The Salad Days *part 1*

Don't you like when the winter's gone?

And all of a sudden it starts gettin' warm?

The trees and the grass start lookin' fresh,

And the sun and sky be lookin' their best.

Birds be singin', flowers be bloomin',

A lot of brand new cars be zoomin'.

Yes, Biz - and thank you for that - it is, in fact, Spring again.


I have been busy. Good busy, bad busy, normal busy, weird busy, all of the busys. In addition to being at a nice clip with Fred with all of the food photography and styling work, I have been writing more than ever before. I even caught wind, in an unusual way, that I won 1st place in critical writing (for my restaurant reviews) at the Virginia Press Association awards. So that feels pretty good. 

Emerson is busy. Busy talking, laughing, screaming, playing, walking, running, climbing, falling. She even face planted and chipped her front tooth. I handled it far worse than she did.  I still can't think about it - the sound when the tooth made impact with the concrete. I don't know what I'm going to do when she for real hurts herself.

But right now, the last freeze has passed, the spring rains are intermittent, and everything is temperate and wildly green. It even smells green. 

Though the sun and the warm and the green are all peeking out, we have to wait just a bit longer for the real bounty of spring produce. Stuff has to grow, you know!

Regardless, it renders all of us food fans, eaters, chefs and the like, feeling like a group of twelve year-olds waiting in the excruciatingly long line to ride the new roller coaster at the theme park. 

It will happen, almost there, so close...

But for now, we use the end of winter with the little bits of spring we've got available, in a totally summer way.

A salad.

I guess these truly are the salad days.

Take it home, Biz:

It's spring again.
Everybody know it's spring again.
To the girls and boys and people above.
This is the time to fall in love.

Blood Orange & Beet Salad

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

1 each - gold and white beets, roasted, peeled and sliced

2 blood oranges, sliced

Small fennel bulb, sliced thinly

Mint

For the dressing

1 medium shallot, minced

2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar

2 Tablespoons blood orange juice

Drizzle of honey

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

At least a couple hours prior to assembling the salad, roast beets in a 400 degree oven for about an hour, or until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Once the beets have cooled enough to handle, peel the skins.

In a small bowl whisk together minced shallots, champagne vinegar, blood orange juice and honey. Slowly add the olive oil as you mix and once everything is emulsified, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the fennel in with some of the dressing.

Arrange all salad elements directly on the plates. Drizzle dressing on top. 

Garnish with mint leaves.

Printable recipe.

One year ago: A grilled garden

Two years ago: Spring Vegetable Tart with Chevré & Ham

Three years ago: Roasted Purple Asparagus, Red Wine Vinaigrette, 62 Degree Egg

Four years ago:  The Pikey

Five years ago: Lamb Chops with Cardamom, Cumin & Lime

Six years ago: Let's Talk About Text, Baby