It takes a lot for me to say something is perfect. Perfection isn’t really worth striving for but for us this chicken is as close as it gets.

There are endless variations. Sometimes there’s a mustard laced butter studded with herbs that I nudge under the skin. Other times there are a few lemons and shallots tucked into the cavity. More often than not there is a bed of potatoes roasting alongside But this version, in its most basic form is the one I turn to again and again. And as the first sign of cooler weather is making its appearance I have this simple roast chicken to look forward to on repeat.

While the herbs are still abundant in the market make this vibrant sauce to accompany. Later in the season I recommend switching to a seedy mustard aioli with perhaps a few pickled peppers finely minced and thrown in there as well.

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Perfect Roast Chicken with Salsa Verde

Cook 1 hour

Total 1 hour

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 3 (or so) pound chicken

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Green Sauce

1 bunch scallions (about 5 to 7), white and light green parts thinly sliced

2 cups herbs (mint, dill, chives) finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Zest and juice from a medium lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

Instructions

Pre-Seasoning

This step is absolutely key. Thoroughly salt and pepper the chicken 12 – 24 hours in advance.

We were once taught that salt should be applied just before cooking meat as it draws water out leaving the meat dry and tough BUT when you salt well in advance some water is drawn out and then reabsorbed. The salt not only flavors the skin but makes its way deeper into the flesh seasoning throughout. Each bite is perfectly seasoned – not tasting salty but rather more of chicken. Salting 1-3 days in advance actually makes the meat more moist and tender. I do this for virtually all meat, with the exception of tender fish.

Place the chicken on a tray or large bowl and let it sit uncovered in the bottom of the fridge away from foods that will be consumed raw. Left uncovered the skin dries out and gets even more delightfully crisp in the oven.

Having said all that there are times when I’ve not planned ahead and simply salted even as little as 30 minutes in advance and still enjoyed the results.

To Truss or Not to Truss

I don’t bother tying the chicken into some sort of position fit for a contortionist. I like the hot oven to reach as much of the skin as possible.

Roasting

Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes prior to roasting. The hot oven is what makes the skin blister and turn deep golden.

Take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before roasting so it has a chance to come to take the chill off which will allow the meat to cook more evenly.

Over high-heat add a bit of olive oil and butter to a 12-inch cast iron skillet (you can also use a small roasting pan or skillet). When the skillet is smoking carefully add the chicken breast side down. Sear the chicken for 3 minutes and then carefully transfer the entire skillet into the pre-heated oven. This is a method I developed out common sense and a bit of laziness, I admit. Searing first on the stove sets the skin and keeps the breast moist. I don’t bother basting, flipping, poking or prodding the chicken until it’s been in the oven for 45 minutes. At that point I plunge a thermometer deep into the thigh and remove it from the oven when the temperature reaches 160°F. I then let the chicken rest in the pan for 20 minutes before I serve or cut into it. During the resting time the meat will continue to cook and come up to the safe 165°F. It will also allow the meat to relax and the juices to distribute.

My favorite part of this process, besides eating dinner, is flipping over the chicken after its roasted to reveal a dark, crusty chicken speckled with pepper and covered in a salty, crunchy skin. Always serve the chicken breast side up.

Prepare the green sauce.

In a bowl stir together the scallions, herbs, garlic, lemon (zest and juice), olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard seeds. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. It should be quite pungent.

Courses Dinner

In light of Mother’s day – or because we’re both moms and we like to talk about motherhood, work, balance, and life – my friend Jess (from Sweet Amandine and author of, Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home) and I had a lengthy conversation about becoming mothers and what all of that really means. We talk about our initial desire for motherhood, the striving for balance (and subsequent giving up on the idea) and we attempt to remind ourselves about what we are doing right in parenting rather than parading our failings.

I adore Jess’ perspective on life and motherhood. Talking with her I’m reminded that each day is a gift; one to be treasured and enjoyed. I so enjoyed talking with Jess and I hope you like reading through our (edited) conversation.

Jess and I are thrilled to be teaming up to offer a special Mother’s Day package that includes a signed copy of her book and a NWS Chocolate Chip Cookie mix, beautifully packaged.

Join the conversation in the comment section for a chance to win a package or check out the Not Without Salt Shop to order one for yourself or a special mother in your life. I’ll randomly select a winner on Monday, May 2nd – which also happens to be the last day for placing your order if you hope to receive it in time for Mother’s day. 

We have a limited number of these pretty packages so be sure to get your order in!

Jess: I remember when we first met, at the home of a mutual friend. I was there with my 1.5-year-old and was still figuring out how to parent while socializing with other adults. Meanwhile, there you were with your THREE awesome kids, seemingly totally at ease. Also, you brought homemade peanut butter cups! I remember thinking, this woman is such a natural, obvious mother. Did you always know you wanted to be a mom?

Ashley: Yes, I did always know I wanted to have children. I have vivid memories of seeing pregnant women on TV or women with newborns and I’d think, “I want to experience that.” This may sound a bit morbid but as a young child I was fearful of dying and I’d think to myself, “as long as I live long enough to have children I’ll be okay.”

Jess: That is such a powerful feeling you describe.

Ashley: Well, the other thing is that I was surrounded by women having children. I grew up going to church and all of the women in my life had children so by default, I guess, I just assumed that’s what we did.

Jess: That’s amazing to me, always wanting it.

Ashley: You didn’t?

Jess: Thoughts about whether or not I wanted to be a parent just weren’t on my radar for a long time. Certainly not when I was a kid, though I did have strong ideas about what I wanted to happen in my life: I wanted to move to New York City. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to work hard at something, and get really good at whatever it was.

Ashley: So was it when you and Eli were dating that you started thinking about having children?

Jess: [laughing] It was when Eli and I were dating that I started thinking about marriage! My parents separated when I was seven – maybe that’s why, before I fell in love with Eli, I never thought that I absolutely would, or should, get married and have kids. How old were you when you married Gabe?

Ashley: Oh man. We were babies. Gabe and I met when I was 18 and he was 19. We got married when I was 21. Our first baby came three years after that. A total surprise. I was having health concerns that I thought would prevent me from having children, or would require me to undergo medical intervention in order to become pregnant.

Jess: So when you found out you were pregnant, you must have been thrilled.

Ashley: Thrilled and terrified. We had just bought a convertible in L.A. because I had said that when I became pastry sous chef, we would celebrate with a car we really couldn’t afford. (We were young!) Two weeks after we bought the car, I found out I was three months pregnant.

Jess: That’s amazing.

Ashley: We were so far away from where I thought we would be when we had kids but yes, at the same time, I was thrilled. Something changed in me when I held my positive pregnancy test. Suddenly it wasn’t just me asking myself “what do you want for breakfast today?” It was “what is the best choice for the baby?” The moment I found out there was a baby in my belly, I felt like a mom. Did you feel that?

Jess: [laughing] Oh no, no, no… I mean, for me, all of this is wrapped up in the crazy health thing that happened to me.

Ashley: Yes, of course.

Jess: I was 28. Eli and I had been married for not-yet three years. I went for a run one morning, and an aneurysm ruptured in my brain. We had just decided we were ready to be parents. I’d been off the pill for two weeks.

Ashley: Oh my goodness, I hadn’t realized the timing of it all.

Jess: It was nuts, because for so long I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a mom. Then that summer, Eli and I realized we were at a place in our lives and our relationship where we felt absolutely ready. And then… ka-pow! For a while, we were told that it might not be safe for me to be pregnant. Then, at the follow-up scan months later, we learned that the tiny bit of aneurysm that remained after the surgery was gone, and I’d one day be strong enough to carry and deliver a child. Anyway, my feelings during pregnancy were less about motherhood, and more about my body proving its strength. I thought: I can’t believe I get to do this. I’m not even supposed to BE here. (I actually still think that all the time.)

Ashley: So when did you feel like a mom?

Jess: I think my identity as a mother emerged alongside the slow but steady rebuilding of confidence that I am healthy, strong, and here for my children. I associate being a parent with being invincible, or at least seeming so to your children. Not in a let’s-set-impossible-standards-for-ourselves kind of way. Just, how thinking that your mom’s a superhero is a beautiful part of a young child’s love. That feeling a child has, like: “You are my world!”  The illness and near-death in my past made me worry that I might not be able to be that for my kids. I have two little girls now, as you know, ages 4 and 2. My new identity crept up on me. I’m not sure when. But now I definitely feel like a mom.

Ashley: Are there any preconceived notions about yourself or being a mother that have flown out the window since you’ve had your girls?

Jess: You know, the way I work definitely shifted post-kids in ways I didn’t think were possible. Before I had kids, my best working hours were early in the morning. I’d wake up at 5am and go straight to my desk and work for a couple of hours, then crawl back into bed for a bit with Eli, who would be just beginning to stir. That sounds like such a luxury! Now I spend those early morning hours either with my kids, or trying to sleep a bit after a night of nursing and musical beds. When I became a mom, I realized that I had to dispense with the idea of a “best” time to get work done. I had to learn to work whenever I had the chance. In terms of motherhood, hmmm… I didn’t picture my life with kids much before they actually came along, so I didn’t have many preconceived notions. But I can tell you one thing: I love being a mother so much more than I thought I would. What about you?

Ashley: I think I had this naive, “I got this!” attitude at first. Wooooosh. That went out the window quickly. And I’m glad it did, because that has taught me how to ask for help, set up my community, my village, to humble myself in front of my children and say, “I don’t always got this, but I’m going to do the best I can and we’re going to be alright.”

Jess: That’s so wise, Ashley.

Ashley: Well, I can’t do it all. That’s hard to admit. The longer I live the easier it becomes, though. For that I’m grateful. It’s good for my kids to see that I can’t do it all and to hear me admit it, so that they can be easier on themselves down the line.  You do the best you can where you are, continually reevaluate where you’re putting your energy, adjust, and try your best again.

Jess: I’m always so curious to hear how other women do it. Literally, what it looks like on the ground. I remember talking to you when we were both knee-deep in the process of writing our books. You had an incredibly tight deadline. The entire manuscript -recipes, photographs, all of it- was due in something like six months, is that right? And you did it! How?! What did a day in the life of Ashley look like then?

Ashley: I had eight months. It was tight but totally doable because one, I have an amazingly supportive husband and two, I had a dear friend who helped immensely with the organization of it all. The boys were in school at the time and Ivy was in preschool. I would take the morning work shift and work until it was time to pick up Ivy. I think some of the days I worked all day while Gabe was with the kids. I divided the book project into three different tracks – the recipes, the photos, the words. It felt like three separate projects that eventually morphed into one. Our little family knew that this was a big deal for Mom. We worked out our family schedule so that my writing the book and doing the very best I could was top priority. My days weren’t necessarily balanced – which is an elusive rainbow-colored unicorn of a creature that simply doesn’t exist. I gave up on daily balance and now look at my whole life as the thing in which I want to have some semblance of balance. That season was heavy on work, for me. Now we’re nearing the summer months and I’ll be more towards the mom role. It eventually balances out.

Jess: Yes! Eli and I take the long view of “balance,” too. We’re like, this is what we’re doing right now: starting a company, writing a book, taking care of young kids. It’s a lot, and we’re often tired, but we’re happy tired! And we know as the kids get older, it won’t always be this way. We’re rolling with it. I think that’s my version of “having it all:” having as much as I can at any given moment, knowing that the definition of “all” is always in flux, and feeling profoundly grateful.

Ashley: Ooo, I remember being in the throws of diapers, nap schedules, mid-day kids’ TV, constant food on the ground, and thinking, this is my life from here until eternity. You, with little ones, are really in the thick of it now. But it really is temporary.

Jess: That’s what I tell myself! What are your days like now that your kids are older?

Ashley: The kids are up by 6:45 am and then out the door by 8 am. I usually use the first hour to get my coffee, sometimes I exercise, but most often I journal, listen to something inspiring and just breathe. It’s very hard not to jump into email and get started, but I really try to start the day with a bit of calm. From there, every day is different. Sometimes I’m working on a recipe for the blog or a client. Other times I’m preparing for a cooking class. I try to offset the work time by getting together with a friend for coffee, and once a week I meet a friend who is teaching me French. That’s probably my first New Year’s resolution that has ever lasted until May! Evenings are for homework, family time, baseball practice, and downtime.

Jess: So you basically organize your work day around your children’s school schedule? Are all three in school full-time now?

Ashley: This is the first year that all three of my babies are in school and that really is amazing. I’m incredibly introverted so those six hours of quiet are so sweet.

Jess: Six hours alone in the house? Amazing…

Ashley: Yes! Even with all that time to work I had hoped that I’d be the cheery mom, eager to greet them when they arrived home from school. I’d open the door with a smile on my face, chocolate-smudged apron around my waist, and a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies in hand. I think I’ve maybe done that once. Nope, I’m lying. Never. They walk in the door to find me on my computer frantically trying to finish something, or in the midst of a huge pile of dishes from a shoot earlier in the day. They come home to my chaos, but my intention is always to close up shop and be there for them. It’s hard though, isn’t it? Especially when you are freelancing and you are the boss – I mean, to just turn it off?

Jess: It is hard. I think that’s one of the best things that has come out of making sure I have enough childcare: being able to feel okay about shutting down the work part of my brain when I’m with my kids so that I can be fully present.

Ashley: What does that look like for you?

Jess: Have I told you about my parenting life in the early days of writing my book? When I signed my book contract, I was still enrolled in my PhD program at Harvard, teaching undergrads, working on my dissertation. My first daughter was 9 months old. People – mostly other women! – would say to me, “You’re so lucky that your work has flexible hours. You can be a full-time graduate student AND a full-time writer AND a full-time mom!” I’d think to myself, oh, okay, I’m supposed to be able to do this. Why is this so hard? Why do I feel like I’m failing at everything? We had four hours a day of childcare, which felt like a lot, but of course, it’s ridiculous to think that I could teach, and write a book, and write a dissertation, and be a mom and, you know, clean the house, get groceries, pump my breasts, maybe shower sometimes… all in a 20-hour work week.

My husband had just left his company to found a start-up, so money was tight, and I felt guilty getting more childcare. But Eli helped me understand childcare as an investment in my professional future and in who we wanted to be for our children: people who are passionate about their work, who are making the things they want to see in the world. So I went on leave from my graduate program in order to focus on my manuscript, we increased our childcare to 30-ish hours per week, and though I still had to work late nights, I was in a much better place.

Ashley: So how do you care for yourself in the midst of all that — motherhood, work, and everything else that life throws at you?

Jess: I refill by spending time alone inside my brain. I know this sounds workaholic-y, but honestly, when I get a long stretch of time to write, and get to come out the other end having made something, I feel good as new. Guarding my writing time as best I can is probably the #1 thing I do to take care of myself. What about you?

Ashley: Because I have so much time during the day now I give myself the permission to do things that are not work and just for me. So for example, French lessons feel like something for me. It’s a personal goal and I’m choosing to spend my time working toward that goal. Also, I’m trying to build more time for painting and drawing into my day. It’s a creative outlet that, for now, comes with no expectations. I get to open my journal, put color to the page and then close it up. I have an incredibly supportive husband who is always encouraging me to build in the time to take care of myself. It feels much easier to do that now that my kidlets aren’t so little. It’s also a practice I want them to see me doing because yes, I want them to learn how to care for themselves.

Jess: I love the awareness you have of modeling for your children.

Ashley: I think we’re starting to have this culture within motherhood where we feel free to admit where we are failing. I think that’s important. I mean, it’s freeing to shout our “failings” from the internet rooftops, saying, “I fed my kids boxed mac & cheese!” or “I let my toddler eat cereal off the floor this morning!”

Jess: #nofilterparenting!

Ashley: Exactly.

Jess: We’ve talked about this before, and I remember your saying something smart: that by calling these things out as “failures,” we’re condemning our very humanness. Man, if feeding my kid powdered cheese is my biggest parenting “failure…” Sounds okay to me!

Ashley: The next evolution of motherhood I want to see is “admitting” to ourselves and each other what we do well.

Jess: Yes! How are we doing this motherhood business right?

Ashley: You first.

Jess: You know, I think I really came into my own as a parent when my kids started talking. Newly verbal toddlers get so frustrated and angry when they realize that they can communicate their desires, but don’t yet have the skills to be 100% effective! I think I’m really good at being present with my girls during meltdowns, helping them find their way out, and back to an emotional place where they can communicate.

Ashley: That’s amazing. It’s so inspiring to hear that. Okay, now it’s my turn, I guess. Why is it so much easier to talk about what I’ve done wrong? Recently I started journaling with each of my children. It’s a space for them to feel free to tell me about what’s going on. It’s a safe place for them to voice fear, concern, happy thoughts, sad thoughts, whatever they need. For me it’s a sweet point of connection and it’s something that is very personal to each of us.

Jess: And, uh, you also bake them awesome treats all the time!

Ashley: I do. And you do too!

Jess and I would LOVE to hear what you are doing right in motherhood. We both feel strongly about changing the message and celebrating one another for our strengths. We all know we can’t do it all but rather than wasting breath considering what we aren’t doing let’s spend a bit of time appreciating what we are. Believe me – this was the hardest question in our conversation. Jess had to repeatedly remind me to rid my mind and sentences of qualifiers. Then, when I answered I felt light, lifted and encouraged and when I heard Jess’ response I was eager to celebrate her in her strengths and inspired by her patience and gentleness towards her little ones. It’s freeing to admit we can’t do it all but it’s life giving to honor what we can and are doing.

What are you doing well today? How are you doing this motherhood business right? Answer in the comments! Let us all be encouraged by everyone’s strengths.

Jess and I are thrilled to be partnering together in creating what we think is quite possibly the perfect Mother’s Day gift: A signed copy of Stir and Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix all bundled together in a tidy little package. Give it to your mom, or a dear mom friend, or hell, give it to yourself!

Chickpea Salad with Shaved Fennel and Herbs

Last week over on my Facebook page, Molly Wizenberg and I had a fun conversation on motherhood (it's a recurring theme around here) and how we feed our families. We both rely heavily on a can of beans. The day after our talk this was what I did with my can of beans. For dinner I served it alongside a platter of fresh vegetables, and sliced salami, a bit of cheese, and bread.

Serves 2 for lunch, or 4 as a side

1 small fennel bulb or half of a larger bulb

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup roughly torn fresh herbs (mint, dill, parsley, chives, basil)

1 cup arugula

1/3 cup crumbled sharp cheddar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

1 teaspoon Nigella seeds (you could also use poppy seeds, toasted cumin, fennel, caraway or sesame)

Thinly slice or shave the fennel. A mandoline makes quick work of this.

In a medium bowl combine the chickpeas, shaved fennel, fresh herbs, arugula, cheddar lemon juice, olive oil, salt (start with a 1/2 teaspoon and go from there) and the Nigella seeds.

Stir everything together well then taste and adjust the seasonings

At the end of all the holiday activity I had carved out a day to go see Les Miserables with a couple of friends. The previews alone were enough to fill my eyes with tears so I knew well enough to grab a couple extra napkins to sop up my tear-stained cheeks but what I didn’t know was that it was through watching the movie I would pick up a sentence that I now hope to be my theme for 2013.

First let me tell you briefly of the story – enough so that you see the power in these words but not enough to spoil it as you really must see this film. It’s a story of redemption. For stealing a loaf of bread to feed his nephew, a man named Jean Valjean toils in prison for over 20 years working tirelessly and endlessly cast down with shame. In the end he skips parole and spends the rest of his life running from the law. Along his journey he meets a priest who sees him not as a criminal but as forgiven and free from the shame that he had carried with him as a heavy burden. He struggles with his identity until he understands his forgiveness and finds peace in that freedom. Jean Valjean’s freedom allows him to love others and care for a child that is not his own. He overcomes shame and alters the lives of others through his love.

These few sentences don’t do the film nor the book any justice but it is this picture of grace that always speaks to me most clearly when watching this story.

In one of the final scenes (I promise, I’m not giving it away) the words “to love another person is to see the face of God” ring throughout a candlelit chapel. With tears streaming those words rang in my ears and have not since left.

I have a few goals for the new year. I’ve already begun the annual call for health by supplementing all the cookies and fondue I ate over the holiday with greens; loads and loads of greens. Also, I’m allowing Jillian Michaels to kick my butt by way of the 30 day shred. I’ve even made the doctors and dentists appointments I’ve been putting off for months. There’s talk of tighter budgets and bigger homes. We’re thinking about travel plans and garden plans. And I’ve been thinking a lot about the blog – how I want to be a better writer, photographer and recipe developer, but most importantly I just want to be here more. Even when the words are fumbled and the images aren’t perfect I just want to be here. Because of course we all know reality isn’t perfect and I’d rather you know more about the real me than see me as something that I am not.

I’m not setting a lot of specific goals this year but with the ones I do make I am I’m holding them with an open hand. The idea of creating a goal is not to create anxiety along with it. To rob my year of peace in order to live a year devoted to doing a lot of “things” is actually exactly the opposite of what I want. Which is why everything I do put on my list of “goals” or to dos for the year must first pass through the filter of “to love another person is to see the face of God.” That’s what I ultimately want. To get a glimpse of glory by loving those around me.

I want to love my husband better. To enjoy him more freely and to be less selfish in my love for him. And my children. It’s so easy to go throughout our hectic days and miss the opportunity to pause and look them in the eye and remember that they aren’t just little ones clamoring for more of this or more of that but they are individuals each with their own needs, desires and gifts. I want to know them more and love them as who they are more effectively this year. And myself. I want to stop fighting to be some sort of image of who I think I should be and really enjoy who I was created to be. To not make excuses for what I have deemed weaknesses but to live fully in all of myself – forgiving and asking for forgiveness often and laughing at myself the hardest. And my community. The one closest to me and the one beyond – which also includes you all. I feel so loved by you and it’s quite humbling in that I’m not sure how to return the favor but I do want to share more, show more and eat more so I do hope you’re okay with that.

After many days of very few vegetables, we are loving our bodies a bit better by upping the salads and decreasing the sugar. I love vegetables but it’s still hard to make that transition after cookies, candies, cakes and cocktails became the norm for a few weeks so I make it a little easier on ourselves by making a delightfully creamy dressing to coat our greens. The thing is though, that although this dressing is creamy and as satisfying as the one found in the Hidden Valley it’s made from plain yogurt instead of the usual mayonnaise and sour cream. It’s tangy with a bit of garlic bite and the sort of freshness that you think is only possible in the summer.

It seems silly to talk of dressing while at the same time speaking of love but ever since I’ve had those words stuck in my head it helps me give intention to my actions. It helps me prioritize and simplify. My life is filled with purpose and joy – even in the little things, like a green salad.

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Yogurt Ranch Dressing

After a holiday party where fresh vegetables were served with a classic Ranch dressing I knew I had to recreate that nostalgia with something a bit lighter. Since then our carrot sticks have never looked back. Feel free to use whatever herbs you might have. I used fresh but dried would work too - just not too much as dried packs more punch than fresh. And of course real garlic can be used instead of the garlic powder but for the sake of nostalgia I went with the powder.

½ cup whole milk plain yogurt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, basil, chives, thyme - whatever you have)

salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust to your liking.

If you think the dressing too thick you can add a bit of milk, water or olive oil.

Spoon on top of clean, cool greens.

First of all I need to thank you all for the incredible response from my last post. I have read every single comment and email and they have been like a breath of fresh air. I struggled to publish that post but you all have once again proven to be an incredible community that encourages and lifts us up. So thank you. I apologize for not responding to the emails and comments. It continues to be a bit of a difficult season for me and my family but I have seen so much amazing goodness come out of it already. We are covered in grace and are so thankful for your words and continued support.

________

Of course much can be said on the beauty of sharing a meal with dear family and friends as laughter mingles with the scents of soft spices drifting through the air. Where wine glasses clink over riveting conversation and dishes linger on the table far after the meal is done. There is also beauty in cooking for one.

Perhaps it is because for me this is a rare occasion – one to be celebrated and remembered. It is a time when my cravings and food adversities (of which there aren’t many) are the only ones to consider. It is a time when the pasta can be covered in little green flecks and I won’t hear the moanings from three little ones each one meticulously trying to pluck the herbs off their pasta.

My meals for one are simple and light, often composed of many small tastes and they are consumed in silence.

For another idea of what I like to eat while dining alone check out this cheese plate I created for Wisconsin Cheese. Also, check out CheeseCupid.com for a great tool on pairing cheese with drinks. Somehow I managed to include chocolate with my cheese. I may have a problem.

*Disclaimer – I was paid to produce the content for Wisconsin Cheese. Words and images are, as always, my own.

Simple Pasta with Fresh Herbs

This pasta is far too simple for a formal recipe so instead I’ll channel my inner Nigel Slater (I wish) and contain its ingredients and basic method in paragraph form.

First you’ll set a pot of water to boil with enough salt in it that one taste conjures up images of those horrid accidental times of ingesting a bit of sea water. If you didn’t grow up around the ocean - the water should taste salty. Cook enough spaghetti noodles for one. While the noodles boil mince a handful or two of fresh herbs. In this particular batch I used chives, mint, dill, thyme, parsley and purple basil. Whatever you have on hand will do nicely. Add to that a finely minced half of a garlic clove and about a teaspoon or so of finely grated lemon or lime zest. In total you want to have about two tablespoons of this herb mixture.

Toss that with the hot pasta. Over the top you can grate Pecorino or Parmesan or dot the pasta with a bit of Feta or Chevre. Or just leave it as is. On this particular day the sun was shining and the temperature outside didn’t seem quite fitting for a big bowl of hot pasta. So before I tossed the pasta with the herbs I cooled them off with cold water then tossed in the herbs and had a dish that resembled more of a pasta salad.

Warm or cool it is an incredibly simple dish that satisfies, particularly if eaten alone.