Dirty Fingernails and Spicy Salads

Its always a magical feeling when Summer in Steamboat officially hits…

So far, we’ve had some fantastic dinners with friends outside, rafted on the river, gone on a few hikes and mountain bike rides, and squeezed in some camping! I’ve also been working hard on the farm and trying to get my hands dirty as much as possible!

I’ve realized that working with my hands in the dirt has given me a whole new appreciation for food.

It feels great to see how much everything has progressed. Last month, I helped with planting peppers and basil in the hoop house, planting strawberries in the Ag Forest, trellising tomatoes, and harvesting all kinds of veggies.

The first thing we’re able to harvest in the spring and early summer are salad greens.

They are relatively cold hardy and grow super fast which makes them a great choice for home container gardens as well. Our spicy salad mix harvests have been bountiful, and its so satisfying seeing so much growth! Into June, we’ve also begun harvesting turnips, head lettuces, asparagus, radishes, and our first few cucumbers of the season.

In light of what is available in early summer here in Steamboat, my cooking class of the season was on creative salads. It was so much fun! We had a fully booked class, and after a short tour around the farm, we headed back to the kitchen to talk knife skills, mise en place, emulsification, and flavor dynamics. We made a colorful greens salad with a bright lemony vinaigrette, a roasted veggie salad with wheat berries and creamy herb dressing, and my new favorite salad that I’ve been referring to as “Chereen’s Lazy Lunch.” My favorite thing about teaching the classes is showing people that

cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful, and you don’t need to follow a recipe to make something taste great!

Check out my quick tip for my incredibly simple, delicious, and filling Lazy Lunch Salad.

Happy Eating!

Chereen