A Salad in Hell's Kitchen

The long hot summer is upon us, and if you live or have lived in the South for any length of time, then you know that when summer hits ... it brings the pain.

If you ever want to know what it feels like to stand on the threshold of hell, come to Mississippi in August.

Summer is my least favorite season; people always give me the stank-eye when I say this, but it's the God's honest truth. I have spent the last 25 years in a hot-ass kitchen with temperatures that reach well over 100 degrees. Yes, your body adjusts, but it's pretty miserable, especially in July and August.

When I get home after working all day in Hell's Kitchen, I really do not want to cook or eat for that matter - it's hard to have a desire for food after your lips have melted off like a wax figure in Madame Tussauds museum.

But my wife's gotta eat, y'all, and feeding her dinner is the least I can do after I come home grumpy and smelling like hot garbage. 

Salad is always the go-to in our house during the summer, not only because it’s light, but because it's so versatile - you can literally put anything you like on a salad. There are no rules, there is no salad police, just you and your giant wooden bowl waiting to be filled. You are free to explore the entire grocery store, not just the produce aisle, and put anything you damn well like on your salad.

When making salad as the meal, I try to create a balance of colors, flavors, and textures: sweet, salty, sour, spicy.

Different lettuces or greens, fruits, nuts, cheeses, proteins - the world is your oyster.

Here is a recipe for a basic summer salad. Looks great on any table, carries well (just keep your dressing separate and ice well) and, most importantly, tastes great.

Enjoy!

Summer Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach
2 peaches, cut in wedges
1 homegrown tomato, cut in wedges
1 cup salted, roasted, shelled pistachio nuts
1 8 oz. log goat cheese
¼ lb. sliced thin prosciutto ham
½ cup dried cherries

Directions:

Layer salad any way you like, feel free to adjust the recipe to the ingredients that suit your palate - if you don't like pistachios, add walnuts. If you have dried cranberries instead of cherries, go for it. No prosciutto? Add grilled chicken or shrimp. You can do it! Make a sexy salad!

Note:

For a dressing choice, it has been my experience that most folks have a particular style of dressing that is preferred in their household. A light red wine vinaigrette works great and green goddess is my personal go to for this particular salad. But remember there are no rules, so if you like Thousand Island - and really who doesn't like Thousand Island - then go for it because it is your salad!