Le Nozze Di Carlo Salad

Inspired by the the idyllic weather and the vibrant produce at the farmer’s market this morning, I came home and made a beautiful salad. I took this picture of it before it jumped into my mouth:

By the way, those aren’t sticks of dynamite—they’re French Breakfast radishes. When you stand them up, with their long tails resembling wicks, they make good stand-ins for birthday cake candles.

Serving suggestion: While eating this salad, why not listen to a lovely CD by a NYC band named Le Nozze di Carlo, the current band of Bob Goldberg, who was my former band-mate in the 1980s. This CD (same name as the band) is the perfect thing to listen to on a day when you’re feeling happy. And if you’re not feeling happy, its celebratory music might just change your mood. Listening to it is like being on a European vacation. I’m naming this salad after the band, because I created (and ate) this recipe while listening to their album.

Le Nozze di Carlo Salad

By Judy Pokras

Radicchio
French Breakfast radishes
Dulse
Broccoli microgreens
Arugula
Fresh dill
Parsley
Cilantro

You could also throw in grape tomatoes and clover sprouts.
Hell, feel free to throw in anything you like, because recipes are like that; they’re not autocratic!

Vinaigrette Dressing

Freshly squeezed lime juice
First-cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil (from a dark glass bottle)
Celtic salt

Toss and serve.

I photographed the salad on a plate for aesthetic reasons, but then I dumped it all into a large stainless steel bowl, which is how I prefer to eat my salads. Jay Leno says he won’t eat anything in a bowl because he doesn’t like ingredients to touch each other. Well, in that case, my salad is an orgy. But really, it’s much easier to eat salad from a bowl. With a plate, the ingredients can go zooming off onto the table or your lap.

Enjoy!