Friday, April 06, 2007

Salad Days

I hate to think how many pictures on this blog look almost exactly like the one above.
Yet another salad made with fresh, local ingredients. Eaten in the dappled shadow at the table on the patio.
Yeah, I should go back and count some time.
See, that's what's going on chez Cookiecrumb. Always. I don't do complicated recipes. Beautiful produce is flooding the market. And of course, we had to sit outdoors in the gorgeous weather, hence the dapples.
Ah, but there was a twist. Today's lunch was a bigger, more special version of that deliciously simple meal I take so many pictures of.
Cranky and I had a friend over to eat with us. We wanted to show her how well we can feed ourselves on a strictly local diet, while not spending outlandish amounts of money. We served four courses, from a pert little amuse bouche to a calming, easy (and small) dessert.
I'll talk about it later in the month, but I figured I'd show you today's familiar-looking salad.
It's made with baby Romaine leaves, topped with sliced roasted baby beets in two colors. Then it's showered with crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnut bits. The dressing was a light amalgamation of mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and olive oil.
Every one of the flavors in the salad was so intense, most surprisingly the lettuce (tastes of iron and chlorophyll), that just a small, casual plate of the stuff was enough to knock us silly.
Besides, there was more to come.

14 comments:

tammy said...

It's April and already I've doubled my salad intake for the year (from 2 to 4). Are you the one to blame for this?

Catherine said...

I'm enjoying the salad days too. Haven't posted because I'm eating Greek Salad, Caprese Salads. I even found fresh basil at the FM this week. Not much actual cooking going on. News? Email me.

Anna Haight said...

I had the most divine salad at Jason's today, will blog about it in a few days as I have some other posts in the cue to do... so many restaurants in Marin! It must be spring!

Ilva said...

Relax Cc, your photos are never the same and never boring so go on posting them and give us pleasure! Enjoy the sun!

Dagny said...

Salads are always good in my book. Just as long as I can pick out the ingredients I don't like. And it doesn't really matter what the subjects of your photos are; I always think they're pretty.

Katie said...

When the stuff is good and fresh, less is always better!
A lovely salad - and I like the dappled effect. The tree shading our terrace is a mulberry and it's always the last to leaf out....but, then it doesn't loose them until Christmas...Maybe it's just confused

cookiecrumb said...

Aw, kids. I wasn't begging for compliments. But thanks so much. :-)
Tammy: My fault? I'll cop to it.

Catherine: I got news. Here it comes. I like salads so much, and I just realized why, reading your comment: no cooking.

Anna: Thanks for the tip! (Pre tip, I guess!) You do a LOT of dining about in lovely Marin.

Ilva: You are my inspiration, did you know that?

Dagny: I would have guessed you were a salad chick. Didn't quite know you might have a problem with "icky" ingredients, but I can see that... :D

Katie: There is a mulberry tree in the condo complex where I live, but I've never sampled the fruit... I'll make that a project.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

I haven't been counting, and I'm not tired of them. When you have remarkably fresh produce and lovely weather, what's the worry? Living in CA, I sometimes forget that most of the country is still cold and eating hearty soups and salad days are far away.

cookiecrumb said...

Susan: My week's dining included a sumptuous, wintry soup. I guess we're in a transitional time.

Stacie said...

Personally, I come here specifically for the Salad Porn... and the witty puns based on popular culture... and the occasional liberal tort-eating rants... Looks yummy as usual!

Dagny said...

CC, just check with my mom. She will tell you that she has never been able to get me to eat beets. It was the one baby food that I was guaranteed to spit out. Now my mom on the other hand loves all things with beets.

cookiecrumb said...

Stacie: You whore! Love you.

Dagny: I know. Some people can NOT do beets. I respect that. When I think about beets, in fact, they're slimy and stanky... Oh, but I have a recipe for beet-buttermilk soup (chilled) that might change your mind.

Anonymous said...

Well it's certainly no less beautiful for being workaday. Sometimes simplicity is best, and farm fresh always works.

cookiecrumb said...

Sean: That's the thing. It's workaday, sure, but it's beautiful as all get-out, and it's fireworks in my mouth. Oh, and easy to make. Slam dunk.