It’s been a while since my last post–six months to be exact! So many changes have swept into my life since then, including beginning a new job. As with all of life’s changes, I have learned to navigate it by giving it my all and full attention. This has also meant that I don’t have as much time to share my kitchen passions. Food has taken a literal back burner in my longer work days, increased commute time, leaving  less time to cook, much less quantify a recipe.

I have fallen in love with faster prepared foods to accommodate my new demands. But in addition to the changes in my professional life, life has been extremely demanding in my personal life as well. And some days I have to make my own sunshine! This salad is the perfect emblem of all what this time means and feels like to me. It was created with nothing but pure love. I almost want to call it, “Contessa Love Salad”!!!! 

Let me tell you a little something about living on our tiny island. One of the secret joys of island life: We look out for one another, and we heal all wounds with shared food. One of my friends said, “I am dropping off some Carambolas fresh from our tree to cheer you up!” She did. It did. And my spirit smiled deeply.

We don’t have much, but what we do have we share with each other. It is a gift of food and time and good will. So, I tried to think of a way to use her gift in a way that would best extol the generosity of her share! Almost everything in this simple vinaigrette is locally made. Honey Vinegar purchased by one of my favorite Honey Women Wanda Wright! The honey was also local from the Honey Man! The Bibb Lettuce sourced from a local farm! A lemon from another friend’s tree (yes, lemon not lime)! And home grown Culantro as a substitute for cilantro. Bright, fresh, citrusy, and great as a cool summer salad!

I really hope you are having a wonderful Crucian day wherever you are in the world, that you have friends who deliver stars(fruit) to your life, and that you share this recipe with them and those you love. That is what life is about isn’t it? Just love.

Ingredients: 

1/2 Medium Red Onion

2 Cloves of Crushed Garlic

One large Carambola (Two if you have the smaller ones)

2 Stalks of fresh Culantro/Shadow Bene or a Tablespoon of minced cilantro

1/8 teaspoon of Thyme

2 Tablespoons of Grapeseed Oil

1 Tablespoon of Honey Vinegar (If you can’t find it you can use red wine vinegar)

1 Tablespoon of Honey

Juice of one Lemon Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the crushed garlic, lemon juice, grapeseed oil, honey, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and honey vinegar.

Thinly slice the carambola and red onion and add to the mixture stirring to ensure it is all fully coated. 

Toss in the minced cilantro/culantro and mix evenly. 

This recipe is all to taste, so you could add a bit more of all the ingredients to suit your liking. Trust your kitchen (and life) intuition. You always know. 

Serve as a stand alone salad or over any of your favorite greens!

Enjoy!!