6.28.2010

My " Summer Fields" Salad (Advanced Plan)



Have you ever unexpectedly experienced a work of art? 

I had never in my life been to an art museum of such beauty and poignancy .  I walked from room to room with the look of overwhelming shock on my face.  Thinking back I must have been quite a sight, gasping at almost every painting I came to. I walked as slow as humanly possible trying to soak in every detail of that place. I didn't want that day to end.  Ever!

The paintings each told their own story, that's for sure.  And each one was beautiful beyond belief in it's own right.  But I had yet to see the masterpiece waiting for me in the very next room.  

As I rounded the corner, there it was.  It was so large it took up the entire wall physically.  It took up the entire museum in another way.  A "Monet"...right there in front of my very own eyes.  I never thought it would happen and there it was...no warning...no advertising...not even roped off.  Just there!  The colors of the painted Lillies lept off of the canvas.  It was begging for me to touch it.  So I did.  I really couldn't help myself, I stood there and felt the almost 3D brushstrokes before I ever realized I had done it.  I wasn't supposed to touch it, and was almost thrown out for it...but I did!

What made that painting a masterpiece?  I can not tell you in words.  The combination of everything it was made it that way...that is the best I can do.

Though it may sound odd to you, often times food achieves artwork status.  And every once in a while I accidentally discover something edible that makes me feel the way that painting did.  Though I would never dare to compare this salad to a painting by Monet; it is, to me, in it's own simple way...a work of art. 

I was not expecting it to be.  And it certainly didn't look like it is at first glance. 
And then I tasted it.

The flavor combination is very difficult for me to put into words...but I will try...if only to tempt you into making it for dinner tonight!

Here goes...
Intensely red organic strawberries, fresh, juicy and still bearing a hint of the flavor of the earth.
Creamy white goat cheese, subtle then vibrant as it melted in my mouth.
Sweet balsamic vinegar with a woodsy middle note.
Walnuts and olive oil, just as they were created to be.
And fresh organic greens full of life and health.

This is how it tasted to me, in the best way I know to say it.

Of course, if you make it tonight you may judge for yourself!


My "Summer Fields" Salad
Free of: Sugar, Chemicals, Bad Oils, Rancid Fat, Gluten
Full of: Antioxidants, Folic Acid, Calcium, Vitamin A and C, Fiber, Magnesium


Salad:
1 lb. fresh organic spinach or mixed greens washed and dried
1 pt. organic strawberries, washed and sliced
1/2 cup raw nuts toasted (walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, etc.)
1/2 cup organic goat cheese crumbled

Dressing:
3/4 cups balsamic vinegar
1 tsp organic dijon mustard
3/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
Mix dressing ingredients and whisk together until mustard binds the vinegar and oil.  Pour over salad, let marinade for 30 minutes and serve.

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