Home-made lettuce

We had dinner at my best friend Julia’s parent’s house (the Cook residence) on Sunday night and it was a perfect example of delicious, healthy, whole foods cooking. Having grown up eating at their home, I realize now that I have always taken for granted the love and effort Craig Cook puts into his menus. Five of us sat down Sunday night, wine glasses in hand, to an entrée of fresh wild salmon grilled simply and sprinkled with fresh herbs and chives. We had mashed potatoes and giant, firm, fragrant asparagus – but one of my favorite parts of the whole meal was the salad. Craig and Kathy grow lettuce in their back yard and it was superb. I don’t often (ever) have access to lettuce this fresh and it was a real treat. Kathy whipped up some quick home-made dressing while we were all chatting that was similar to the one I recently learned to make. It had olive oil, vinegar, and Dijon mustard and was a perfectly light accompaniment to a huge bowl full of delicately moist, forest green lettuce with sliced tomato and cucumber tossed in the mix. Now that I’m focused on eating whole foods, I realize the commitment, effort, and reward of throwing a preservative free dinner party. I thank them for the delicious dinner, great conversation, and inspiration to cook more for my own friends and family!