Pebbles and Blades of Grass in my Salad

This post is more of a reflection than an informative or educational entry. This spring and summer, Brent and I have had the delight of having fresh, local greens every single day. We both agree that the local varieties of chard, arugula, mesclun, green leaf lettuce, spinach, and red leaf lettuce are the tastiest greens we have ever had. They're so fresh, crunchy, and juicy; and I swear you can taste their dense nutrient levels!

We get these greens from our local CSA and from our local Farmer's Market. We always wash these greens thoroughly as there will often be some residue of dirt, and occasionally some pebbles. I LOVE that! You can't get earthier than that; it makes me feel connected to this globe that we live on, nourished straight from the earth. So many people are disconnected from that.

Despite my thorough cleaning job, Brent and I will occasionally find blades of grass or pebbles in our salad. Thankfully, we still have all of our teeth. When I find a blade of grass or pebble in my salad, I smile thinking of this wonderful earth and hoping that organic farming will one day defeat industrial farming practices!

A Tasty Seasonal Salad

One of my favorite salads to make is an arugula salad with warm beets, goat cheese, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Last night, I made a delicious mushroom soup and planned to make this tasty arugula salad to accompany the soup, only to find out that I didn’t have goat cheese. So I improvised and came up with a beautiful red and green salad, perfect for the Christmas season!

Here’s the recipe!

Shannon’s Christmas Salad
Serves:2

Ingredients:
1 large beet, peeled, chopped into small cubes
4 cups of arugula rinsed
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup chopped pistachios
¼ cup pear-infused balsamic vinegar (or use regular balsamic vinegar)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Dash of sea salt

Directions: Boil chopped beets for 8 minutes. Toss beets, arugula, cherries, and pistachios. With a fork, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, and salt. Pour dressing into salad and mix well. So tasty!