It stormed…again.
If you’ve never lived with the difficulties that come with harsh winters, this post will sound counter-intuitive . What could be more lovely than mountains and mountains of freshly fallen snow? Sledding, snow shoeing and making snow angels is the stuff you do when you’re playing and having fun. Not so fun, when the power is out for days on end. When driving becomes an Olympic sport and walking… If you’re elderly or incapacitated in any way, you become a prisoner in your own home. Sidewalks are rarely plowed but, if they are uncovered, the surface is usually a sheet of ice. I’ve fallen every winter, trying to walk in the city. I think, twice, about running errands.
Shoveling snow is a fact of our lives. To simply be able to move around, the snow has to be pushed back or up or where ever there’s room to put it. Living so close to the ocean causes our snow to be damp and heavy. I’m know you’re wondering where I’m going with all of this.
If you share this winter wonderland with me, please take care, if you need to shovel the snow. It’s hard work and needs to be done slowly and carefully. Most of us tend to slow down in the winter spending more time on the couch than cross country skiing. Hauling on your winter clothes and lifting heavy weight for a couple of hours is dangerous.
Every winter, for as long as I can remember, I’ve read about someone losing their life because they were cleaning up after a snow storm. Winter is hard. Please be safe.
I loved playing around with Korean food for the last couple of weeks. After using the last of my kimchi in those dismal fritters, I’m moving on. This week, I’m experimenting with harissa, a north African hot chili paste. I saw it in the specialty section of the super market, never heard of it, so bought it! After giving my jar of harissa a little taste, – major kick – I thought it would be perfect in a carrot salad dressing. I’m eating it as I type. IT’S FABULOUS!
Carrot Harissa Salad
Serves 4-6
3 carrots, peeled, trimmed and shredded
19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
¼ cup golden raisins
Baby greens
¼ cup pistachio, shelled and chopped
Harissa Dressing
1 lemon, seeded and juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon harissa paste, or to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
THE STEPS:
- Place all of the harissa dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl
- Whisk well
- Add salad ingredients
- Toss until mixed and well coated
- Garnish with chopped pistachio and serve.
THE LOVE: Play around with the salad ingredients. Sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, other legumes are just a few suggestions. Really – the sky’s the limit!
click here for printable recipe
one year ago: potato pancake
two years ago: cinnamon buns
UPDATE: It snowed again last night. Sigh…
Thanks for reading.
