Introduction

Summer in Seattle happens quickly. Before we have a chance to lightly tint our skin, removing its usual white-as-snow glow, we start to feel the chill of Fall. Every sun-filled day is a gift that is not taken for granted but truly treasured.

We do what we can in these days to preserve the joy, moments, warmth and tastes of Summer. Perfectly sweet strawberries are sealed in jars so that on a particularly gloomy Monday morning in January we can be filled with hope that someday Summer will return and be as sweet and perfect as those berries taste.

But for now Summer and all the lushness that comes with it are here. So we celebrate and taste all that these days offer.

This salad is Summer on a plate. Limitless variations exist but there are two additions that should always be present.

1. Add fresh herbs. Not often eaten as a whole leaf like that of a lettuce, fresh herbs provide bursts of intense flavor and variety to salads. They turn an ordinary green salad into a poetic plate that will recite melodious verses singing the songs of the sun. Try adding a combination of any of these herbs (maybe not all at once - stick to 2-3 in one salad) mint, basil, cilantro, chives, dill, fennel tops, tarragon, etc.

2. Add finely shaved raw vegetables. You will never see me riding the wave of the Raw Food Movement but I will say in some instances they might be on to something and this is one of them. Raw vegetables have a completely different flavor profile than their cooked brothers and sisters. They provide a fresh, crisp crunch and a sweetness that comes only from the earth and sun.

In my salad I added shaved fennel bulb and Chioggia or candy-striped beets. I love the addition of the beets mostly for vanity reasons - those pink and white stripes look like nature's candy canes and while the peppermint flavoring is missing in the beets the sweetness is present in both.

Also try shaved brussles sprouts, summer squash, carrots (long, thinly peeled strips from a vegetable peeler are beautiful), parsnips, jicama, shallot, leeks, asparagus, radishes, and on and on.

Lightly dress the salad with a delicious homemade vinaigrette and sprinkle generously with a course sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread, toss in some Chevre or shaved Parmesan, pour yourself a glass of Lillet, sit in the sun and relish these Summer days.

Shallot Mustard Vinaigrette

• 1 tsp good quality mustard
• 3 tsp minced shallot
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 2 Tbl. Balsamic Vinegar
• 2/3 cup Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Add the first four ingredients then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may also add a squeeze of Meyer lemon if desired.

About Ashley E. Rodriguez

Food became my life while living in Italy. Growing up I was fortunate to have been brought up around a mother who intuitively knew how to cook, and just by being around that, it rubbed off on me. But it was in Italy where I truly began to appreciate the power of good food.

For me food is so much more than following a recipe in order to reach a desired product. As much as I enjoy that tasty product and the process in which it was created, my personal infatuation with food focuses on the aspects that go beyond satisfying a bodily hunger. I am completely and utterly obsessed with food because of its effect on the people who consume it, grow it, produce it, enjoy it, and live for it. Food is culture, it nourishes our bodies, it is passion, it is hard work, and for many it is their livelihood.

My culinary career has been primarily pastry focused. I worked under the Captain of the winning American Coupe du Monde team (the Olympics of bread baking) at the Essential Bread Baking Company in Seattle, WA. From there I went on to Los Angeles where I studied under Sherry Yard (Executive Pastry Chef for Wolfgang Puck's restaurant empire) at Wolfgang Puck's famous Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills. While working with Sherry, I also assisted her with her second book, Desserts By The Yard.

I moved back to Washington State and began my pastry business, fulfilling all sweet needs. You can see my work in numerous publications including Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom. Currently I am focusing on training my two young boys to have distinguished palates. You can also find me writing, teaching and creating a television program on the subject of real, good food.

Photographs copyright by Gabriel Rodriguez. Used with permission.