Emerald City Salad

This salad is a real favorite with my current homestay students.   It is named after Seattle--the Emerald City.  Both Seattle and the salad are 'dark leafy green.' (Must be from all that 'liquid sunshine' we get--especially this time of year!)

I first tasted Emerald City Salad at the deli in my favorite organic food store in Seattle--PCC (Puget Consumers Coop).  To see the original recipe, go here.

When I make this salad, I cut back on the wild rice and olive oil/lemon juice amounts, but I stick pretty close to the amounts for the other ingredients.

Here's how I do it:

I gently boil 1/2 cup of wild rice in plenty of water for about an hour.  While the rice is cooking I prepare the salad dressing and greens.


Squeeze the juice of one lemon (about 1/3 cup) and add to 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
Add two cloves of garlic squeezed in a garlic press.

Whisk together and set aside.
When the rice is cooked, drain, then add it to the salad dressing.
Meanwhile, wash 1/2 bunch of swiss chard and remove the center rib.
Stack the leaves on top of each other and chiffonade.
Wash 1/2 bunch of kale and remove the center rib.
Stack the leaves on top of each other and chiffonade.
Wash about 1/3 bunch of parsley (1/2 cup) and cut off the stems.
Chop the parsley until fine.
Slice 1 bunch of green onions.
Thinly slice 1/2 of a fennel bulb.
Thinly slice 1/2 red pepper and 1/2 yellow (or orange) pepper.
Put all vegetables into a bowl.  
Add the rice/salad dressing and toss until thoroughly mixed.
What a beautiful salad--and it's super healthy as well!  Did you know that kale, fennel and swiss chard are high in calcium, potassium and vitamin A?
Tonight, I served this salad alongside swiss steak over rice.  It was delicious and filling!
I think Emerald City Salad tastes even better the second day, after the greens have marinated in the dressing overnight.  

If you try making this salad, let me know how you liked it.

Love,

Homestay Mama

The Mountains Are Out!

OK, so if the mountains are out today, where were they yesterday? In? In where?

Well, anyone living in Western Washington knows that the mountains--the Cascades to the east and the Olympics to the west--are always out there! But being 'out there' is not the same as being 'out.'

Confused? Let me explain.

Seattle is named the Emerald City--because of the abundance of green trees, green grass, and yes, green moss growing everywhere--growing from the abundance of rain! Lots of rain equals lots of clouds.

Clouds. Aha!

The mountains are usually 'under cover,' so to speak--a cloud cover! So, when we say the mountains are out, we mean the clouds are gone and we can actually see our beautiful mountains.

When the mountains are 'out,' it seems to cast a spell over us and it's not uncomman to find us gravitating toward those places where views of the mountains regale the senses. Today was one of those days, and I just happened to have my camera with me! I only had time to grab a couple of photos because I had to rush off to work. If the mountains are still 'out' tomorrow, I'll take more pics to share with you.

So here are the Cascades to the east... (Click pictures for larger detail)
...and the Olympics to the west.These are just simple pics from my point and shoot digital camera. Nothing fancy like The Pioneer Woman's Nikon. Nothing enhanced with Photoshop.

However, nothing compares to standing there in person, whether gazing at the Cascades or the Olympics, and seeing mountains from as far north and as far south as the eye can see. I tell you, the beauty can take your breath away!

Especially when the mountains are out!

Love,

Homestay Mama