Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do….Completely empty the fridge and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table. As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn't have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass. I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the "whats for dinner" conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now.
Look at the is beast. I don't call it a monster sandwich for nothing.
The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..
Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right. Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.
Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty.
Yea it's Thursday!!!!
-C
A Monster Veggie Sandwich
Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy.
- Either a bagel, 2 slices of bread, or a big chunk of baguette (use a gluten free bread if you want or need too)
- Hummus- Homemade or store bought
- Mustard
- Something pickled like pickles, banana peppers , jalapeños or all three
- Lettuce, spinach or some kind of leafy green
- Tomato
- Avocado
- Onion
- Radishes
- Cucumber
- Shredded Carrots
- Shredded Beets
- Shredded Cabbage
To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate
On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.
Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and giving a little smooth to keep it together.
And go at it. Cut in half or don't. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.
Last week pineapples were on sale everywhere……So I bought 5.
Stuff for the goodness. We got the kale, some avocado because all salads should have avocado and some cooked lentils because, well, all salads should have lentils (or beans or nuts.. so you could totally something else) Then a few sprigs of fresh dill, a clove of garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and a bowl of chunked up pineapple. 
The pineapple, dill, garlic, red wine vinegar, a splash of water and a pinch of salt get blended in a blender or whatever blending device you use. Go as smooth or chunky as you like, I recommend going smooth, but leaving a little chunk, like half blended.
So good……So so good.
Dressing stuff. A nice and ripe avocado, the juice of a juicy lemon, a bit of garlic powder (raw garlic is nice too, but grate it super fine) and salt. Simple simple and sometimes simple can be the best.
All stuff get mashed super mashed until smooth and scooped into a jar with a lid. Add about 1/4- 1/2 cup water (depending on how thick you like it) and shake that jar all around.
A roasted beet and carrot, all sliced up
Tossed onto a bed of tender baby spinach
And topped with creamy avocado dressing. Fantastic, so pretty, and makes the day super springy!
When something goes on sale at the grocery store, I tend to buy it. Being that it is Valentines Day this week, all the stores are having specials on all sorts of sexy things… and strawberries are one of them. 
A handful of ingredients and 5 minutes will get you to a fantastic salad experience.
Pour the vinegar on the strawberries and let sit for at least 5 minutes. (the longer the strawberries can sit with the vinegar, the better)
Pile it on.. thinly slice avocado.. rough chopped toasted almonds… It's pretty much as easy as it can get.
And last but not least, toss on the balsamic soaked strawberries and drizzle the remaining vinegar. (if you made hearts, place on top to make pretty) Sprinkle with a pitch of salt and pepper and pow! Fancy, sexy, delicious salad.