salad

Three things I want to post about:

1) Is this blog dead? Do people want to keep it around?

2) I knew I wanted to make a post about salad but don't have any pictures, so I searched google images for salads and found this:


Yes, that is Richard Simmons. If you weren't hungry for salad you surely are now.

3) Usually I don't make salads with meals b/c we eat a lot of veggies in whatever our main dish or side dish is. We just started getting our CSA box which had lettuce and will for most of the year so I decided to throw out some ideas I've had or have seen. Salad can easily been a main dish, or the only dish, in our case. Some good combos:

• arugula and other baby greens with kidney beans, whole wheat pasta (penne, or shells), tomatoes, green onion, balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, Parmesan cheese salt and pepper.
• taco salad: beans, cheese, avocado, tomato, chips, salsa, cilantro, lettuce, grilled peppers.
• grilled veggies like zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, onion, beets, any others, paired with goat cheese, spinach, and a light vinegar/olive oil dressing.
• sliced, boiled potatoes (cooked in salt water), lettuce, tomato, croutons, avocado, onion, cucumber.
• panzanela: french bread cut into cubes and toasted like croutons, cucumber, lemon zest, garlic, tomato, scant onion, balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil.
• cabbage sliced thinly, grated carrot, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper.
• walnuts tossed with olive oil, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, cumin, and toasted; lettuce, pear slices, Parmesan or blue cheese, onion, and a tart dressing.
  

All paired with some yummy bread, or cheese toast, or whatever--I love it (salad, not the image).