summer kitchen sink salads

One of my favorite vendors at our farmers' markets is a young couple, just graduated from college. They grow interesting and heirloom varieties of all crops, and I always stop by their stand first. For the past month, their table has been filled with head lettuces of all textures, colors, and sizes. From crunchy Ice Queen (a flavorful and crisp iceberg style lettuce) to frilly Lolla Rosa, to baby romaine, all of the lettuces are delicious, and provide a perfect bed for "kitchen sink" style salads.

Every Saturday, I buy three or four heads, and come home and wash, de-slug, and spin the tender leaves. Every weekday at lunchtime, I haul out the salad spinner and fill a small serving bowl with lettuce before contemplating my next toppings. I've let the farmers' market offerings guide my toppings, which means I've been incorporating strawberries, cherries, sugar snap peas, scallions, carrots, and radishes into the salads. I've added avocado, various cheeses, pecans, chickpeas, and/or pan fried tofu for protein and complexity.

I always make my own dressings, a single serving at a time. With a variety of vinegars, several olive oils, citrus, and sweeteners to choose from, I craft tangy, light, and satisfying vinaigrettes.

vinaigrette fixins from Michigan, Italy, and Wisconsin

Here are a few particularly winning combinations for inspiration. Let your fridge and pantry, as well as your taste and cravings, guide you:

Strawberry-Avocado-Carrot-Cucumber-Sugar Snap Pea-Scallion-Pecan-Bel Gioso Four Cheese Blend with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

 [no photo of this one. sorry!]

Cherry-Avocado-Feta-Pecan-Carrot-Scallion-Chickpea with Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Juicy Michigan cherries are the star of this salad. 

Sugar Snap Pea-Carrot-Scallion-Tofu with Spicy Peanut Dressing

A glamour shot of Ice Queen lettuce, which holds up particularly well to this heavier spicy peanut dressing in this Thai-influenced salad.

These salads make lunch different and delicious everyday. Filled with several servings of fruits and vegetables, and lean protein, these salads are nutritional powerhouses...that taste decadent, and provide lasting satisfaction and fullness, especially when paired with a homemade roll or buttered honey whole wheat toast. 

summer fun: mini golf

Yesterday, Gregg and I visited our favorite mini golf course for the inaugural round of the Summer. We've been golfing this course, Harbor Pointe in Sheboygan the past few years. I love the location, nestled along the Sheboygan river, near the harbor where Lake Michigan beckons with rolling waves and refreshing breezes. 

This course challenges the amateur and experienced mini-golfer, with several traps and water features, and a tricky lighthouse hole. 

We listened to James Taylor, Carol King, and America fill the course with mellow, relaxed tunes. 

I beat Gregg on one hole. 

We considered golfing another 18 holes for half-price, but decided to walk to the end of the pier, and then drive to Duke of Devon for a refreshing beverage; their ginger lemonade hits the spot after a morning of low-stakes, high-pleasure mini golf. 

I love the simple challenges of mini golf—avoiding the traps, keeping the ball on the green, and mostly, putting. I am not a great mini golfer, and I don't try to be great. My goal: revel in the sporadic straight, sure shot; trash talk Gregg; and enjoy the Summer day.

Our city is currently building a mini golf course, set to open later this Summer. I'm eager to support this community venture, and maybe, accidentally, improve my game.

Gregg, you're on notice.

With practice, perhaps I'll win...TWO holes.

those summer days...

walks along lake michigan, the contrast of hot sun and cool breeze sending shivers across my skin...
afternoons on the deck, vintage tunes pouring out of the stereo inside, hot sun beaming down, a good read in hand...
laid back small classes, with time to ask those deep philosophical questions that make all our heads ache and explode...
dreams of adventures to come, new cities to explore, new tales to write, new people to meet...
cool summer showers, sending me indoors to practice Surya Namaskar (sun salutation)...
quiet moments to reflect, dream, analyze the past, present, and future...
travels to favorite places, to various "homes," with dear family and friends...
gloriously delicious and fresh foods to create creative experimental meals...
innovative experiments in daily living, trying to strike that ever-elusive balance...