Strawberry Salsa and Spinach Salad

 

“What do you eat when your mother is dying?”

That was a question my sister asked me, partly in jest because I am always looking for things to write about and partly because we were wondering what foods will help our bodies that are numb from processing the reality of our mother fading from this world.

When I am stressed with the adrenaline of catering the only thing I am able to choke down is a banana, but the stress of grief is different.   I want to eat, but I don’t know what to eat.  Lately we have been cooking an overabundance of the heavy comfort foods, but now I was looking for something with color, cheer, and lightness.

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In my garden the spinach was opening its leaves, green to the depths.  I picked some of their leaves, and cilantro too, rolling them in a moist paper towel to better survive the roadtrip.  Strawberries that were not quite local but were fabulous and organic jumped off the shelf into my hands as I prepared for the drive to my parents.  I wanted something special but was unable to think, so I let myself be drawn to incredible color.

Driving alone my mind wandered through thoughts of family, and thoughts of a delicate salad for our fragile states.  As I cruised southward in the most beautiful May day I have ever seen, I was thinking that if this was the last spring a person were to experience, it was a perfect one.  The air was arid and mild with a blue grey ceiling of clouds, and with my windows open I could hear birds singing.

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Fruit salsas are a lovely way to have ‘refreshing’ without too much sweetness, and most any fruit can be used—some of my favorites are mangos, plums, and peaches.  This turned out to be a very seasonal treat, using garlic scapes from my sister’s garden and the spinach and cilantro from mine.  It is easy to take this in other directions with whatever you have around you.

 

Eat a colorful salad, then go out and enjoy this day in May!

 

Strawberry Salsa and Spinach Salad

Mix in a bowl:

6-8 Strawberries, sliced or diced

2 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons Olive Oil

1/4 (or more) teaspoon Champagne Vinegar, White Wine Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Scapes or Green Onion, minced

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Sugar

Black Pepper

Dash of fresh Lime Juice (optional)

Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Nestle on top of:
Spinach Leaves

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The top photo is of Mom’s room with a few Window Stars to bring her color.

This is a plate used for Sunday dinners when we were growing up—it usually had a piece of pie on it, served with a cup of Constant Comment tea.



3 thoughts on “Strawberry Salsa and Spinach Salad”

    • And thank YOU for the beautiful photography of our family! One of your pictures is hanging on the wall of the top photo.

  • Magnificent color, magnificent mother.
    May gentle peace envelope your beautiful family.
    In love and with blessings~hh

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