Wednesday, April 29, 2015

A Salad Revolution


Something hit me today. I love love love salad but I dislike very much going to the grocery store and spending $20 to buy fruits and vegetables so that I can cut off a quarter of it to make my salad for lunch. Sure if I were home more I could utilize the fruits and veggies for dinners and what-not but that is not my reality. I work nights, in a restaurant, that feeds me. 

Today I got a late start to my day. I wondered what I should eat for lunch. I was kind of craving these little smoked salmon nuggets that Whole Foods makes. Since there is a Whole Foods on my way home from the gym, I made the stop. I decided I wanted salad. A huge bowl of salad to go with my little salmon nuggets. I spent almost 10 minutes just trying to decide what package of lettuce to get. I ventured over to get my salmon. Then I thought - well shoot, what am I going to top my salad with? 
I looked at the vegetables and they all looked amazing. heirloom cherry tomatoes, tight and bright fennel, colorful radishes. Of course its all sold by weight and I can't very well cut off the fennel fronds or strip away the radish greens - and then a new idea hit me. The salad bar. 

Sure I am buying a package of greens. I plan on using a special vinegar I have at home for the dressing. But why not save the prep time and worry about waste when I can visit the salad bar and get exactly the topping I need. I grabbed a container and put in mushrooms, onion, corn, peas, radish and bell pepper. There were also carrots, olives, beans, chickpeas, nuts, hot peppers, and a few other veggies. I was pretty happy with my stash of veg. Knowing the secret to profit in a salad bar is the weight I was nervous as I watched the check out gal ring in my lunch cheat. $3.51. Not bad. There will be no waste, its all fresh, and that is less than I would have paid for a single red bell pepper. I'm going to call this one a win. 


How to dress a Salad: 
Place greens in a large bowl. Drizzle on about 6-8 shakes of a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Now drizzle about 9-10 shakes of a special Vinegar (I am using Apero brand Passion Fruit Vinegar). Toss the salad lightly. Taste for correct seasoning. Add on your salad bar veg and get a big ole fork!!! 


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