I’ve always been more of a thigh girl than a breast girl. I love saying this. Not only is it true but it also appeals to my inner five-year-old, whose sense of humor oddly intersects with that of a dirty old man. But thinly-veiled innuendos aside, I am telling the truth. I think chicken thighs are better than chicken breasts. I’m team dark meat all the way. But I still think the breast has a time and a place. I prefer chicken breast with caesar salad or in a club sandwich for instance. And I thought I preferred boob when it came to chicken Milanese, scallopine, and/or parmigiana but these Za’atar Crusted Chicken Thighs have given me pause.
This Layered Horiatiki Salad delivers exactly what it promises. The classic Greek salad stacked. This showstopper borrows its format from the legendary Seven-Layer Salad but all the flavors are Greek. The produce on the other hand is local. The tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers found in this towering beauty are grown year-round right here in Ontario’s vast greenhouses. In the summer it’s easy to lose track of the veggies you always have on standby. It’s understandable, there is an abundance of seasonal produce looking its best right now. But you got to give it up for the veg that always has your back. This salad is a monument to the tasty jewels the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers consistently serve up.
I’m not usually a source for hit-the-kitchen-running recipe ideas. I prefer to keep things chill, methodical, and occasionally, blissfully monotonous. Meditating on the vastness of the universe while pleating dozens of dumplings – that is much more my aesthetic. But I, like everyone one else, don’t always have time to parse the unknowable truths of the human experience one ravioli at a time. Sometimes I have places to go, people to see and a very small window of time in which to feed myself. And when I find myself in this position, I make this Chicken Farro Skillet with Green Olives and Preserved Lemon.
I am slowly but surely embracing the coming fall. There was a chill in the air when I woke up this morning and I didn’t hate it. I felt awake and I got to wear my favorite leather jacket. People watching at this time of year is always so fun. There is literally no consensus on the proper seasonal attire. You might see one couple in jeans and turtlenecks and another in bike shorts and T-shirts. The in-between outfits are my favorite. Pairing a cable-knit sweater with flip-flops isn’t an easy sartorial feat but I’ve seen several people try. This is a season of transition. And today’s Beet Pickled Cauliflower Salad is the perfect transitional salad. It’s filled with earthy yet fresh flavors, seasonal produce, and nutty farro. It has weight and depth while still being a refreshing salad. So let’s get into it.
