italian. It's all good... oh, and you can just put that thick, heavy dressing right back in the fridge. This salad definitely won't want its living lettuce "smothered." ;)
~ Robin
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