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No Dressing Spring Salad by shenning

For as much as I slacked off using my CSA goodies last week, I totally made up for it this week.

And I didn't spend every weeknight slaving over the stove or anything, to do it. I mean, who has time to do that? I don't. Plus, it's 90 degrees out, so who wants to slave over a stove anyway? Yeah, exactly nobody.

Instead, the hubby and I had a "free" (as in no commitments) night for once, and decided to cook in tandem. He made a stir-fry in the same mold as this one, while I checked out what salad ingredients we had in our crisper and on our counter and set about making what I could with what we had.

The resulting dinner was totally amazing, filling and full of leftovers. Both of us got about halfway through our portions and couldn't eat another bite. (The kiddo wasn't interested in any aspect of the meal ... oh well, more for us.)

When we packed up our leftovers and peered in the fridge, there was a TON more room. We'd finished nearly everything we'd gotten from Rolling Prairie (green onions, kale, mushrooms, salad mix, head lettuce and snap peas) and several items we'd picked up at the Lawrence Farmers' Market or the grocery store over the weekend.

It was a great feeling, especially because we felt like we were starting at a handicap at the beginning of the week with extra veggies leftover from the week before.

Plus, the salad I created was pretty good, and took like no time to put together. We're definitely making this one again.

No-Dressing Spring Salad

4 cups spring mix, baby spinach or arugula

1/2 to 1 cup sauerkraut or kimchi

1 avocado, chopped

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 to 4 tablespoons vinegar (balsamic, apple cider, rice, red wine, etc.), to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Put lettuce in a bowl and pour the avocado chunks on top. Using clean hands, massage the avocado into the lettuce. Top with the tomatoes and sauerkraut or kimchi. Top with vinegar of choice and salt and pepper to taste. Eat immediately. Serves 2 to 4.

So, what'd we get this week? Beets, Napa cabbage, snap peas, eggs, green onions and purslane.

How he gets his vegetables... by shenning

Last week, we were on vacation and missed our regular CSA pickup. That said, we were lucky enough to have a sweet friend pick up our goods for us and save them until we could get them. When we finally got our CSA bag on Tuesday night, what we found in our bag was a great selection of items we’d normally pick out for ourselves, given the choice, including: salad mix, head lettuce, Swiss chard, asparagus, spinach and spring onions.

May 14th's veggie load by shenning

That CSA pickup was a great way to restock our post-vacation fridge in one fail swoop. However, because of how late we got back on Tuesday, plus our busy weeknight schedule, we were hardly home to cook at all this week. Thus, we had a few leftover items that we couldn’t use until Monday night (as in the night we picked up this week’s CSA goods).

But — and this is just one reason to love local food — because our CSA food didn’t travel very far, it was picked right before our friend went to go get our bag for that week. Thus, it didn’t spend precious time being shipped on a truck or plane before it landed on grocery store shelves. That, my friends, buys the purchaser time to let those veggies sit in the fridge if need be. Normal (shipped) veggies wouldn’t have lasted a week in the fridge like that, especially the delicate greens.

So, this Monday, we were able to steam asparagus and make these great potato pancakes from the Rolling Prairie Cookbook that we discovered last season, using week-old veggies plus all the green onions we received this week (the hubby LOVES his green onions).

As for the stuff we actually managed to use during the week? Well, honestly, when I don’t cook, the easiest way to use the items in our bag is for me to get out the blender and the juicer. Yes, I know this isn’t for everyone and many of you are probably annoyed that I resort to this method so often. But, really, those two kitchen appliances take care of a lot of greens that don’t become salad — keeping them from going to waste. Plus, green smoothies and juice are pretty much the ONLY way I can get my son to eat leafy greens. He’s not an unusual toddler — he’s not going to eat kale salad with mommy. The veggies he likes to eat are the “stand alone” types like carrots, peas, green beans, etc.

So, because I know he’ll eat/drink it, I make a lot of smoothies and juice. As you can see from the pic at the top of this post, that’s pretty effective (that was my drink and he wanted to “share” … but ended up drinking two-thirds of it). So, though I know the idea of drinking your greens is probably weird to many of you, I highly recommend at least trying it.

Often, we make green smoothies, and we did plenty of those this week with the spinach, lettuce and salad greens this past week.

But the recipe I wanted to share this week is a juice. Now, if you don’t have a juicer, you could still make it as a smoothie, just as long as your blender has some “oomf” to it. All you need to do is chop up the ingredients really small. Then, start with 1 to 2 cups water and the greens and blend those up before adding the other ingredients. This will hopefully keep your blender from seizing on you.

If you do have a juicer, this one is quick, easy and uses all these fruits and veggies, including our CSA Swiss chard:

Juice ingredients (including CSA Swiss chard) by shenning

Yep, all those things become simply this:

Springtime Swiss Miss Juice by shenning

Springtime Swiss Miss Juice

1 bunch Swiss chard

2 apples

1 bunch celery, trimmed

1 lemon or lime, peeled (or you can squeeze the juice in to finish)

Run all through a juicer.

What’d we get this week? The aforementioned green onions, kale, mushrooms, salad mix, head lettuce and snap peas.

Bok Choy and Swiss Chard with Red Onions and Sesame Seeds by shenning

OK, so call it a sophomore slump, but our second full week of CSA veggies, was much more of a challenge than the first week.

It wasn't that we weren't motivated, it was that we were going out of town.

You know the drill: try in vain to finish everything in your fridge before you go and inevitably eat out a bunch because your brain is already on vacation and you just don't want to deal with it. Yeah, that happens in my house, too.

But before we get to that, to refresh, the items we received in our CSA bag from Rolling Prairie were: Swiss chard, mint, pink beets, head lettuce, green onions, mixed salad greens, mint and a dozen eggs.

They were all great items, and from the get-go we were totally behind in using them. First of all, we ended up going out with friends on Monday night (the night we pick up our CSA share), which put not only a hole in our weekly eating pattern, but also meant I was too wiped by the time we got home to make myself lunch out of the yumminess.

So, the veggies sat until Tuesday. The trip out of town started on Friday, and Wednesday and Thursday are usually busy with activities, so Tuesday was the bull's eye. It was our chance to not only make up for lack of immediate usage on Monday, but also to serve up as many veggies as possible before going down the rabbit hole of "Gah, why do I have to cook anything? We're going on vacation!" nonsense.

On Tuesday nights, I run a bunch of hills around the KU campus with a handful of other crazy people, but, luckily, my hubby had gotten the "use it or lose it" memo, and when I got home, not only had he and the kiddo made homemade hummus with our CSA green onions (NOM), but he'd also chopped up both the baby bok choy I'd picked up at the Lawrence Farmers' Market and the Swiss chard we'd gotten from the CSA for a yummy stir-fry (at the top of the blog). Throw in some day-old Wheatfield's bread we needed to use up and we called in dinner (those recipes are at the bottom of this blog, and they are superb, separate or together).

After dinner, I did my part, making an unusual, and slightly gross combination of green juice that also helped to clean out my crisper, taking care of some CSA beet greens, CSA mint, cucumber, celery, spinach, apples and lemons. I thought it would taste like a mojito with the mint and citrus. It did not.

Later, on Thursday night, I used the actual beets in a much tastier juice (CSA and Farmers' Market beets, apples, lemons, cucumbers and the entire head of CSA lettuce), but that still left a few things in the fridge before we took off. Thus, we hard-boiled our eggs, and they seemed to last OK for when we got back. We also saved some salad greens and mint, both of which I'm hoping to use in a non-gross juice concoction later today.

What did we get this week in our CSA? I have no idea at all, as I won't see the contents until tonight (a sweet friend picked up our share for us). But I'll be sure to fill you in next week on how we used the goodies. Until then, try the hummus and stir-fry recipes. They really do make the most of what's available right now and are super duper easy.

Bok Choy and Swiss Chard with Red Onions and Sesame Seeds

1 pound baby boy choy

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Slice off the base of the bok choy and chard. Slice what remains into large chunks. Place the greens in a large bowl to get all the dirt out of the folds (even if you washed them already, they might still be sandy). Drain and towel off any excess water; set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet. Add the onions and stir-fry for five or six minutes. Remove the onions and set aside on a plate. Add a bit more oil if necessary and sauté the ginger for a few seconds. Add the bok choy and chard and stir to coat with oil and ginger. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the leaves start to wilt. Add the mirin and soy sauce, stir briefly, and cover the pan. Steam for 2 minutes, then remove the id. Stir for 30 seconds and take the pan off the heat. to serve, top the stir-fry with the onions and sesame seeds. Serves 4.

Homemade hummus with Wheatfield's bread by shenning

Curried Green Onion Hummus (from "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, liquid reserved

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)

2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 cup chopped green onions

When you open the can of chickpeas, pour about 3 tablespoons of the liquid into a cup and set aside. Drain the rest of the liquid and rinse the chickpeas. Pulse them in a food processor along with the garlic until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and puree for a bit. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, the salt, the paprika (if using) and curry. Blend until very smooth, adding the last tablespoon of liquid if needed. Pulse in the green onions until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Taste for salt and lemon juice. You can serve immediately, but I like to let it chill for at least an hour.

CSA greens with salad toppings by shenning

One CSA week down, roughly 25 to go, and hopefully all as successful as the past week. We used everything we received in our first week from Rolling Prairie, no composting necessary! In fact, for once, we didn't seem to have enough to eat. (Enter an expensive, yet satisfying, trip to the Lawrence Farmers' Market on Saturday to replenish the crisper).

To refresh, last Monday we received: spinach, salad greens, green onions, Swiss chard, mushrooms and mushroom paté.

Week 1 goods by shenning

The baby salad greens went into the salad at the top of this post (that's the greens, topped with kimchi, tofu, beets, green onions and vinaigrette). The spinach and Swiss chard made it into juice and smoothies.

Yep, there's Swiss chard in there. by shenning

The mushroom paté went into the freezer for a later date (We tend to freeze any spreads we get from our CSA, whether it be pate or pesto, for when we need it in a pinch), while the mushrooms were used immediately in a halved version of yummy mushroom marinara.

Mushroom Marinara by shenning

This marinara recipe is super quick and easy and seems even more satisfying than the kind you can get in a jar. I know I didn't crush the tomatoes myself or anything, but somehow, the hubby and I felt pretty proud to make this ourselves. Maybe it's because we basically lived off pasta and canned red sauce in college and back then we never would've dreamed of making it ourselves (Yeah, we were poor and kind of lazy).

We're definitely going to make this one again!

Mushroom Marinara (From "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (24-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

16 ounces finely chopped mushrooms

Preheat a 2 quart pot over medium-low heat. Sauté the mushrooms in the oil. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the thyme, oregano, and pepper, and sauté for a minute more, adding a splash of water if necessary. Add the tomatoes and salt, and stir everything together. Cover the pot, leaving a little gap for steam to escape, and cook for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and seasoning and serve.

In our CSA bag this week: Swiss chard, mint, beets, head lettuce, green onions, mixed salad greens, mint and a dozen eggs.

Goods from CSA Week 1 by shenning

Finally. FINALLY. CSA season is upon us!

My first CSA pick up of the season was Monday, which, in my head, pretty much signals the beginning of warm weather, deck sitting and copious amounts of local, seasonal produce. Yes, I know I'm being a little dramatic for it being barely May, but it's hard not to get excited, because, well, I hate winter. And even after the mildest winter of my life (besides the years I lived in South Florida), I'm still thrilled that it will basically be getting warmer from here on out for months on end.

For the past few years, I've documented how my little family of three uses up our CSA (community supported agriculture — this means we get a share of farm goods each week in a "subscription") share each week. I started blogging about our usage after hearing from many people that they'd given up on their CSA shares or become discouraged because they couldn't prepare everything before it yellowed and died in their produce crisper, wading in that weird condensation that puddles as the veggies die.

And, truthfully, I also started blogging about how we use our veggies to make sure we'd use them.

That's right, though I write weekly about my love of vegetables and fruits, I have been known to let some produce wither and die in my crisper, too, only to be laid to rest on the compost pile. It happens to all of us, even people like me who need kale to be its own food group.

And, thus, if it's difficult for me, it's difficult for probably anybody. Especially when you're not exactly sure what you're going to get each week (Meal planning? What's that?). And no matter what CSA you've signed up for (or if you're following along at the Farmers' Market), this year is poised to be extra crazy. Because of the unseasonably warm weather and little rain, local farmers have had traditional early spring crops like spinach and kale bolt on them or die after wintering-over. Thus, these first few weeks might be a little hectic and abnormal no matter what CSA you've signed up for or how seasoned or new you are to this whole subscription veggies thing.

So, as we navigate the first week of the season (for me — if your CSA has yet to start, take this post and this week's share as an example of what you'll get later), I thought I'd look back on some of the best recipes we made in early spring the past few years. That way, no matter what your CSA has in store for you this week or in the next few, you have a good suggested starting point.

Recipes

Swiss Chard Roll-ups** (with instructions)

Bok Choy with Chickpeas and Cashews (from a late-season post, but applicable to early season veggies)

Spicy and Sweet Chinese Cabbage

My Favorite Kale Salad (Rockin' Kale Salad)

Spinach CSA Smoothie

I'll check back in this space next week with a run down and recipes from how we used our goodies this week, which included (as you can see above): mushrooms, mushroom paté, green onions, Swiss chard, salad mix, spinach.

And, now, a question: Have you joined a CSA? If so, what are you looking forward to each week?

Bourdain dines at the Savoy by shenning

Last Monday, the Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain debuted the Kansas City-based episode of “No Reservations” he filmed a few months ago. When the cameras were rolling, there were rumors all around town that the outspoken foodie traveler was going to make a stop in Lawrence to try one of our yummy barbecue options. Heck, I even sent poor Nick Krug out to see if there was any truth to the rumors (alas there wasn’t).

Although no Lawrence restaurants appeared in the meat-filled episode, plenty of famed Kansas City places (on both sides of the state line) did. Bourdain purposely tried to stay away from famed barbecue joints like Gates and Arthur Bryant’s, but he did hit some spots that are pretty famous within Kansas City, if not the Midwest in general, including Oklahoma Joe’s and Fiorella’s Jack Stack. And, when not chowing down on burnt ends and ribs, he hit up famous old-timey haunts like Town Topic (for midnight cheeseburgers) and The Savoy Grill (where he sat in Harry Truman’s booth and ate food from a menu that's probably unchanged in Bourdain’s lifetime).

It seems like all that moving from restaurant to restaurant would be enough to fill up an hour of TV, but oh no, this episode had a good helping of filler. Some of it was awesome — a strange and random interview with the fabulously talented Black Keys — and some of it silly and kind of dumb — mentoring a random wannabe food show host/hair enthusiast from Russia named Zamir.

In fact, there could’ve been a whole lot more eating and a whole lot less of Zamir mooning over Stroud’s pan-fried chicken (though, I’m super glad they hit up Stroud’s — the cinnamon buns are totally worth the calorie bomb) in the episode. And the mob history portion of the show was cool, but kind of unnecessary in the pantheon of Kansas City food history (don't you think the area's "cow town" history would've worked a bit better?).

All in all, I loved the episode and the fact that Kansas City's great food tradition got some good pub, but I do think the production could have and should have made the little jaunt down I-70 to Lawrence to try out some of our best foods.

What kind of positively intended curse words would've flown out of Bourdain's mouth about any one of our fine barbecue establishments — Biemer’s, Bigg's, Slow Ride, Gran-Daddy’s? Or about the worlds of cuisine in downtown Lawrence — pan-Asian, new American, Latino fusion, etc.? Heck, we even have a gas station with superb food a la Oklahoma Joe’s (Basil Leaf Café, anyone?) — don't you think that would've gotten a "wow" or two?

Yes, Tony missed out on a whole lot of good food, in my very biased foodie writer estimation.

So, if you would send Bourdain to any restaurant in Lawrence, what would it be?

The Buddha Bowl by shenning

If you’re like me, and you probably are, based on the number of personal responses I got to my lifesaver weekend roasted veggies a few weeks back, you probably have zero to negative time to cook on weeknights.

In my house, we’re pretty much married to our weeknight schedule, which is determined by some sort of fancy algorithm based on mommy sports, daddy sports, kiddo sports and family time.

It’s as nice to be married to a schedule about as much as it is annoying to be married to a schedule. On the one-hand, it’s very easy to plan when you know exactly what you’re going to be doing each (and every) week. But it’s also nearly impossible to do anything spontaneous or labor-intensive with one’s time, such as creating picture-perfect meals.

Honestly, I barely have time to shove a fork in my mouth, let alone create something beautiful and new and different all the time. Sure, some days I’ll get on a roll and make a few particularly inspired meals. Or, we’ll have a rain-out and suddenly we’re at home with all the time in the world to make something elaborate. But, mostly, I have 30 minutes tops to make dinner, and probably 10 minutes to slurp it down.

Thus, you may have noticed that generally, the recipes I share in this space are good for more than one meal. Sometimes, they’re good for several nights of dinner, other times you can at least get a dinner and a next day’s lunch off of them. And though these ruts are nice and comforting and time-saving, they aren't exactly inspiring, to be sure.

Thus, sometimes, I do crave a meal that makes a ton, yet is totally customizable — one where you feel like you’re eating something different each night though the parts and pieces are basically all the same.

This is sort of the method behind my aforementioned weekend roasted veggies, but, really, those veggies are just the tip of the iceberg. That’s because they can be (if you want them to be) part of the gloriousness known as “the Buddha bowl.”

The Buddha bowl is a concept long loved in the vegetarian community and its versatility should speak to anyone who is short on time, including those of you who like your meat.

The basics of the Buddha bowl go a little something like this: Add a grain, add a legume, add a veggie, add seasonings/toppings, mix. For example, say you make a big pot of quinoa on Sunday. Depending on what you have in your pantry or fridge, your Buddha bowl experience could go something like this:

Sunday: Quinoa, black beans, corn, salsa and avocado

Monday: Quinoa, chickpeas, baby romaine and balsamic dressing

Tuesday: Quinoa, lentils, sautéed veggies, pasta sauce

Get the picture? It’s easy, it’s rut-preventing, customizable (my hubby’s often looks different than mine) and it totally cleans out your fridge/pantry/freezer of all the random purchases/leftovers/frozen things you’ve forgotten/gotten sick of/need to use up.

So, now that we’re up to speed on the awesomeness that is the Buddha bowl (which is so popular now that they make actual bowls called "the Buddha bowl" — the pretty blue bowl holding my salad from Delicious/Nutritious this month is one of them) here’s a recipe for the basic one at the top of the page.

It combines a bunch of really healthy and cheap foods — you know, the kind that you always plan on eating but, um, cough ... never do — which makes the following bowl perfect for those of us who tend to buy 3 pounds of lentils just because they’re on sale. (Guilty as charged...)

Note: I find it’s easiest to first prepare the sweet potatoes, and get them in the oven. Once they’re cooking, I’ll cook the quinoa and lentils in separate pots at the same time on the stove (they cook about the same amount of time). That way, everything is hot and ready at once and all you need to do is slice up your avocado to finish.

Quinoa-Lentil-Sweet Potato-Avocado Buddha Bowl

2.5 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry)

2 cups cooked red or green lentils (1 cup dry)

1 recipe Sweet Potato Medallions

1 avocado, sliced

Other toppings: salsa, balsamic, hot sauce, hummus, sautéed veggies (I topped one of mine with leftover fajita veggies from a restaurant — yum!)

Layer the ingredients as you prefer in a bowl. Enjoy! Serves 4-6. (Double or triple the recipe or pieces of the recipe to get more bang for your bowl.)

The Saturday Market by shenning

This weekend is the “soft” opening for the 2012 Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market. And by "soft opening," I mean, the market’s official grand opening isn’t until May. That’s when there’ll be a full slate of vendors and the weekday markets (on Tuesdays and Thursdays) will start up.

Even if this weekend’s opening isn’t "grand," you won’t be sorry if you try to make it out to the first market of the year. Because of the fabulous weather and the abundance of hoop houses (thanks to a government program), there should be a fine selection of yummy, early spring produce.

I’ve been looking forward to this moment since walking away from the last market in November, so to say I’m excited about this weekend is kind of an understatement. Thus, I’ve pulled together some info and serving suggestions for some of the spring’s tastiest seasonal choices.

You’ll probably see some, if not all, of these goodies at this week’s market and most definitely by May’s big one.

Baby greens: As ubiquitous as they are tasty, these little guys are a cinch to procure by the bagful at the early farmers’ markets. They are perfect for pretty much any salad, but especially ones with a very light (read: not overpowering) dressing and crispy veggies.

Kale: Such a nutritious, under-used green, the vitamin-packed powerhouse (rich in vitamins A and C, plus calcium and iron) is finally getting some mainstream foodie love, mostly in the form of kale chips and massaged kale salad. Those are two fine ways to enjoy it, especially when the leaves are young and tender as they are in the spring.

Tatsoi: This green is often referred to as “Asian spinach” and has tons of beta carotene, plus vitamins C and K. Tatsoi is not often found at the grocery store (which is a pity), but if you happen to see it at the market, snatch some up. You can steam it plain, use it in any recipe you would spinach or throw it in stir-fry. I also really like it in green smoothies, which I know is weird, but it’s an option!

Asparagus: As the king of spring veggies, you probably are quiet familiar with him. You also probably already have your favorite methods for preparing the precious little stalks. But by the end of the asparagus season, chances are you might grow tired of the same old, same old. If so, might I point you to this month’s Delcious/Nutritious, which happened to be about eggs, but both recipes featured asparagus, enjoyed in very different (eggy) ways.

Black Bean, Olive and Zucchini Tacos by shenning

This past weekend it’s felt like summer. And even though the calendar says we’re a long way from July, the weather has had our family in the mood for our summer favorites. The produce isn’t quite there yet, but that’s OK. We can fake it.

I found a good price on some pretty giant zucchini, so we decided we’d make something really fabulous with it: Black Bean, Olive and Zucchini Tacos.

The zucchini gives these tacos a summery feeling, even without other traditional summer produce like tomatoes and bell peppers. Kalamata olives and garlic are easy enough to find any year, as is a simple can of black beans. So, really, as long as you can find a good pound of zucchini, you’re good to go.

Also, there’s a bonus wrapped up in this one: It is super easy to make on a weeknight and is a great way to “hide” veggies from kids. Our particular child wouldn’t touch it, BUT, I think older kids might not look twice if you just say you make black bean tacos. Just a thought.

So, here’s to faux-summer and boo to the rainy, cool April that is sure to show up sometime.

Black Bean, Olive and Zucchini Tacos (adapted from “Appetite for Reduction,” by Isa Chandra Moksowitz)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 zucchini, diced small (about 1 pound)

1-2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (optional)

Tomatillo salsa

8 flour tortillas

Preheat heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and jalapeno to the oil and sprinkle with the salt (salt will help draw the moisture out of the zukes). Saute for about 7 minutes, until the zucchini is lightly browned.

Add garlic, olives, cumin and coriander, and saute for 2 minutes more.

Add salsa verde and black beans. Cook for 5 more minutes; the salsa should reduce a bit so it’s juicy but not soupy.

Place the tortillas in a moist paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high.

Fresh salad by shenning

It's no shock that I'm really high on bringing salad for lunch. I've blogged about salad countless times in this space. (We should probably just start calling it "Salad Corner" or something, right, Mr. Editor?) [Ed. note: How about Kale Korner?]

Therefore, I'd say that at least four days out of the week I'm having salad al desko. And more, often then not, my eyes are way bigger than my stomach when preparing one at home or creating one at a salad bar. This is a common occurrence, right? I'm not the only one who goes, "I WANT EVERYTHING" when standing in front of a trough of veggies of varying weights. I mean, this IS why they sell it (not-so-cheaply) by the pound, no?

Well, even if it's just me who's paying $10 or more for per pound salad (yes, it would be cheaper if I didn't buy the heavy stuff), chances are that if you're the type to bring your lunch to work, you've been unfortunate enough to have dressed a salad, not eaten it all for one reason or another, left it overnight and come in the next day to find your leftover lunch all soggy in the bottom of the container. I love my salad, but even I really, really hate diving into soggy, next-day greens. I mean, limp and cold just sounds so ... appealing, right? Especially in an over-air-conditioned office environment. Brrr.

Thus, I must admit, that many a day-old salad has been pitched and sandwich ordered because of this slight problem.

That said, I've found two very easy ways to remedy this particular problem.

The first: Keep a bowl and fork at work. That way, you can put half your salad in a bowl, dress it and then see where you are after you finish. I found a nice HUGE one (I've found the bigger the bowl, the less chance at dressing splatters on my desk) at World Market for $6. It works like a charm and is great to keep on hand for other random office delights.

Meanwhile, the second is a brainstorm that's happened most recently: Keep a package of nori sheets right there in your desk next to your snacks.

Nori sheets are just sheets of seaweed used to make sushi rolls. They're pretty inexpensive and very good for you (lots of iron and about five to 10 calories per sheet). But here's where they come in when discussing soggy salad: they're your knights in black-green armor.

Seriously.

Have leftover dressed salad that's gone all wilty? Just spoon it in and wrap it up:

Salad in nori, before wrapping by shenning

All wrapped up and looking like a sea monster by shenning

I've found it works, no matter the dressing type. The nori is pretty neutral, considering it's a sea veggie. Plus, it seems to stay good forever in a cabinet (though you might want to place an open package within a plastic bag) and it won't add loads of calories or artificial crapola to your meal like some wraps.

And, thus, another salad is saved from the trash.

P.S.: If you try it, let me know what you think.

P.P.S: Note the nori is pretty chewy, and for best results, you should eat it immediately after filling it with salad. If you let it sit, it will be hard to tear with your teeth.

P.P.P.S: Nori is also really good slathered with hummus and filled with pieces of avocado.