Salad days

[darkemeralds]

I've discovered a new pleasure: riding a bike for for four or five miles in the sunshine with a pannier full of fresh basil. I dunno about anyone else, but fresh basil to me is like the most wonderful drug.

Here's the salad I've been living on for days:

2 big handfuls of mixed baby greens
about 6 big fresh basil leaves, cut up
1 ounce roasted and salted Marcona almonds
3 large ripe strawberries, sliced
half a cup of raspberries
2 tablespoons balsamic-mustard-blue-cheese vinaigrette*

The salty-sweet-pungent-sour-astringent flavor combination, the soft-crispy-crunchy textures, and the beautiful red-green-brown-purple-white colors make this a complete winner. If I do say so myself as invented it.

*1 part balsamic vinegar, 2 parts olive oil, a spoonful or two of Dijon mustard, dill weed, salt, pepper, and crumbled Danish blue cheese, shaken up together.

Comments

[executrix]

I made a surprisingly mayonnaise-like substance by mashing firm tofu and then immersion-blending it with chopped garlic, mustard, lemon pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Then I mixed it with thinly sliced kirby cukes.

I enjoyed last week's sweet poppyseed dressing, so I think I'll try it on a green salad with grapefruit segments and sliced almonds.

[darkemeralds]

This is the only time of year I enjoy salads. Your citrus one sounds wonderful.

[toft]

Ohhh, that sounds delicious. I love fresh basil so much.

[darkemeralds]

I swear it's medicinal. The smell alone perks me up, and I love eating it.

[cat63]

Mmmmm, basil! Lovely.

[darkemeralds]

It's the smell of summer!

[runningwater]

I've bought a basil plant twice, but can never seem to keep them growing. My green thumb seems to have left me since I moved to the SW. I was putting basil in EVERYTHING!! I even froze a bunch. Yum!

[darkemeralds]

I never had much luck with it either. But apparently local farmers do, so I get it at the farmers' market. Freezing it is a good idea--it would still be fine for pesto. I'll have to try that.