A Bounty

I have to be honest here: Los Angeles isn’t as sunny as I expected it to be.  I know I know, what a sob story.  But in all seriousness, even having grown up here, I had dreams of dressing almost exclusively in shorts and a tank top while living here.  While there are most definitely not seasons in LA, it does rain and sometimes the gloom just does not burn off like you hope it would.  The good news is that when this happens, two days later you’re sitting comfortably in the shade wearing a tank top and sandals.  It’s really rough out here.

Photo taken January 2012 (yes, strawberries grow in the middle of winter here)

What I’m saying is that living here has not changed the fact that I still get giddy when the sun comes out (I thought that was a Seattle thing, but apparently it’s just a me thing), and this past weekend had me doing every possible outdoor activity I could think of-- even driving all the way out to Santa Monica on a Saturday.  Now, most normal people would have made this trek for the promise of ocean and a lazy day in the sand-- but not me.  Actually, I didn’t even see the ocean on this trip.  I headed west exclusively to explore the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, where I bought more produce than my measly one drawer in the fridge can comfortably accommodate.  It was amazing.  By the end of the morning, I had two bags full of produce and my mind was reeling with how I would manage to use everything in a timely manner.  This salad was my solution.

The idea is simple: Toss as many fresh ingredients as you can handle into a bowl, coat lightly with a simple dressing, and feast.  I have always been a huge fan of one-bowl meals, so this recipe could not appeal more to me.  I love that it is so informal and endlessly adaptable to whatever is in season or happens to be in your refrigerator on any given day.  Spring is an especially exciting time for produce since the markets are finally popping with color and potatoes are not the only crop in season (I’m looking at you, Seattle).  Just think, cherries will be here soon!  Until then, take advantage of what is available now and be thankful that the worst is behind us.

Everything Salad
adapted from My New Roots

As I stated above, please do not feel the need to use the same ingredients or amounts as I did.  If you have a favorite vinaigrette, use that instead.  Or maybe you have some leftover marinara sauce from homemade pizzas that you need to get rid of and feel like it might be great mixed in with a poached egg?  Sounds like dinner.  Create a dish that is colorful and pretty to look at and it’s almost guaranteed to taste delicious, too.

Also note that this is a great make-ahead salad that will keep for days in the fridge.  Just make sure not to add any dressing until you are ready to serve.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
½ bunch asparagus (a small handful), tough ends removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces*
1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1-2 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 ½ cups arugula
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 15oz can, drained)
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
3 small radishes, thinly sliced
a selection of fresh herbs (I used a few leaves of basil and a couple stems of parsley), chopped
¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
salt and pepper

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. minced green garlic (or regular garlic)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
big pinch of salt

Start by whisking all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar, then set aside to let flavors develop.

Make the quinoa: Thoroughly rinse the quinoa under running water for about 30 seconds (fun fact: the outer coating of the quinoa seed is very bitter in order to repel insects, but a quick rinse before cooking will remove this coating!).  Bring quinoa, water, and a big pinch of salt to a boil in a large saucepan.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes (or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy).  Remove pan from heat.

Wash and chop all vegetables.  Toast sunflower seeds (or any other nut/seed you choose).

Fill a large, shallow skillet with about 2 inches of water and a pinch of salt, then bring to a boil.  Add asparagus and green beans, cooking just about 2 minutes or until bright green and barely tender (you still want some crunch).  Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

In a very large bowl, mix together quinoa and all other ingredients.  Add salt and lots of fresh ground pepper to taste and finish with the honey lemon dressing (or if you’re not serving this right away, hold off on the dressing).

Enjoy.

*My favorite way to trim asparagus is to gently bend each stalk about an inch or two from the stem until the tough end snaps off.