Simple (summer?) Salad in the Sink

Dear E-mail subscribers, please click the link to the blog website. The formatting in the email is all messed up. 

With excessive loss and suffering here in rural Oregon and across the globe, writing about gardening and cooking seems irrelevant. Maybe irreverent. I try not to feel guilty about having had (not dead yet!) a lucky slide through the decades. Images of hungry children begging in foreign lands, and desperate humans even in small towns such as ours, holding "Stranded, Will work for food" signs haunt me. Measuring good and guilt is tricky. 

But. When images of our pandemic garden flood my heart, I'm lifted. PK and I spend countless industrious hours out there, everything from harvesting tomatoes and peppers to picking cabbage worms off fall and winter crops, or deadheading flowers. The garden is ongoing work, which some may believe is unnecessary toil. Just shop the local farmers' markets, they say. Yes. Support those markets. But, if you have a bit of Earth to cultivate, consider the gladness of gardening. And the joy of sharing the bounty.

A homemade view filled with birds, bees, butterflies, and cheerful crowds of sunflowers. Salad in the sink coming right up!

Salad in the sink for two right here. If you want to skip all the BS, scroll down to the recipe. Which you won't be able to print. But it is so simple and savory you can remember, right?

Sounds appetizing, eh? Salad in the sink? 

It is actually a terrific way to use late-season zucchini and tomatoes and more. In truth, it is a salad served, ideally, from a colander in a sink, which may not be suitable for a fancy dinner party, but is useful for shoveling heaps of zukes and tomatoes from the seasonal avalanche onto salad plates.

During COVID at home with PK, it's a flavorful, fun, and easy-to-put-together first or only course. The man is flexible. He also does the dishes. And other useful things. 

Assemble this concoction in a colander (a rectangular one is ideal) and serve from it too. I suppose if dinner guests (what are those?!) are coming, you could move it to a pretty bowl at the last minute. 

The thing is, the zucchini spirals go into the colander first and are then generously salted before other stuff is added. Like proper dedicated athletes, the coils need to sweat for at least 20 minutes. Serving straight out of the colander saves the salad from being watery, plus it is a classy serving touch, don't you think? 

Clean the sink first. 

Even though summer officially gave way to fall on Sept. 21, our garden didn't get the news.  The prolific plot continues to produce excessive zucchinis, beauteous tomatoes, and tender green beans, which are just coming on. Bring em!

The basil is confused about when to stop and hasn't. The Walla Walla onion in this simple salad was harvested in June and has been cool in the garage frig during the blistering summer along with its bloated brothers and sisters, some of which are 10 inches diameter. They had a diet of rich compost and now contribute sweet crunchiness to the salad in the sink.

In addition to a zucchini 9-10 inches long, all you need are a few dead-ripe tomatoes, a generous handful of green beans, sweet onion, basil, salt, and Parmesan or fresh mozzarella cheese.

In recent years, I've gone big on spiralizing zucchini. Quick, easy, and delish. If you can imagine zucchini being delish. Maybe that's overstated. Palatable? Anyway, salting zuke "noodles" improve the bland vegetable's taste and texture and create a medium for savory sauces.

With ends trimmed, this zuke is about 9 inches long. The Paderno World Cuisine spiralizer can handle about 10 inches. It also has blades to shred and slice other veggies or cheeses. Many competing brands exist, of course. This simple tool may set you back about $25.

Spiralizing a zuke is quick and easy once you get the hang of it. You need a hard surface for the suction cups that keep the device in place.

For the salad in the sink, snip the noodles, so you don't have to pretend you're making pasta.  (Subbing zuke noodles for pasta recipes requires only a couple of snips.) For either use, salting produces the best results. How much? I don't measure, but I shake, shake, shake with gusto three or four times, then mix and let rest for at least 20 minutes, carefully stirring a few times. Despite using what seems like excessive salt, I've never had to rinse the noodles. They keep for days refrigerated, and I add them to other salads, soups, or stirfries.

I apologize for not having a "print" function, although a person could copy, paste, and print. I am an occasional blogger these days and got away from frequent recipe posting several years ago. Not that I had a print function even then. 

RECIPE - Simple Summer Salad in the Sink

Ingredients for two - easy to ramp up for more mouths

• one firm medium/large (9-10 inches) zucchini, spiralized
• a big handful of fresh green beans, lightly steamed 
• a cup or so of sliced sweet, crunchy onions like Walla Walla
• two or three firm garden tomatoes, such as Romas, Tasteilees, or whatever you have
• chunks or slices of fresh mozzarella or shredded Parmesan cheese, to taste
• salt for sweating operation
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• torn or whole fresh basil to taste
• salad dressing of choice 
• a sprinkling of roasted salted pumpkins seeds for topping once the salad is plated

Directions

Spiralize the zucchini and dump into the colander in your sparkling clean, appetizing sink. Use scissors to snip noodles, so you're not dealing with spaghetti -lengths. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt, mix and let sweat for at least 20 minutes. Stir a time or two. Lots of water will be released. Taste before mixing with other stuff to make sure it's not too salty. If it is, rinse quickly with cold water. (I've never had to rinse.)

Cut the green beans into halves or thirds, then steam or boil until tender/crisp. Rinse with cold water and set aside. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the onion, add fresh mozzarella chunks or slices, then gently mix all together. Top with fresh basil leaves, whole or torn. 

After scooping the salad onto plates or bowls, apply your favorite salad dressing. I prefer my homemade sesame dressing, but if we've run out, I sub in vinaigrette or Annie's organic Fig Balsamic. We usually dress our individual salads. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan, if using, and top with roasted pumpkin seeds, salted or not. 

This is as fancy as it gets during COVID isolation. The sink salad this particular night was followed by deluxe grilled salmon filets and mustard roasted potatoes with a good Malbec. Thanks, Grace!

A modest representation of the 2020 tomato and pepper harvests.

One of many basil harvests. Much pesto is in the freezer for 2020-2021. 

Zukes and green beans. Both prolific.
 My teeth are getting green. 

Interested in other salad and/or veggie recipes? I searched this blog for "salad dressing," and almost every salad recipe I've ever posted came up in this one link. 

Most of the recipes include my go-to homemade sesame dressing, AKA Laurie's Glory Sesame Dressing. 

Check em out!

Earlier 2020 gardening post

Living with Pandemic Better With Gardening 

Thanks for visiting. Good to be back!

Summer Watermelon Salad with Quinoa, Mint, and Feta

The best gauge for a potluck contribution's success is whether anybody asks for the recipe. This email arrived shortly after our gathering. Please send me your wonderful quinoa/watermelon recipe. Loved it and want to make it  next weekend. Alrighty then!

First allow me to give credit where it is due. Although I often post original recipes, this one is not my creation.  Looking for a quick and delicious way to use watermelon in a salad  for a potluck, I happened upon this recipe from @the kitchn. If you want the original, and in an easily printable format, click here.

That recipe, in turn, had been reprinted, with permission, from Simply Ancient Grains by Maria Speck, published in 2015 by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC. I hope they don't come after me for not asking permission. I made changes, subbing in quinoa, which I have on hand, for couscous, which I don't. I also amended dressing proportions after tasting. And I used way more watermelon. More photos, directions and the amended recipe follow. 

Summer Watermelon Salad with Quinoa, Mint, and Feta
Serves up to 6. Double or triple for a crowd.

1 cup quinoa, white, red or mixed
2 cups water
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or regular salt
pinch of saffron, optional, but pretty if you're using all white quinoa
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons honey (I used 2)
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2-3 cups seedless watermelon cut into cubes. Or more!
3/4 cup celery cut into 1/4 inch wide slices (1 large or 2 smaller stalks, trimmed)
1/2 cup mint leaves, gently cut into strips or torn, not chopped, plus a few leaves for garnish
1/2-3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably not pre-crumbled.

If you're using couscous, consult the original recipe. One benefit of using couscous is that it doesn't require cooking. The benefits of using quinoa include that it is wheat and gluten-free, lower  in carbohydrates, and a good source of protein.

If using quinoa, add water and quinoa to a small saucepan, add the salt, if using, and heat to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to simmer,  cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed.

Remove from heat and dump into the bowl you'll use for the salad. Spread around to cool then set aside for at least 15 minutes. Stir and fluff again before adding other ingredients.

Zest the limes until you have 2 teaspoons of zest, and squeeze the fruit to make 3 tablespoons. Place in a small bowl or jar, or better yet, a miniature food processor, and add olive oil, honey, and the pepper. Whir, stir or shake until dressing is well combined and the oil doesn't separate.

Once quinoa has cooled, add the celery then drizzle half of the dressing and toss gently to combine. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, if you have time, to meld flavors.

Then add the crumbled feta, the watermelon, and the remaining dressing. To garnish, add an extra handful of crumbled feta and a few whole mint leaves, or additional sliced or torn mint.

You can make most of this salad ahead, and refrigerate. But save the feta, mint and watermelon until shortly before serving. I've made it twice, and the watermelon does not keep well for more than a day.

Everything you need for the salad, except the watermelon and dressing. The silver implement on the bowl of mixed-colors quinoa is a zester, a useful tool. Most box cheese graters  have a zesting surface if you lack this kitchen gem.

The little food processor I picked up at a thrift store for a few bucks has become a best friend in the kitchen. It emulsified the salad dressing with  a few twists of the lid.

Love the seedless watermelons! I find it's easiest to cut them into quarters, then cross hatch cut to the rind,

Then continue cutting half of the quarter melon at a time, over the salad bowl. I washed and dried the melon before cutting, by the way. I also do that with cantaloupe and honeydew, which can be subbed for watermelon. 

It's delicious! I especially like the crispy celery combined with the salty feta and sweet, sweet melon. Enjoy!

More potluck hits 

Salmon of Grace and Ginger

My favorite salmon recipe! I've been trying for decades to find or create one this good. Credit goes to Grace McGran.

                         If you just want the recipe, scroll a bit. I'm not going to BS for too long.

But keep reading if you're curious about how I finally found THE best salmon recipe that will be my go-to choice for entertaining as well as dinner for two and relieving my angst about what to do with boxes of fish, mostly salmon, from PK's Alaskan fishing trips.

It's all about Grace. She lives in Canada. One reason I like (ha ha) Facebook is that it was the conduit for reuniting us a few years back. We had a 90-minute phone conversation last week. She and I met on the Oregon coast in the 1970s at roughly the same time that I met PK. It was a time of great change and upheaval. In our own ways, both Grace and I made choices during the few months we were neighbors that have reverberated through the decades. Think about it young people, when you reach a crossroads, what you do matters forever. 

Grace (she was then called Diane) and I made an instant connection back in the day. She lived next door. She was a gardener, a pie maker, and a cook. Oh, and she sang just like Joni Mitchell. No kidding. She was also a beauty, inside and out. 

I remember her making us a stir fry Asian dinner, during which I learned basic tricks such as; don't saute the veggies all at the same time. Duh. But I didn't know. 

We had fishermen friends and what seemed like an endless supply of salmon. I watched her tuck salmon parts into holes where she planted corn seeds. She made things grow and rejoiced in the results. I am trying to remember that we ever had a salmon meal together. Salmon excess was just so common in those days. I was fresh from North Dakota. I fed a lot of cooked salmon to our dog.

During our chat last week, however,  I asked for her favorite salmon recipe. 

She said something dismissive like, "Oh, it's just so simple. I don't have anything special." But then she provided general directions. Like me, she often wings it when cooking, using what's on hand and making recipe changes at her whim. Only a few things were mentioned as ideal for success: a cast-iron pan, fresh diced ginger, lemon juice or some other acidic ingredient, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Got it. Did it. (twice, to make sure.)

Salmon of Grace and Ginger, recipe

Perfect for two. 

INGREDIENTS

• skin-on salmon fillet, about a pound
• knob of fresh ginger, minced (I tried grating it but it was too fine)
• salt and pepper 
• avocado oil, or other high-heat oil, enough to coat the pan
• butter to taste, optional
• sesame salad dressing,  1/3 cup to 1/2 cup (recipe follows)
• scant maple syrup (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Use a cast iron pan or another heavy-duty pan. Mince a thumb or two of ginger. (I grated it my first try, and that didn't work as well as mincing.) Apply salt and pepper and chopped ginger to the skinless side of a skin-on salmon filet, about one pound. I understand from Grace, that this recipe can be baked after the initial skinless-side-down frying operation. 

NOTE: If you double or triple the recipe and do not own a huge cast-iron pan, you'll need to pre heat the oven to 375, fry your salmon in two or three batches, and bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes following the frying step, checking halfway for doneness.

Heat the pan to medium-high and add avocado or other oil. When oil is sizzling, carefully place the fillet skinless side in the hot oil and fry for about four minutes. Use a wide spatula to turn the fillet to the skin side down. Cover and cook for about five minutes. Check for doneness after four minutes. Add butter to the top, if desired, and poke holes for butter to soak into the fish. Remove the fillet to a plate at the point of the desired doneness. I like it moist in the thickest area, barely done.  

To the pan, add the salad dressing and reduce for a few minutes. It doesn't take much time with salad dressing, which is more than half oil. 

You may adapt the dressing and/or use purchased Asian types. But you may want to try the recipe provided because it is delicious! I should call it Laurie's Glory Sesame Dressing as it was provided by that longtime friend about 20 years ago and is my favorite dressing and marinade, and now, salmon glaze.  See bottom of the post, following photos.

I've fried the skinless side of the fillet, turned it over and cooked it skin side down,  and fork-tested for doneness. In the meantime, I've applied a little butter to the top, as everything is better with butter. Correct?

I used this gourmet salt in place of regular salt the
second time I made this recipe. It cost a lot of $$ and
I couldn't tell the difference. Either way, tastes great.

The peeled ginger was how much I used to cover a
one-pound salmon fillet.

After salt, pepper, and ginger are applied, it's OK to let it sit for 10 minutes.

Avocado oil is a healthy oil which withstands high-heat frying. 

Start by frying, for a few minutes,  the skinless gingered, salted and peppered side
 at medium high heat in a cast-iron pan. Take care not to burn the ginger.

Flip it over (carefully) to fry the skin-side down. Cover and cook 4-5 minutes.
Test for doneness after 4 minutes or less. 

Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of salad dressing into the hot pan and reduce for a few minutes, stirring to capture the browned bits at the bottom.  Then pour the reduction onto the cooked salmon and serve ASAP.  Heavenly!

Laurie's Glory Sesame Dressing, recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 1/3 cup good quality soy sauce
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (or balsamic), or fresh lemon juice
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T maple syrup, honey or balsamic glaze (my fave)

Use a food processor.

Process the garlic until finely minced. Add the other ingredients and whirr until emulsified. The mustard helps with emulsifying, I'm told. This dressing keeps in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Vacation weight gain? Zucchini etc to the rescue

Today's take from our two zucchini plants, which have suddenly roared into high production. I grated most of a medium zucchini then nuked the "noodles" for a minute and a half.

PK and I returned last week from a month away. We biked. We hiked. We danced to the Rolling Stones. We ate too much, or at least I ate too much. We sat on our butts for nearly 5,000 miles of travel to the Midwest and back, via Canada. Great trip. But. Butt. 

I gained five pounds. PK doesn't seem any fatter. Still a skinny SOB. But me? The enlarged rolls around the middle are insidious, hideous, entirely ridicuilious. (re-dick-u-ill- e-us). And also bilious.

I've developed a self-defeating habit for one who is privileged to travel. I relax my low-carbish diet on vacations as I relax everything else. Sometimes that's OK,  such as when we're dependent upon others for sustenance or when the sustenance supplied is not commensurate with what my overfed body expects. Hence when we returned from Africa in 2013, I had lost a few pounds.

But on this trip we were self-medicated with food and well treated by all the hosts who went out of their way to please us. Great stuff! Sandwiches every day, potato salad, pasta salad, desserts! And now ..... overstuffed, as witness the pants that won't zip. 

After this morning's weigh-in and a scary look at my belly during down dog at yoga, I determined to rev up a carb-correction plan that includes substituting zucchini, cauliflower, green beans and other veggies for rice, pasta, potatoes, bread and other delicious items that make a person gain weight not just because they're caloric, but also because refined carbs produce blood sugar spikes that lead to appetite spikes that lead to driving spikes into the heart. (Spikes in heart—for desperate cases only.)

Zucchini is going bonkers in the garden and so.....

ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Two servings. Select a fresh medium or medium-large zucchini, preferably one in which seeds have not yet formed. Seeds make for weak noodles.

Grate into longish strands using a box grater or a food processor. 

Microwave in a covered glass bowl on high for a minute. Check after a minute to see if the noodles need another 30 seconds or so. They should be hot and limp, but not slimy or falling apart. You want them to hold together for whatever sauce you'll douse them with. They're great with a bit of crunch left.

The short story here: it is easy to make zucchini "noodles" using a box grater, or a food processor or a mandolin.

Microwaved zucchini noodles should be well drained before dressing with sauces. 

My virtuous lunch comprising reheated marinara meat sauce topped with zuke noodles, shredded Parmesan, and fresh basil.

Farm Fresh Kale and Strawberry Salad

Tina Arapolu co-owner of Easy Valley (organic) Farm in Southern Oregon, helps produce tons of veggies just a couple miles from where I live. I asked her to show me where she grows kale.  Wow! The hoop house was rockin' with vitamin vibes from all that kick-ass kale. Maybe you don't get as excited about kale as I do? It is an acquired obsession.

PK and I enjoyed yet another potluck party last weekend, prompting me to fiddle around making one more raw kale salad. When a pot-lucker  told me that it was the first kale dish she'd ever liked ,and she couldn't even taste the kale, and a few more asked for the recipe, I figured it was worth a yet another kale recipe post. This will be the eleventh! (Scroll down for links to earlier recipes.)


But this one is really good. It's all about using super fresh ingredients and a homemade strawberry vinaigrette dressing.  I think the dressing would make cardboard palatable.

One bunch of just-picked lacinato kale is $2.50 at Tina's

make-your-own change farm stand. I prefer this variety for salads. And

I love the country feel of the on-your-honor sales approach.

Local berries, one mile away, are the BEST! Our berry
crop failed this year so I frequent the strawberry stand. 

Let's get to the dang recipe! This is a non commercial blog and lacks a "print" button, but you can do it the old-fashioned way: select and copy the recipe to a word processing program.

Kale Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

6-8 servings

1 bunch of farm-fresh kale, de-ribbed and chopped
1/2 head (small-medium) organic cabbage, chopped
1 small-medium sweet spring onion with some greens, sliced
1 handful of arugula, chopped (optional, I just happened to have some)
1/4 to  1/3 cup dried cranberries (dried cranberries have a lot of sugar. They taste great in the salad, but leave out if you're diabetic or avoiding carbs.)
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 
1/3 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds (or slivered almonds, roasted pecans or another roasted seed or nut)
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions
Chop the kale, cabbage and arugula, if using. Add the white parts of the sliced onion and the cranberries. Mix in a salad bowl and cover, or store in a plastic bag and refrigerate, if making several hours in advance.

An hour or so before serving, assemble the mixed kale, cabbage, arugula, cranberries and onion and toss with dressing in a salad bowl. Start with 4 tablespoons of dressing and add more as necessary.

Let it marinate. refrigerated for at least a half hour. Before serving, sprinkle the feta cheese on top, followed by the nuts or seeds, then the sliced strawberries.  Sprinkle with the sliced green onion tops, or substitute chives. 

Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I reviewed a dozen or so recipes and finally came up with this, which turned out great. 

1/2 cup strawberry vinegar*
3/4 cup oil. I used half avocado oil and half olive oil
3 tablespoons honey, or to taste. This yields a light to moderately sweet dressing. Low-carbers can choose Splenda, stevia or other low-carb sweeteners. 
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard

Directions
Use a wire whisk or a food processor to blend ingredients. The oil may separate, so shake or stir before dressing the salad.

*Strawberry Vinegar

This recipe is adapted from Epicurious. It is the essential ingredient in strawberry vinaigrette dressing. It is incredibly fresh and strawberry-tasting.

Make it a couple hours, or even a day ahead. Don't freak out! It's easy! You can use this fruity vinegar for a week or so, according to Epicurious. I tripled the recipe because I was making salad for 36 people. One recipe would have been plenty! The ingredients below make about two cups of vinegar. Adjust accordingly.

1 pound strawberries, trimmed (3 cups)
2 tablespoons sugar (or low-carb sweetener)
2 cups white balsamic vinegar, or, as adapted by me who lacks access to white balsamic, 1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar and 1 cup balsamic

Directions
Using a food processor, pulse berries with sugar until finely chopped and juicy. Lacking a food processor? Try a potato masher. Transfer to a bowl and add vinegar. Stir. Let stand one hour or more. Strain vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. This can take 30 minutes or more. Discard solids. Refrigerate, covered, in a glass jar. Stays fresh tasting for about a week. 

Why bother eating kale? 

Here are the Top Ten Health Benefits. 

Curly kale. Great for kale "chips", soups, frittatas etc. 

Lacinato kale, AKA  dinosaur or Tuscan. Mild.

Siberian kale, mild and also good for chopped salads.

More kale recipes from Ordinary Life

Kale chips!
Asian Mexican Fusion Kale Salad
Creamed kale with dried tomatoes
Kale and Yoga Eggs Fritatta
Killer Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing
Savory Eggs, Kale, Prosciutto Breakfast
Kick Butt Kale Soup
Key to a Happy Marriage (includes kale!)
Spring Smoothie
Quinoa Kale Salad

Spring Salad - Asparagus, Avocado, Kale  and Cabbage
The potluck party that inspired this recipe. (spring salad)

Potluck Stars, Cooks and Casseroles

Marcy with her  Mac and Cheese Style Cauliflower. Recipe  link below.

Growing up in Minnesota, potlucks erupted in the Lutheran church basement a couple times a year, and as I recall:

• They were called "covered-dishes" and/or "hot dishes."
• A lot of the dishes included corn.
• Jell-O with miniature marshmallows was a given.
• Sometimes the Jell-O included sliced celery or grated carrots, health food.
• Women (always women bringing those covered dishes) prided themselves on casserole cozies, little blankies to keep their dishes warm.
• Spam was not prohibited. 
• Coleslaw was sweet. Exceedingly sweet.
• Cakes were made from box mixes.

The potluck idea, sadly,  didn't transfer to my parents' social life, but it has somehow become a significant part of mine. Our rural Southern Oregon potlucks bear little resemblance to the church potlucks of yore.

• First, they are parties, an excuse for friends to eat and drink and rant. Dance, play ping pong, bocce ball, watch the Ducks on TV. Talk. Cry. Philosophize.
• Bringing something good to eat tis he price of admission.
• Guests with the time and inclination knock out dishes that are Sunset-magazine worthy, even with made-up recipes. There's always at least one drool-inducing, rave producing creation on the buffet table.
• Fine wines have been known to appear. And then quickly disappear.

We partied around potluck food last weekend. Gail, the hostess, sent an email to let us know what she was making and asked guests to weigh in with their culinary plan so we all didn't bring dessert. A relatively small group, here's how the accidental menu shook out:

THE POTLUCK MENU

 with notes, kudos, jabs, and a recipe or two

Smoked pork roast with BBQ sauce, fantastic. But you need a Traeger (smoker) grill to follow this recipe.  Also, Gail ALWAYS tweaks. "I smoked two fresh picnic roasts all day before the party. Cut them up and just reheated in the crock pot with a bottle of what ever bbq sauce we had on hand."  

Gail's spectacular smokey baked beans.

Hot and smokey baked beans. STAR of the show! Best baked beans ever. Of   course, Gail added her own touches such as using more bacon, cooking the beans hours longer than the recipe specified, but at 250 degrees, AND adding the pork roast bones to the pot. Wow. She also started with dried beans and soaked them overnight. Recipe here.

Morel-and-truffle gratinee, appetizer This sounded like a great idea but Gail was the first to say it was disappointing. The mushrooms were from the local woods, too. Emeril doesn't usually produce a clunker, but this one? Clunk.

Gail also made the benches around
the bocce ball court. 

Dr, Mike and his mushroom soup.

Mike's Mushroom Soup. He most often contributes something mushroom, always tasty, because he's the mushroom king, founder and chief scientist at Mycorrhizal Applications, Inc, an international company based in Grants Pass, OR. His is a fascinating and inspirational story and I could literally write a book about this guy. Here's what he says about his soup and the shrooms.

What's in it: Wild rice, chicken stock  chicken, carrots, celery, spinach,

garlic, yellow feet chanterelles,  belly buttons,  hedgehogs, maiitakes, and oyster mushrooms with shiitake powder to thicken. Many of these mushrooms grow in nearby woods and are sold at the local farmer's market. Plus Mike, and many other friends, are avid and successful mushroom hunters.

Why mushrooms? Mike writes: "Shrooms have a lot of micronutrients and about a dozen complex polysaccharides that stimulate your body's ability to fight rogue cellsand pathogens."

How does he know? Aside from the fact that he's a Ph.D mycologist, Mike was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer more than five years ago, practically a death sentence. He underwent all the surgeries, radiation, and chemo of traditional medicine plus accupuncture.  But he also treated himself, and continues to do so, with a a variety of mushrooms plus antioxidant foods including an enormous amount of dried strawberries. He eats or drinks something every three hours to keep the rogue cells at bay, plus he keeps himself physically, mentally, and emotionally fit. 

Fruit and cheese plate

Eileen , Mike's wife and business partner, brought the ubiquitous cheese and fruit plate, but this one was top notch: gourmet cheeses, super sweet crisp apple, and a pressed date/fig/nut thing. It all  disappeared quickly.

Ok. So there's always the person who didn't have time to cook, but going to Safeway? No problem! Dave, usually a fine kitchen performer, brought those fine white  buns. And don't give him any crap about it.

Mac and Cheese.Style Cauliflower.  Super! Marcy included some broccoli, and the bread crumbs were gluten-free. 

Fancy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Strawberries, a wonderful and simple dessert. But beautiful Susan was too shy to be photographed.

Springtime kale, asparagus, avocado, and cabbage salad with sweet and tart sesame dressing. 

Guess who made this? Yes. Guilty. I can't stop it with the kale! And mixing it with avocado and asparagus proved to be pretty dang good. Since this is an original recipe, I need to link to my blog. But first I have the write the damn thing!

And, a couple hours later, the recipe!

Spring Salad - Asparagus, Avocado, Kale and Cabbage

It doesn't seem right to mix kale, asparagus, cabbage and avocado in the same raw salad. Throw in a bunch of dried cranberries and some chopped garlic chives and it could be an embarrassment.

But! I had all those things, including the kale, asparagus and garlic chives growing in the garden, a potluck to go to and not a lot of time. Plus I know my friends. They'll drink plenty of wine and it won't much matter.

It turns out the combo got some generous comments and I thought it was quite tasty, thank you very much. I will  make this salad again soon and put it on my ongoing spring menu when the asparagus spears are piercing the garden soil and avocados from the south are on sale in the markets.

Asparagus, Avocado, Kale and Cabbage Salad with Sweet and Tart Sesame Dressing
Serves 10

Ingredients
1 pound or more of asparagus, tough parts of stalks discarded
1 large avocado, cut into  chunks
1/3 medium-sized red cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped
1/4 medium sized green cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped
1 bunch of kale, any variety, rinsed, dried and chopped into small pieces
 handful of dried cranberries
 handful of roasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts or other nuts
 a bunch of garlic chives, if you can get those sweet tasty grass-like stalks, or  regular chives, or sliced green onions
 1/4 to 1/2 lime or lemon to drizzle over avocado
 Dressing (recipe below)

Directions
Slice the tops off the asparagus spears on the diagonal and set aside. Cut the remaining stalks into smaller pieces.
Slice and chop the cabbages, chop the kale.
Halve the avocado, remove the pit, slice the flesh while still in the skin, then cut across the slices to get the size chunks you desire. Scoop avocado out with a spoon and drizzle with juice of lemon or lime. Set aside.
Slice into bits the chives, onions or whatever you're using,

To assemble the salad, mix the cabbages and kale in a large shallow bowl. Put a few tablespoons of dressing on the cabbages and kale. Mix well and let marinate for up to 30 minutes.

Arrange the asparagus heads in a radial pattern from the center. Put the rest of the cut-up asparagus around the inside edges of the bowl.  Arrange the avocado pieces between the asparagus spears. Sprinkle cranberries, seeds or nuts on top, and finish with chopped chives, onions, or whatever. Drizzle with more salad dressing and serve.

Sweet and Tart Sesame Dressing
4-6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil, or a combo
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil. (gotta be toasted)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Worcesteshire sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar, or half lemon juice, half rice vinegar
1 - 2 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 -3 TBSP pure maple syrup. Sugar or honey may be substituted, but taste before adding the third tablespoon.

Use a food processor to chop the garlic, then add everything else and process til oil and other liquids are mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings.

NOTE: This is way more than needed for one salad. It stores in the refrigerator for several weeks and is good on any salad or as a marinade for roasting veggies. Or just cut the recipe in half.

Despite the fact that our asparagus patch produces so much that we actually get tired of eating it, I've neglected to post other asparagus recipes. Next spring I'll rectify that; I feel a post about spicy pickled asparagus coming on. And maybe that asparagus and gruyere quiche.

In the meantime, if you're looking for asparagus recipes, here's a fabulous collection plus a definitive guide to everything you ever wanted to know about this delicious vegetable posted on a useful site called Quick Easy Cook.


For now, I'm good for a load of tasty recipes on using kale.

More kale recipes on Ordinary Life

Kale chips!
Asian Mexican Fusion Kale Salad
Creamed kale with dried tomatoes
Kale and Yoga Eggs Fritatta
Killer Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing
Savory Eggs, Kale, Prosciuitto Breakfast
Kick Butt Kale Soup
Key to a Happy Marriage (includes kale!)
Spring Smoothie
Quinoa Kale Salad
The potluck party that inspired this recipe.

Garden Greens and Ham and Cheese. Jeez! Low carb, too.

HEAL!!! And it will, after a month of neglect as we traveled. And, of course, it was winter. All things considered, the garden is doing fine after our absence. Yes indeed. Feed us, please. The is the first winter/spring  in a long time that we haven't relied on a cold frame. Cold frames bring on the greens earlier and in greater amounts. We knew we'd be gone during prime harvest, so didn't bother to put the heavy frame in place. Maybe next year.

Sweet little harvest of lettuce, winter spinach, garlic chives, kale flowers, kale, asparagus etc. Make you hungry for a dinner salad? Me too.

This is how our main garden looked today.

This is how it looks in mid-season,  mid-July. But even the tiny piece of productive land currently producing supplies us with greens several  times a week. Most years we use a cold frame, which allows way greater production than open-air planting. The message: no matter where you live, with protection and sun exposure, you can grow spinach, lettuce, kale, etc. etc. during late winter and spring. In most climates. Those same crops do not do well in summer, as heat makes them bolt and get bitter and ask, Why don't you  just grow tomatoes?

The message: no matter where you live, with frost protection and southern sun exposure, you can grow spinach, lettuce, kale, etc. etc. during winter and spring. In most climates. 

To make a dinner salad, chop kale, cabbage, chives, broccoli, etc. That cabbage? Gotta confess. Green Giant. They have apparently dropped "jolly" from the name, leaving that to Santa.

Grate Swiss cheese and cut up ham. The ham has a story.

The ham was not procured from the grocery store, but resulted from a barter between our doctor friend and a patient. He often barters services for meat and such. The doctor and his wife couldn't see consuming an entire hog, however, and offered to sell us half. We accepted. The hog was butchered and smoked locally. We baked the ham when my sister and her husband visited a few days ago. As a result, we sent them along with ham sandwiches, enjoyed together a delicious ham and scalloped potato dinner, ham and eggs for breakfast, a huge batch of ham and bean soup (several meals in the freezer) plus our dinner salad. And more.

Assemble veggies and top with ham and cheese and dressing of choice. I use our go-to dressings:

Laurie's sesame dressing and chipotle sauce, mixed.

Laurie's dressing is here.http://ordinarylife-mk.blogspot.com/search?q=laurie%27s+dressing So good!

Thanks for checking out this post. Other low-carb entries— every post I ever wrote about diet and food—is probably contained in the link below.

However! Google Blogger does not seem to care about preserving photos, which annoys me. I am going to see about migrating to another blog host, perhaps WordPress. In the meantime, if you feel like looking back on a low-carb life, photos or not.....here you go.