Lettuce Feeds the Soul !?!

Have you ever had a perfect moment?  Let me define…a perfect moment is not really just a moment (what is a moment anyway?  Is it a minute?  Could it be a second, as in “we had a ‘moment’ when we looked at each other” …for me, a moment is a singular experience.  A “perfect moment” is a perfect singular experience when peace and pleasure wrap you in a warm blanket and time stands still.  I’ve only had a few in my life – of course, probably until 20 years ago I wasn’t able to even be still enough to recognize a perfect moment, hence, there WAS no perfect moment!!Oddly, my perfect moments are not usually associated with food except one at Bouchon in Santa Barbara where I cried into my rose (pronounced rosAY as I do not know how to work the funny character buttons) over the silky fennel gazpacho, but the other week, when I was working with produce from a client’s farm, I swear I had a spiritual experience handling of all things, lettuce. I was so wrapped up in the perfection of the lettuces, the vibrancy and life in the lettuces.  I caressed the lettuce.  I smelled the lettuce.  I worshiped the lettuce.  The lettuce was silk, and it was perfume, and it was alive.  It smelled of earth, rain, sunshine, and green.  I have never observed, hand to eye, such pristine, beautiful examples of the complexity, and simultaneous simplicity of nature.  I lost time.  Nothing could stultify this mesmerization – not the mundane tasks of washing the lettuce nor tearing the lettuce (tenderly).  I had 7 different varieties in front of me and was moved to make a bouquet and photograph it.  Of course in this world of IT and social media I had to “share” my perfect moment – and I’m re-sharing it now with you, along with the end result – a beet salad with roasted beets from their farm as well.  It is lightly coated with this fall’s newest member of our “dressing family” – Sorghum, Cider & Sassafras Vinaigrette.    Worship the lettuce, indeed.  It is, in fact, God.

No WAY the Holidays are Almost Here!!

We book up FAST for November and December so book your soiree early!!  We are so excited to celebrate with you this season.  We have lots of yummy new flavors to weave into your traditional menus to make new tasty memories!