We’re here in the in between. Winter is on its way out but Spring still feels a world away. We’ve seen the same offenders in our vegetable drawers for months and I, for one, am ready for a change. But the frozen rain and threats of snow persist, keeping the asparagus from venturing out of the earth and the Rhubarb from turning to its ready-to-use ruby red (unless it’s green rhubarb).

Within our current limited resources I’m trying to make our salads a bit more exciting. And as is often the case I find a bit of restriction a great exercise in creativity. I’m constantly looking for new flavor combinations and new methods of cooking the same ingredients I’ve been working with for months.

I’ve always been a fan of salad. I find comfort in knowing I’m not alone. It really wasn’t until I started stretching my imagination and moving beyond greens doused in blue cheese dressing (although, at times, nothing can be better) that salads started to really inspire me. Now I find myself dreaming of salads and enjoying them daily.

If I’m having this much fun with them now, imagine what Summer will bring.

Orange Salad with Cocoa Nibs // Grilled Zucchini Salad // Avocado Salad with Warm Jalapeño Vinaigrette

Orange Salad with Cocoa Nibs

serves 1

1 orange

2 Tablespoons cocoa nibs

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons aged balsamic

2 cups fresh spinach

salt and pepper

Carefully cut the rind of the orange off, taking as much of the white pith as you can. Cut the orange in rounds.

In a small bowl add the spinach and place the orange rounds on top. Sprinkle with the cocoa nibs and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy immediately.

Grilled Zucchini Salad
serves one

2 small zucchini
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 Tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil, mint, tarragon, and cilantro)
salt and pepper
lemon juice

Using a mandoline (or a steady hand and sharp knife) very thinly slice the zucchini.
Toss the zucchini in olive oil and salt and pepper.
On a hot grill pan or indoor grill, sear the zucchini until dark marks appear, about 30 seconds. Flip over and repeat on the other side.
Toss the grilled zucchini in a bowl with the fresh herbs and a hefty squeeze of lemon. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Avocado Salad with warm Jalapeno vinaigrette
serves 2

¼ cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
½ to 1 sliced Jalapeno, deseeded (depending on how spicy you want it)
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
salt
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 avocado
greens (spinach, cress, arugula, cilantro) or 1 cup cooked quinoa

In a skillet add the coconut oil and shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes until just golden around the edges. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more then turn off heat. Stir in a pinch of salt and lime juice.
Pour ½ of the warm vinaigrette over half of an avocado that is sitting on greens.
If using quinoa stir some of the vinaigrette in the quinoa. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in chopped cilantro and cubed avocado.

It would appear that you can make most anything taste amazing when you simply apply a bacon and pepper makeover. As is the case with zucchini – it’s not my favorite. Sure, I’ll eat it in quick bread form – I guess the butter and sugar makeover also works. I don’t mind Zucchini sliced thin and grilled but that’s mostly because it’s slathered with olive oil and usually along side something else much more delicious like steak. But I have too many tainted memories of sludgy, steamed zucchini with nothing more than a light shower of salt – if that.

Now I could eat my weight in zucchini, just add bacon, a Serrano pepper and deep fry. Oh and the Tarragon aioli helps too.

Their squid-like appearance also makes them enticing to me. I don’t like squid but apparently I like fried food that looks like them. Go figure.

When the wet batter meets the hot oil the final fritter shape is immediately set, and just like a snowflake, each is uniquely beautiful in a slimy, sea creature sort of way.

Or it is quite possibly another form of the wax and water test. I never did this myself but learned about it via The Simpsons circa 1994. Apparently your future can be predicted by the shape wax makes in cold water. In the Halloween episode Lisa’s wax droplet turned into a broom thus determining her future as a witch or housewife. Either way, she was scared.

According to my findings I am set to be a sea creature with long tentacles. Deep fried tentacles. The best kind.

Zucchini Fritters
inspired by epicurious.com and Ratio, by Michael Ruhlman

¾ cup + 1 T flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cumin
½ cup (4 oz) milk
1 egg
1-2 Serrano (or Jalepeno) chopped, seeds removed
3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium)

Oil for frying

Combine flour, salt, baking powder and spices in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk and egg until just combine. Add Serrano, bacon and Zucchini. Stir to combine. Do not over-mix or your fritters will get tough.

In a medium saucepan fill with enough oil to come up three inches on the side on the pan. (Fry oil can be reused up to three fries. Once oil is cool, strain out any floaters then put back into the oil container and save for another use. Homemade chips perhaps?!)

Heat oil to 360*

Using a spoon, drop in 1 tablespoon of the batter into the oil. The oil should bubble vigoursly but the fritters should take 2-3 minutes to develop a deep, dark golden color.

Do a test fritter first to determine the proper oil temp and cooking time. Let cool completely and make sure it is completely cooked eternally.

Proceed, cooking 3-5 fritters at one time, while maintaining the correct oil temperature.

Keep warm in an oven set to 200* on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Don’t let the fritters touch or they may get soggy.

Sprinkle warm fritters with a fine sea salt, or Maldon and serve with Tarragon Aioli.

Makes about 20 fritters that must be eaten right away. Not a problem.

Tarragon Aioli
½ cup mayonnaise
1 T. Tarragon, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove (or ½ large), minced (I like to *carefully* grate my garlic on a microplane)
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste for salt and pepper.
Chill if not using right away. Will keep tightly covered for 3 days.

*Hey! I just was named one of the top 25 Foodie moms by Circle of Moms. If you would be so kind as to give me a thumbs up that would be awesome.
Top 25 Foodie Moms – help me win!