Midwinter Salad in Technicolor
Three new and cheerful things
In the bleak midwinter, there are still possibilities. The possibility of new beginnings and moments of cheer.
This midwinter, after a lot of bleakness, I’ve been lucky enough to experience both. Today, I’ll be sharing about three of these new and cheerful things in my life.
One: Technicolor produce
It’s possible to have a super colorful salad in the middle of winter, thanks to vibrant key ingredients that can often be found in winter: radicchio (the gorgeous pink in this salad is from locally grown, gorgeous Rosalba radicchio), chioggia (aka candy cane) beets, and mango. This salad was enjoyed pre-Valentine’s day and it only took a few minutes to throw together.
Technicolor Midwinter Salad Recipe
I hesitate to even refer to this as a recipe because it’s really just adding a little of this and a little of that until you have the salad size you’re going for. The point is that there are beautiful ingredients to be enjoyed even in winter. See how much of each ingredient you’re drawn to include. There isn’t really a right way to do it.
For flavor, if you tend to like having more sweetness to help you eat the veggies, add mango generously.
In this salad, the ingredients that are brightly colored are:
radicchio: any variety that’s red or pink (there are some green varieties), chopped
beets: I’m using chioggia; you could use golden or red too, peeled and chopped fine
mango: chopped
For greens, I’m using:
spinach: you could use any you’d like
To make it filling:
tempeh: chopped and baked in the air fryer at 400°F for about 8 minutes; it will become a bit crispy; it tends to be on the dry side so if you want to toss it separately in the balsamic or a marinade, go for it
All tossed with:
balsamic vinegar: a thick, aged version like Sweet Heat from California Balsamic, which is what I used here; se enough to taste throughout the salad once tossed
Toppings:
A little nutritional yeast, salt & pepper, herbs, avocado, a squeeze of lime, or anything else you’d like!
Two: Market tote compostable phone case
My new iPhone case! Ok, it’s the little things. This case makes me smile and reminds me of how much I love a nice day at the farmers market. Plus, it’s a Pela case, so it’s compostable! Love it.
Three: Meet the newest member of our family
A few weeks ago, we added a new baby to our family from a rescue organization. Well, he’s more like a teenager. He’s six months old, probably a lab/husky/? mix, about 38 lbs, and his name is Bowie. He’s a happy-go-lucky guy, loves everyone he meets, is hilarious and a delight and we are head over heels. Oh, and he loves his broccoli.
What are the new beginnings or moments of cheer happening lately in your life?
When there’s a lot of darkness, it can be tough to even see the good little moments. I have struggled with this a lot lately. That’s why I’m revisiting the practice of noting good things that are actually happening. Because they’re there and they deserve to be noticed.