Summer of Salads

I am lucky enough to live in the same building as four of my closest friends. We have been known to indulge in the finer things in life (fondue, caramel corn, high-fat sushi); however, this summer we have made a pact to strive to maintain our gourmand integrity while celebrating the produce of the season. This is our summer of salads.

The idea came to me when one of my culinary idols, Mark Bitman, wrote this amazing story, entitled “101 Simple Salads for the Season”, in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22mlist.html

Who doesn’t want to eat like that? I do admit that in the past year I’ve redefined my diet—and as a result I have lost several pounds. And the key to my success is primarily salads for dinner. I make it count, which means no skimping, but when I’m done my salad—save a glass of wine or a coffee in the evening—I’m done eating for the night. If I go to be a little hungry, so be it.

So, the transition to exploring creative salad options for the summer is not far fetched. It just takes a little bit of planning. I recommend buying enough salad ingredients for a week’s worth of meals. Having to pick up missing ingredients is a motivation killer. I also recommend going all out. Eat lots. Lots of good stuff is simply lots of good stuff.

Last night we made a divine salad—it might not exactly qualify as diet food material, but it was delicious:

Spinach+poppy dressing+green apples+red onions+cranberries+toasted walnuts+brie de chèvre= amazingness

I’ll document our journey, and please share your own salad recipes with me, I’d love to try them out!