TASTY TUESDAY! Summer Salad

In our home we don't eat, we dine. Food is a treasure to be respected, savored and enjoyed. Personally it took me a long time to understand this but once I did, my life changed forever.

When I was twenty years old this queen of junk food married a healthy, food respecting man. I had never eaten a salad with a meal and my husband scoffed at my ignorance. Like it or not I was going to make a change. I started slow, iceburg lettuce with a couple slices of tomato. Thankfully I hate creamy dressings, so my very blah salad was always covered in some sort of tangy vinaigrette.

Over the years I've evolved greatly. I never minded trying new things, just preferred to eat sweets, processed food, meats and carbs. I still overindulge on treats (everyone has a vice), but everything else in my diet has improved. Salads are probably the number one dramatic change in my life. I love to experiment with flavor and texture combinations. I love that I learned to appreciate the underrated brilliance of butter lettuce, the fun of a wedge (no not the shoes) and the fact that texture plays a huge part in whether you enjoy your feast in a bowl.

Last night I prepared chicken parmigiana for dinner but because of the relentless heat in AZ I wanted a lighter experience from a normally massive meal. My conclusion: skip the pasta, make a chunky fresh tomato sauce, and create a delicious, vibrant summer salad. The results were amazing!

Salad ingredients include:
One head of Romaine lettuce (the center where the leaves are smaller, lighter and more crisp), chopped very thin
One head of corn, cut off the cob and not cooked
Small chunks of red onion (even if you dislike onion, its a necessary component and if sliced thin you will barely notice them).
3 tomatoes cut into chunks (go with the real thing not the tiny cherry or grape tomatoes, it will give the salad more moisture)
A Quarter of a Hot House Cucumber, pealed and cut into chunks
Fresh, very good quality Parmigiana cheese grated coarsely

Toss with a light Italian dressing (I've recently started buying Whole Foods 365 Italian or Balsamic dressings....they are great with this).

For my Chicken Parm recipe, go to my online magazine http://www.litfestmagazine.com/litfest/RECIPES/Entries/2010/12/5_Skillet_Chicken_Parmesan.html