Wild Arugula & Heirloom Carrot Salad w/Sun Dried Olives, Guacamole and TomatoesSometimes I get inspired to turn an ordinary dinner salad into something a bit more composed. So it was last evening. I had some wild arugula from Whole Foods, some heirloom carrots (bright yellow, not orange), a tomato and avocado that needed to be used and some Santa Barbara Sun Dried Olives. So, instead of making a chopped salad, I decided to plate something nice and decorative, remember, we eat with our eyes. I love my julienne tool (see it here on my Pinterest board, Products I Love), I used it to make a pile of shredded carrots in a minute, then chopped up the dried olives, made a quick batch of Guacamole, using Meyers Lemon juice, a bit of Chipotle Chili powder, sea salt from Kauai, then assembled the salad. This is the fun part, as there is no wrong way to do it. I started by layering up the Arugula, then sprinkled the carrot strands, sliced the tomato and decided to have them prop up the sides. Thinking garnish, I sprinkled the olives (reminded my of black truffles, but I didn’t hit the Lottery this week, so they weren’t), and then placed dollops of Guacamole on top. I used some hemp seeds as a sprinkle on the very top. After the photo, I dressed it with extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic – very lightly then added a splash of sea salt, tossed it in the fridge for 10 min to crisp up and served. So, what’s the take-away? These are not exotic ingredients, just simple greens and vegetables. It was the ‘I want to make it something special’ attitude that converted the humdrum meal into something a bit nicer. This didn’t cost anymore yet the payoff was substantial. We both enjoyed looking at it – and hopefully you do as well. Try it the next time you are making your ordinary salad – think, “How could I make this a bit more artful” then do it – and send me a picture! Til we eat again.