Will Drive for Food - A Saturday Adventure

Last month at the Food Truck Festival the hubby and I were chatting with Michelle of Fun and Fearless in Beantown. She asked us about our weekend and about how far we drove in to enjoy the barbecue brisket at the market.  My immediate reply was, "On Sundays we usually drive for food".  I laughed at how it sounded, but it's really true.  Many of our weekend adventures involve heading to a farmers market, a festival, or an interesting restaurant. We don't eat out during the week (well, maybe we sneak a lunch or two out) and weekends are when we let someone else do some of the cooking.

This weekend I was on my own for my adventure. I knew my starting destination and headed out with no particular agenda or return time. I love to wander, one thing leads to another, and it becomes an adventure!

I fueled up for my adventure with a slice of homemade whole wheat bread topped with homemade fig spread (recipe at the end). With an iced coffee from Red Barn Coffee Roasters in hand I hit the road and in about 30 minutes I arrived at the Harvard, MA Farmers Market.  I'd heard great things about the market and they have an informative and interesting website. There were a lot of new-to-me vendors and I spent some time chatting with all of them and picking up some great things.  I also spent a lot of time taking photos during the day. I'll highlight some of my favorites throughout the post. I hope you check out the slide show included in the post for all of my photos.

A bright yellow booth caught my attention and I stopped by to see what they were selling. I met the lovely Joanna and tasted her delicious biscotti. We started chatting and it turns out that Joanna just started her baking business and this was her second weekend at the market. After careers in marketing and kitchen design, she decided to take her well-tested biscotti recipe to the commercial kitchen and bring it to the public. She has more than 10 flavors. I picked out the orange walnut (with a full pound of walnuts in the 6 oz. of biscotti!). I look forward to trying out  more flavors! Hopefully she'll bring her treats to one of the winter markets in the area. She doesn't have a website yet, but she is in the process of setting it up.

Another fantastic surprise was Bagel Alley. There are bagel places out here in MetroWest, but none that satisfy my craving for chewy, dense, bagels. I picked up a half-dozen of my favorite flavors and asked if I could take a few pictures of the bagels. They seemed a little shocked that anyone would want to photograph their bagels, but they obliged. Here is my ode to my favorite stinky bagel, the everything bagel:

I also picked up a delicious whole wheat plum cherry scone from The Biscuit (from Somerville, MA). I munched on that while I gathered some other goodies like pea tendrils, a whole chicken (no giblets), parsley, spinach fettuccine, and parsnips.  Another new-to-me product was lupine beans. I had never heard of them before - turns out they blend into a flavorful and healthy hummus. After sampling a few flavors, I took home a cilantro flavored hummus. You can read about the lupine beans here.

I packed up my purchases and decided to wander through Harvard toward my absolute favorite fall stop - Bolton Spring Farm. Every fall since I first came to Boston for college, I've made a trip to Bolton Spring Farm. Three things I always buy there: hot apple dumplings, hot apple cider, and a Yankee Candle (apple, pumpkin, or cinnamon scented). They have apple picking too, but it's up a hill, so I usually pick up a pre-picked bag. This trip I got a half peck of Paula Reds, a cider donut, and a 'Be Thankful' candle.

Since I was on Route 117 with no agenda, I headed east toward Verrill Farm. At this point I really didn't need any more veggies or fruits, or so I thought...On my way to Verrill Farm I made a quick detour to Applefield Farm. They were at the farmers market and I decided to stop and see their real farm. I added three hot peppers and a cute green eggplant to my loot and got back on the road.

At Verrill Farm I added fresh figs, a beeswax candle, and an orange to my collection. I know the orange doesn't scream "Hey, it's fall", but my favorite apple cake calls for orange juice. Sometimes you just have to go with it.  When I got home, I laid out my purchases to see how crazy I went. Not too bad! I really love the magnet that I got at the market.

It was a fabulous day! Beautiful weather, friendly farmers and vendors, and of course delicious food. I cooked up a quick dinner from my finds, and ended up making it three more times over the weekend (it was that fresh and good!).

I had a great time taking photos - instead of a post with all of them, I hope you have a minute to watch the slide show below to see what food fun awaits you here in the suburbs.  Recipes from the posts follow the pictures.

Fig Cinnamon Jam

Recipe adapted from a recipe posted by Bob Dunn on Local in Season

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 pound fresh figs, stems removed and quartered 

1 1.5 inch strip of lemon zest

Juice from 1/4 of a lemon

1 tablespoon ground Vietnamese Cinnamon

Add water and sugar to a small saucepan, heat over medium heat and cook until you have a simple syrup (just a few minutes)

Add the quartered figs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon to the simple syrup and mix

Simmer over low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally

Let the mixture cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

Farmers Market Late Summer Pasta

Serves 1 (multiply by the number of hungry people you have to feed)

1/4  lb. Fior D'Italia Spinach Fettuccine, cooked to al dente

1/4 cup Wards Berry Farm red & yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 Applefield Farm green eggplant, diced

1 handful of pea tendrils/pea greens, coarsely chopped

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat

Add chopped garlic and cook until just fragrant

Add in halved tomatoes and diced eggplant, cook for about 5-8 minutes until softened but not mushy

Turn off heat and add pea tendrils and greens

Toss ingredients

Top a large bowl of pasta with the veggies and an extra drizzle of olive oil

Enjoy!

Yell at yourself for only making one serving

Make again for lunch and dinner the next day and add Parmesan cheese to the top

Where do your food adventures take you? What do you like to do when you have no agenda?

Kosher with a Kick (and friends!)

If you're a food and wine person in Boston and you're on Twitter (or follow any other foodie communication source), chances are you've heard about The Urban Grape in Chestnut Hill.  They've only been open 12 weeks, but they have definitely made their presence known in the community.

My first trip to The Urban Grape was back in July for a Budget-Friendly tasting hosted by Michelle over at The Economical Eater. It was a great introduction to the shop. TJ (the owner) and his staff not only poured great tasting wines, but also taught us a lot! From different grapes to the different regions to the weight of each wine, I felt like I took a crash course in Wine 101 when I left.

I've been trying new roses for the last year, and I asked staffer Kate for some suggestions on new-to-me bottles (or boxes) to try.  I picked up some budget friendly roses, a kicking riesling, and headed home with my purchases.

A few weeks later, another favorite blogger of mine Robin (from Doves and Figs), sent out a note that she was hosting a Jewish holiday themed tasting at The Urban Grape: Kosher with a Kick. I'm pretty sure I signed up the same night. Since the hubby is not a wine drinker, I invited our friend Avi to join in the kosher wine fun!

I'd been corresponding online with TJ and Hadley (the lovely, enthusiastic owners) and was excited to get back to the shop for some more learning and wine.  What really kicked the evening up a notch (sorry...) was that The Fireplace provided delicious food pairings for each wine we tasted.  If you haven't been to The Fireplace, you are missing out. Every meal starts with fresh, warm bread. And of course everything they serve after that is also fresh, mostly local, and delicious. Now on to the tasting...

First up, a sparkling wine paired with artisanal New England cheeses, figs, and homemade garlic crackers. I'm pretty sure that Manischewitz doesn't make a kosher sparkler. This was a little sweet, but not Manischewitz sweet. TJ gave us some great information on how kosher wines are prepared and Robin shared some stories of her holiday traditions. She also gave great tips on holiday decorations, since Martha doesn't really have a Jewish New Year decorating guide. You can see her vases of apples in the photo below.

Next up, was a white wine paired with a delicious "gourmet potato chip" topped with smoked salmon. There was more food than people, and I wouldn't turn down a second bite of something so delicious. This wine was  smooth and paired great with the salty chip and salmon. I think Avi liked it too!

While I was snapping photos, we made some new friends who were also enjoying the salmon. We started chatting with Jordan and Noah and found out that they were new to the area and fellow food lovers! Before the night was over we had made plans for a brunch involving smoked salmon and a challenge for me to find a way to serve brisket as part of breakfast (I think I've got an idea...).

The next two wines were paired with two different tarts. The wine served with the first was my favorite of the night - a kosher pinot noir from Italy. Not only was it delicious, it also had a fabulous label. Ask anyone who knows me well, and they will tell you that if it has a spiral design I will buy it!  The second tart served was unbelievable. And as we all agreed, it was the foraged mushrooms that put it over the top. Buttery crust, gruyere, and foraged mushrooms. I think you would describe this as having umami. Savory, rich, umami.

Before we finished up with the dessert course, TJ took some more time to explain what makes a kosher wine kosher and why traditional kosher wines were never that great. In the past, they would bring the wine to a boil and almost pasteurize it, changing the flavor (almost a cooked flavor).  These are considered mevushal wines, meaning that anyone (Jewish or not) can uncork and pour the wine and it still remains kosher. I actually had never heard about this (we always had Manischevitz at our family meals). There are many articles online if you search, this post would be very long if I tried to summarize all the details.  The Urban Grape stocks a lot of kosher selections, and more coming in every day. There are kosher wines from all over the world - and as TJ put it, they are great wines that happen to be kosher. But they do have concord grape in the back if you have a craving for something sweet.

I was intrigued by the dessert pairing - a 10 year single malt kosher scotch with Taza chocolate cake with caramel and whipped cream. I've never really tried scotch, so my take will be very different from an experienced scotch drinker. The first sip made me do a 'wow, that's strong' head shake and scrunched face.

Mmm...scotch?

Then, the smokiness hit me. It was like I was standing downwind from a campfire. I gave it a few more sips, but it was just too smoky for me. But the cake was to die for. I love Taza and this cake showed off its unique stone ground deliciousness. Sorry for the bite missing in the photo, I couldn't help myself.

Taza Chocolate Cake and Kosher Scotch

What a wonderful evening! It was great to see Robin and her husband Mark, meet Noah and Jordan, and finally meet Hadley in person! It's always nice to have a face to put with the tweets. I took home refills of the two roses I bought on my first visit plus a bottle of the kosher pinot noir. It's going to be a treat for our Rosh Hashanah dinner on Wednesday night.

Thanks to Robin, The Fireplace, and TJ and Hadley for hosting a fabulous night!

Me, Hadley, and Robin

Calories Consumed with Friends Don't Count

This is not a restaurant review - I leave those to the professionals! This is a recap of a fabulous night with some of my blogger buddies. When I first got on twitter and blogging last year, I "met" some Boston food bloggers and Jessie organized dinner to get everyone together to meet and talk food in person. We had a fun dinner at Cuchi Cuchi and kicked off new friendships! (You can check out a fuzzy photo of our evening via JQ Lounge).

Fast forward to this summer and restaurant week. I have mixed feelings about restaurant week, some places do it great and some are like hanger steak factories. But with all the new restaurants around town, I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I saw Jessie tweet about restaurant week and quickly sent her a note. We both got busy creating our restaurant lists. The criteria: new to us and not a shellfish/pork heavy menu. We went through about 40 restaurants each and agreed on Sportello - Barbara Lynch's fancy-ish diner in the Fort Point Channel. With an attendee list of a few of my favorite bloggers, the evening was sure to be a blast!

Nothing says summer restaurant week like a Nor'Easter! We all put on our rain boots and braved the elements to cross over the windy bridge to Sportello. Upon opening the door we were welcomed by the warm, comforting smell of browning butter. Really, is there a better smell?

We started off with a bottle of Rosato and a toast to good food and friends. Then we got down to decisions.

The menu was full of fresh, seasonal ingredients and each dish sounded mouthwatering. While we pondered the great choices, we were served whipped ricotta with olive oil and figs. The bread was sturdy, topped with sesame seeds, and had a wonderful buttery flavor.

A nice touch was the amuse bouche sent out to us from the kitchen sent. Fresh pink salmon, horseradish crema, finely diced chives, and a mini green garnish!

The first course was a unanimous choice by everyone - corn soup. It was lusciously smooth and rich. We asked our server if there was cream - she said no - just corn and olive oil which helped achieve that smooth velvety texture. We all cleaned our bowls, using the bread to get every last drop of soup, oil, and scallion. Here's what food bloggers do at dinner - Alicia from The Clean Plate Club documenting course one. To see the resulting picture, visit her blog.

I could write a series on the steak entree during restaurant week. I always order it. Some places do it better than others, and this was one of the best. It was not until our server brought out the meal that I realized that she didn't ask how I'd like the steak prepared. I like that! The chef knows the meat, knows the dish, and I trust that they serve it at the optimal level doneness. It was pink in the middle, a little crispy on the outside. What I loved about all the courses was that the portion size was just right. I didn't feel like I was struggling to finish and I definitely didn't think that the portions were skimpy. And I really liked the plates...and glasses, and the whole vibe). The diner feel was cozy, comfortable, and I felt very much at home.

In tribute to Alicia's blog - we were all members of the clean plate club!

Dinner was delicious and we laughed off all the calories! Or, as Alicia wisely says, "Calories consumed with friends don't count." Words to live by! 

Alicia, from A Boston Food Diary and Alicia from the Clean Plate Club

Me with  Katie from Once Upon a Small Boston Kitchen

Thanks Katie for the photo of Alicia and Fiona and you and me! I love your new camera!!

Fiona with Barbara Lynch (over her right shoulder!)

We all found a little more room for dessert. I opted for the chocolate bread pudding. It was served with caramel that tasted like it was poured straight from the pan onto the plate. It was buttery and just a little salty.  It was the perfect accompaniment to the dark, almost bittersweet, chocolate bread pudding. I kept saying I was going to stop eating, but who was I kidding? It wouldn't be very nice to waste any food!

It was a wonderful night! It was great to see everyone offline (links to their take on the evening or their blog):

Jessie (How2Heroes)
Katie (Once Upon a Small Boston Kitchen)
Fiona (A Boston Food Diary)
Alicia (The Clean Plate Club)
Peter (http://peteypumpkin.wordpress.com/)

I can't wait to head back down to try Sportello's regular menu, and stop downstairs for a cocktail at Drink.  I am especially looking forward to seeing and meeting more blog friends in person!

So Simple, So Good

Here's an easy way to make use of your farmers market finds.  Don't forget, it's still Massachusetts Farmers Market Week and you can help support the market with a donation of any size at http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org, just click on donate. To check out some other great blog posts celebrating the markets visit In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens.


Now, onto tonight's recipe. I wasn't planning on posting this while I was cooking - I just took a couple pictures with the plan of tweeting them. But my plan changed as soon as I took the first bite.  Tonight's dinner was quick to prepare (thanks to some cooking earlier in the week) and full of great flavor. Even better - it was almost all local!


Last week I picked up some yellow cherry tomatoes from Ward's Berry Farm at the Boston University Farmers Market. On Sunday I roasted them with some olive oil and kosher salt. They made a great topping for pizza bagels and then I put them in the refrigerator and forgot about them until tonight.


After reading about hard neck garlic over at Local in Season today, I picked up two heads from Atlas Farm during my after work trip to the Copley Farmers Market.  Not related to tonight's dinner I also picked up a leek and some local potatoes to turn into soup tomorrow. 

And the BEST part of my visit to the market today - ground cherries are back! These look like baby tomatillos - but have a personality all of their own. A little tart, a little sweet, and so addictive. I can polish off an entire container in one sitting. Even peeling off the little husks doesn't slow me down. Next year I'll have to try growing these in my expanded garden. Until then, I will buy as many as I can before they go out of season.

Now, back to dinner. My basil plants really enjoyed these rainy days and I had a lot to use. This was the finishing touch for dinner. The sauce was spicy from the garlic, but sweet from the tomatoes. The basil was bright and summery. I'm sitting here licking my lips just thinking about it. I might have to go heat up the leftovers for dessert.


Whole Wheat Linguine with Roasted Yellow Tomato Sauce
Serves 2


Roasted Tomatoes
About 20 yellow cherry tomatoes
Olive oil 
Kosher Salt


Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cover a baking sheet with foil
Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet
Drizzle enough olive oil on top to cover the tomatoes and use your hands to toss them in the oil
Sprinkle with kosher salt
Roast for about 15 minutes, until tomatoes split open
I chilled mine in the fridge all week

Sauce
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Roasted tomatoes
1 clove, hard neck garlic
Pinch of kosher salt
1 Tablespoon-ish of fresh basil


When you're ready to make the sauce, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat
When oil is hot, add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant
Add in tomatoes and salt and mix well
Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes (while the noodles cook)
When the sauce has thickened a little, remove from heat and put into a serving bowl

Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss
Top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese


Devour!

Local ingredients: Tomatoes, garlic, basil

Pantry items: Salt, olive oil, pasta, Parmesan cheese

Summary:

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Pasta pot, colander, cutting board, knife, baking sheet, small skillet, spatula, serving bowl and utensils

Farmer's Market Round-Up: Massachusetts Farmers Market Week

I don't have to tell you that I love farmers' markets.  This year I've been lucky enough to have access to a local market almost all year round.  In honor of Massachusetts Farmers Market week happening now (Sunday, August 22, through Saturday, August 28), here's a round-up of some of my favorite farmers market recipes and dishes.  Enjoy!

And, if you are inspired by the farmers market finds below, take a minute to visit the Mass Farmers Market website to find a market near you. You can also donate to Mass Farmers Markets. The organization’s donation link is http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/FMFM_Main.aspx.

Thanks to In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens for hosting this locally fabulous blogathon!

Now for the farmers market goodness!  But first, a question. Which is correct:

Farmers' Market
Farmer's Market
or Farmers Market

I'll share my preference in my next post.  Now on to the food!

Summer Salad: Farmers' Market Bounty
This salad features a wealth of ingredients from my go-to market vendors, Atlas Farms, Siena Farm, and the Herb Lyceum.  A perfect way to show off the local bounty!

Summery Pasta Salad
A perfect salad for a potluck. Fresh golden beets, purple scallions, and fresh herbs. Your guests are sure to enjoy this healthy (and mayo-free) salad.  They might even lick the bowl clean...

Market Review: Copley Square Farmers Market
This is my regular weekday market.  I visit them either Tuesday or Friday every week from June - November.  Since they stay open all the way until Thanksgiving I can stock up for all of the holidays. This is a recap of my first visit this season.  You can also read about some of the fabulous vendors in my article on Local In Season.  Don't miss Seta's Mediterranean Foods - her food is delicious and she is delightful.

Local Squash - Delicious Pies
Here's an example of why I love being able to get produce year-round from local farmers.  This is my first attempt at a homemade pumpkin/squash pie. After I tried this out, I stocked up on more squash for a Thanksgiving pie that I'm still drooling over and my relatives keep asking about. Read about that pie over at Local in Season.

Potato Leek Soup
I challenge myself to buy a new-to-me item at the farmers market during each visit. It can be something I've never eaten, never cooked, or a new variety of an old favorite. Before this visit I had never cooked leeks.  Inspired by the awful leek cooking on Top Chef, I decided I could definitely do better.


Watermelon Radishes and Bonus Corn
On the train home on a regular commute, I found a bag of fresh local corn that someone had forgotten to take home. Sad for them, great for me!  It was a great grilled side dish to burgers and a watermelon radish salad.

Favorite Fall Muffins: Local Apples
These are my favorite muffins. And its also my favorite cake. Any shape you make it, these apple kugel muffins deliver great flavor. What puts them up in the flavor hall-of-fame is the combination of fresh local apples, almond extract, and cinnamon.

Farmers Market Lunch...and Snack...and More
Here's a delicious look at some of my regular purchases from the Copley Market. Sadly, the Nantucket Wild smoked fish vendor isn't there this year, but you can find them at the South End Open Market (SoWa) on Sundays.  I am ahead a few Goat Cheese Picnic coupons if anyone wants to meet for lunch!

Local in Season at the Roslindale Farmers Market

Local in Season
If you are local for information on all foods local - visit Local in Season. The site is a great resource for where to find local food, what to do with when you get it, or where to eat out and have someone else cook it for you!  Here are a few of my farmer's market posts over on LIS:

Vic Torrito: The Pasta Man at the Russell's Garden Center Winter Market; Wayland, MA
Winter Local: A trip to the Natick Winter Market
Local Veal and other Winter Market Finds
The Market: Not Just for Produce
Brisket: Just Add Smoke; Russell's Garden Center Summer Market

I could recap almost my entire blog in this post - there is a local food in almost everything.  I hope this inspires you to get out and explore the wonderful resources in your area. Get to know your neighborhood and your farmers. I guarantee the food will taste better when you know where it comes from.

When He Fends for Himself: Bison Burgers

I never thought I would ever say this, but Ted Turner has had a positive influence in my life. Ever since I went to Ted's Montana Grill ten years ago and had my first bison burger, I knew I had stumbled upon something I really liked. There is a Ted's nearby to us and we have gone a couple of times, but I make an effort to see what other bison burgers are being created out there. More often than not, if a bison burger is on the menu I'll order it. Such is my desire to get a good burger that I had a bison burger on the way to Yellowstone, where one of attractions I was most excited about was to see the Buffalo roam. The burger was delicious and I don't feel the least bit guilty about. The herds of buffalo in the park were pretty awesome also. But, what does this have to with lonely dinners?

I don't know if you have noticed, but Whole Foods regularly stocks ground bison. When planning our meals for a particular week, the wife informed me that I was going to be on my own for a night. She told me this right in front of the meat counter, and because I don't really like to put too much thought into what I'm going to have for dinner 2 days in advance, and because the ground meat looked so good, I decided on the spot that I'd do bison burgers for when I fended for myself.

I had a solid plan for quickly forming the burgers and getting them on the grill when I got home, but I decided to take a load off first. This lead to "resting" for an hour or two, and before I knew it the wife was on her way home, it was kind of late, and I missed my opportunity to make the burgers. Admittedly the cooking and execution of my lonely meals is probably biggest hurdle I need to overcome. I can be quite lazy.

However, not all was lost. I originally purchased a half of pound of the meat so the next night I made two burgers for me and the wife to have for dinner. I wasn't fending for myself, but I was giving the wife a night off. Here's how the magic happened:

1. I placed the ground meat into a mixing bowl
2. Added dashes of salt and pepper
3. Sprinkled in some Worcestershire sauce (I've seen this go in burgers before, so it's staple, right?)
4. Added and egg and some breadcrumbs (The wife's suggestion)

I mixed this all up by hand and then formed the 2 patties. In the meantime, the grill was preheating so I took the burgers out back and threw them on. When they looked done, I used our fancy spatula to scoop them up and plated them. I also grilled up some corn on the cob go to with it. It turned out to be a really quick dinner and looking back on it, I'm not sure why I couldn't do it the night before. A couple of weeks back I promised more healthy and complete dinners and I think this one is a step in the right direction. Hopefully it is something I can build on so you all can be impressed by the next "When He Fends for Himself"

Summer Salad: Farmers Market Bounty

I love the farmers market! I know, I say it a lot but it is so fun to see what's fresh, meet the vendors, and just be outside in the summer.  When I saw that Olivia's Organics was calling for creative summer salad recipes, I knew exactly what I wanted to create. A Farmer's Market Bounty Salad.  The ingredients would be whatever looked interesting at the market.  For a base I used the Olivia's 50/50 blend.  It's half spinach and half spring mix.

I headed out for a lunchtime trip to the Copley Square Farmers Market.  Atlas Farms was my first stop, since I have my pre-paid share with them.  I picked up most of the ingredients, then wandered over to Siena Farm to see if they had any new-to-me produce.  These ingredients, combined with a few on hand from my weekend market visits, made for a good mix for the salad.

Atlas Farm
Rainbow Carrots
Yellow and Orange Tomato
Golden Beets
Flat leaf parsley

Siena Farm
Lemon Ball Cukes

Potager Farm/Herb Lyceum (SoWa Market)
Black Radishes

Also from the SoWa trip (can't remember the farm)
New England sweet corn

Whole Foods (not the market, but still seasonal!)
Fresh garbanzo beans

I had all the ingredients waiting in the refrigerator, but had no free nights for dinner!  So I did what any normal person would do (right?) and made my salad after coming home around 9:30 p.m.  I did a photo shoot with the completed salad and then packed it up for lunch the next day!

When I started thinking about a dressing for the salad, I kept coming back to something creamy.  It needed to be light that wouldn't hide the flavor of all of the vegetables.  I scoured the refrigerator and come up with Greek yogurt and lemon.  I added in some of the parsley and extra virgin olive oil for a quick and healthy dressing.

This was delicious, the Olivia's greens were a hearty base, and it was perfect for lunch and dinner for a few days!

Vegetable Prep


Slicing and dicing:
Carrots - peeled and cut into coins
Cucumbers
Tomatoes - cored first (I don't like all the seeds)

Peeled and Shredded:
Black radish
Golden beets (I also blanched these to help keep the color)

Blanched:
Fresh garbanzo beans
Shredded beets

Grilled:
We had grilled the corn earlier in the week and I used some leftovers

Salad Assembly
Place salad greens on a serving plate, top with veggies as neatly or sloppily as you'd like and serve!

Salad Dressing
1 container Chobani plain Greek yogurt
Juice from half a lemon
1 teaspoon (or so) extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and serve with salad

Summary:
Cutting board, knife, y-peeler, slotted spoon, sauce pot, serving plates and utensils


Lunch the next day: