That’s right, people. The big ass salad is back, featuring a seasonal and local update- Applefield farms leaves. This salad was practically designed to be eaten with Applefield leaves. I know, I know, you’re sick of me professing my love for Applefield farms. But I’m not sorry. Not at all. Until they stop being the best farm around (which they won’t, ever), I’m going to freak out about every single thing that they send our way. It’s just a natural reaction. I wish I was better at taking photos so that I could fill our instagram with their daily deliveries, cause it’s the best thing to see at 7am every day- Ray, my favorite person in the world, pulling up to the kitchen with a van filled with veggies. Why are the veggies so good? We’ll never know. I suspect that Ray and his team are secretly a bunch of sorcerers, who cast spells on their soil to make it extra fertile and yield the best product ever. But the magic exists in the mystery, and we’ll never know what’s really going on over there. There’s a reason that Rachel and I got married on that farm. It’s truly a special place, filled with very special people. So grateful to be working with them every season. This salad was made possible in part by Applefield, and in part by our magicians in the kitchen- shaving veggies, toasting seeds, and making a kick-ass dressing to pull it all together. To prepare, just toss the leaves, veggies, seeds, berries, and cheese in a bowl, and toss with the carrot-ginger-chia vinaigrette. Season with some salt and pepper, toss it up, and enjoy. Pure, salad-y bliss.
If you got tuscan roasted chicken breast:
Good call! Sometimes, a simple marinade is all that you need to make an organic, ABF chicken breast worthy of gracing the top of a salad. This one has a lot of stuff going on in the marinade, but in essence, it’s super simple. Aromatic oils. That’s the key. Olive oil has some type of property that tenderizes meat. I could go into it in more detail, but I’m kind of rushed today, and beginning to run out of space (as usual). Basically, seasoning the oil with lots of aromatics doesn’t dilute the flavor or potency of the oil, and only adds more and more layers of flavor and depth. Organic olive oil, tons of herbs, lemons, spices, and chicken. That’s it. So simple, and very good- especially on top of a salad. I’d recommend broiling the chicken, cause I enjoy the texture contrast between warm slices of chicken and cold salad. Broil, or grill the chicken breast until it’s nice and hot. Give it a rest, and then slice, and layer on top of the big ass salad. There you go. There you have it. Now get in there! <3 WECO