So, we are having some lighter dishes on our food vacation and last night's dinner began with a green salad made with butter lettuce (my favorite), heirloom tomato, and cucumber. It was tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
When I slice cucumbers, I always peel them first, then take the tines of a fork and score all sides. Then, when you slice them, they have a lovely little pattern along all of the edges. I am not sure where I learned to do this (I think it was one of my grandmas) but I really like doing it because it is an extra special, unnecessary little thing- a bit of old fashioned charm and love. I remember doing this for Justin in a salad and how he liked it. I recently received a book on fruit and vegetable carving. Did your grandma ever make a watermelon basket filled with fresh fruit? Carve tomato or radish roses? Well, I am looking forward to exploring this kitschy yet playful food art.
