September Slacking

Recently, people have been telling me that they love September. I can see their point. The air is warm, the sun is shining, the apples are ripening, and the blackberries are falling off the bush into my pail. Also, the crowds of tourists and teenagers have nearly disappeared. For these reasons September makes me happy. But September is also a month of change, back to school, back to work—new jobs, new people, new responsibilities. Suddenly I have a tummy ache. I haven’t truly started September. My first day of work is Friday (tee hee) so Caleb and I have still been playing at summer. And when it’s hot, because it is, and I’m spending my days on my bike or at the beach, I don’t like to eat large hot meals. Last night, Caleb and I whipped up what we’ve taken to calling the Quick and Dirty Salad, a mound of fresh rice and veggies topped with cheese and protein. The recipe is very simple and, naturally, very flexible depending on what you’ve got in the crisper but I provide the recipe as a guide, a starting point, and a source of ideas.

Also, I wanted to post this stunning photo.

Quick and Dirty Salad

Salad

Usually, I have most of the ingredients that require cooking left over from a previous meal. For example, I wouldn’t make rice specifically for the salad as it needs time to cool. Instead, make a little extra for your stir fry and save it in the fridge for your salad.

4-5 large leafs of Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

Half a carrot, grated

Quarter of a beet, grated

1 tomato, diced

1 cob of corn, cooked

Half a red pepper (not green! Yew)

Half an avocado, sliced into slender pieces

2/3 cup cold cooked brown rice (optional. It depends on how hungry you are.)

3/4 cup chickpeas, cooked (or/and two boiled eggs.)

1/3 cup feta, crumbled

2 to 4 Tbsp pumpkin seeds

Assemble the above ingredients on two plates or pasta dishes. I suggest putting the cheese and seeds on top.

Dressing

This recipe comes courtesy of Joan Reems (my mother). I believe it’s the best one she’s ever given me. I always have a batch in the fridge as it’s so simple to prepare and so much healthier than commercial dressings. Oh, and it tastes good.

1 cup yogurt

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp dried dill

Combine, adding more water depending on desired consistency.