“Empty the fridge” [or fill it up] Salad

I’m only human, you know. For real, I swear!

I AM only human, guys!

I mean, sure, I always plan all my meals ahead of time and never enter the grocery store without a very carefully prepared list that tells me EXACTLY what I am to buy, as well as give me a very good idea as to how much it’s going to cost.

Every Monday, that’s what I do. Plan the meals for the week, make my grocery list accordingly and then go out and buy the actual food items that are on that list.

But sometimes, just sometimes, I get carried away and buy all sorts of fruits and veggies on impulse, because they’re on sale, or because they just look so darn nice. That holds especially true when I pay a visit to just about any ethnic food store.

Other times, I feel like taking a break from planning. I just go with the flow and use whatever’s in the fridge and cupboards.

Sometimes, though, it gets really bad: I do both at the same time!

That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I end up with a fridge that’s way too full and no plan as to what to do with all that’s in it.

For some strange reason, that would be precisely the moment when I tend to open the fridge and stare for a while, thinking “Oh my god, just what are we going to eat, there’s absolutely nothing to make anything in there!”

In fact, that usually means there is way too much! I function way better on an empty… fridge! I need to see every item that’s in it.

Sometimes, though, having to empty that fridge results in me creating something worthy of refilling it to make this creation over and over again.

It definitely was the case with this salad. The first time I made it, I didn’t really take notes. It was just “a salad”, you know, nothing to write home about.

But when I tasted it? OH MY GOD! I ran to the kitchen to get my trusty notebook and write down everything that I had used to make sure I could repeat the experience THE VERY NEXT DAY!

You know that feeling when you’re eating something that’s just so good that you wish you were eating this again before you’re even done eating? Well, maybe not. Maybe it’s just me.

But let me tell you, this salad right here made me feel exactly like that. I just wanted to eat it again, and again…

You might think that it’s a very strange combination of a bunch of things that really don’t fit together, but trust me, it more than works.

Oh, and whatever you do, DO NOT omit the vanilla.

If anything, add some more! 

EMPTY THE FRIDGE (or fill it up) SALAD 

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 2-3)

Salad

• 1 pink grapefruit, supremed
• ½ radicchio, shredded
• ½ chayote, finely diced
• 1 large endive, chopped
• ½ head broccoli, florets only, chopped
• 1 ripe tomato, finely diced
• ¼ English cucumber, finely diced
• 15 baby cut carrots, sliced
• 5 kumquats, finely sliced
• ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup pistachios
• 2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds

Vinaigrette

• juice from above grapefruit (whatever drips while making the supremes)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• the zest of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp unpasteurized honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp guar gum

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Working over a bowl so that you don’t let any of the juice go to waste, arrange your pink grapefruits into supremes. Once all the supremes are out, squeeze all the remaining juice out of what’s left of your grapefruits.
2. Transfer that juice to your mini blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth.
3. Add all the ingredients for the salad in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Add dressing, blend well and serve immediately.