Vanity & Inspiration

I’ve always been shamelessly vain.  I quit playing the viola while in middle school, despite my parents’ and teacher’s assurances that I was skilled, because I didn’t want callouses on my fingers.  I’ve never colored my hair (aside from occasional sun-bleaching with a little lemon in the summer) because I love my amber-golden tresses and don’t want to lose my natural color and highlights.  I rarely wear make-up, too, resulting in fresh, youthful skin that’s hassle-free.

Despite this, I’ve always been fairly modest about my skills.

Until now, it seems.

Though the idea of writing about my own food concoctions seemed a touch too vain, a bit too self-glorifying, I found today’s salad a masterpiece.

The idea for it came from utility:  I needed something to eat, wanted something healthy that would boost my metabolism, and we have a boxful of salad greens in the ‘fridge of which I’ll be the greatest consumer.

Grabbing the box of greens, I discovered a small container with a few boiled new potatoes from a previous dinner; my mind flashed to one of the best salads I’ve ever eaten:  potatoes in a creamy mayonnaise-and-dijon dressing nested on a salad of greens, over which lay a warm side of trout with dripping maple glaze….

Skip the mayo; I have no need of something so fatty, this afternoon.  And skip the trout, since I haven’t any; I’ll poach some eggs, instead.

Three handfuls of clean, organic spring greens into a metal mixing bowl, a pot of water-and-vinegar heating on the stove and the inspiration starts to take form.

Hemp hearts, yes; they’re always good in salads.  And pine nuts, and… ah-yes!  Dried apricots, since I adore dried fruits in my salads,  which I discovered at local salad shop while in high school.

Olive oil in the small cast-iron pan as the base of the vinaigrette, I toss in a good handful of pine nuts while small air bubbles start to stick to the sides of the pot nearby.  Quarter the apricots and toss them in quickly, stir well, and realize they’re browning with the pine nuts far more quickly than I’d anticipated….

Inspired recipes are never precise, though we grow used to measuring carefully through cookbooks.  Let the ingredients flow like ideas; timing and heat comes only with instinct and watchfulness.

In goes the honey, a quick stir as it starts thickening, caramelizing; a good splash of apple cider vinegar and the inevitable sizzle rises, lifting sweetly-sour scents from the pan.  Stir it quickly and turn off the heat; it’s time to poach the eggs while the dressing cools a smidge.

I drop the eggs, separately, into almost-boiling water, pour and toss the dressing on the greens.  A sprinkle of love (aka, salt and pepper – but I like it hot, so chili pepper it is), toss, taste and gauge…:  Needs something.  Ginger; I recall a friend who loves ginger.  A dash of ground ginger tossed in, taste again:  Mmmmmm…..

Onto a plate goes the salad; greens, having risen to the top in the bowl, lay the foundation for the salad on the plate with pine nuts, apricots and potatoes piled on top.

Eggs are finally done; I scoop the perfect white mounds from the water, set on top of the pile of goodness and give them a final sprinkling of sea salt and chili powder.  It looks delicious.

My vanity does not set in yet, even though the salad looks delicious.  One can’t know, until one finally eats the whole meal, whether it was success or failure.  It is pretty, though, so I take a photo….

And sit down to eat.

The meal hits me like I’m in a restaurant:  the eggs are the perfect texture, poached at medium, spilling golden yolk onto the salad while maintaining their shape as I cut bite-sized pieces with the edge of my fork.  I know this idea:  Earth-to-Table’s Jeff Crump speaks in my memory of a type of salad we served in which the yolk becomes part of the dressing; it occurs that, mixed with this sweet-and-spicy vinaigrette, the creamy-rich yolk will be bliss, making up for the mayo I forsook.

Tender, pure egg whites bear the chili powder beautifully; there is no taint to cover the slightly-smoky flavor or the singeing heat, except the small curve of barely-firmed yolk.  Bites of barely-wilting greens become necessary; I desire the dressing, the crunch of greens, of young spinach and chard and bitter radicchio , the nutty hemp hearts and toasted tender pine nuts, the caramelized flesh of dried apricots giving between my teeth.

I’m quickly addicted:  waves of sweetly-dressed bitter greens overtake my palate, washed away with clean, tart vinegar to reveal to my tongue a warming chili-heat that lingers and grows in intensity so long as the sweet waves do not crest upon my tongue again.  It tastes like spring on the beach:  cool, sweet, tempting, and gradually warmer so long as one stands in the sun.

I can’t wait to share it; it matters no longer whether I’m vain or not – as it never seems to matter, in matters of true vanity with me; the truth is in the result.

And it seems that, in truth, the inspiration isn’t so vain; it hasn’t come from me.  I owe this dish to my friends, to my teachers, to the restaurants where I’ve served and eaten; it’s the culmination of experiences and knowledge shared by so many with me.

So, I share this with you, if you should like to taste my version of the coming warmth, of my long-ago seeded mind:  my inspiration of spring.

And hope you’ll enjoy, as I couldn’t help but enjoy.  And share.

Meri’s Spring Salad Inspiration

Serves One – Two

2 Fresh Eggs

2 Tablespoons White Vinegar

3 large handfuls Organic Spring Salad mix

½ cup New Potatoes, boiled, chilled and quartered

¼ cup Organic Hemp Hearts

¼ cup  Olive Oil

¼ cup Amber Honey

¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts

12 Dried Apricots, quartered

1/8 -¼ teaspoon Chili Powder, plus more for sprinkling

1/8-¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger Powder

Ground Celtic Sea Salt

For Poached Eggs:

Fill a medium-sized pot with water, 2-3 inches from top.  Add white vinegar; bring to a light boil.  When water is boiling lightly, crack 1 egg into a small bowl or dish; then, bringing the bowl just above the water’s surface, carefully pour egg into the water.  Repeat for additional egg(s), leaving at least 1 inch between each egg.  Lower heat and simmer carefully for about 7 minutes.

For Salad:

Place greens into a large mixing bowl.  Add quartered potatoes and hemp hearts; set aside and prepare vinaigrette.

For Vinaigrette:

Place a small frying pan (preferably cast iron) on medium-high heat; add olive oil and heat for about 30 seconds.  Add pine nuts and cook until just turning golden, stirring constantly.  Add quartered apricots; continue stirring until pine nuts are richly golden.  Add honey; cook and stir for about 30 seconds or until mixture starts to thicken.  Add apple cider vinegar; allow spattering to settle somewhat (about 5-10 seconds) and stir well.  Cook and stir for 1 minute; remove from heat and cool for about 3-4 minutes.

Pour vinaigrette onto salad mixture; sprinkle 1/8 tsp each chili powder and ginger, add sprinkling sea salt; toss well to coat.  Taste for seasonings; add more as desired and toss again.

When seasonings are to your liking, pour salad onto plate(s), ensuring potatoes, nuts and apricots are well-distributed between plates if serving more than one.

Using a slotted spoon, gently remove poached eggs from the water bath and allow to drain; gently arrange egg(s) on top of the salad(s).  Sprinkle each egg with a dash of salt and chili powder.

Serve and enjoy!