I will always be amazed by the power of food. The power to nourish. The power to produce joy and sometimes tears. The power to prompt someone to start a blog, to write recipes, and to learn how to use a camera. The power to make you hangry. The power to make you hungry. The power to make you thrive. The power to divide. The power to bring together. The power to build a raised bed. The power to tell a thousand different stories.
This post was created in partnership with Sub-Zero and the #FreshFoodMatters campaign. Sub-Zero will donate $5 for every post using the #FreshFoodMatters, up to $25,000, and that equals 25 gardens for Katie’s Krops. It’s a little thing with big impact.
If you know me, you know I’m awful at email. Like, the worst. But when I got an email about the #FreshFoodMatters campaign, I immediately wrote back with a resounding absolutely.
I’ve just spent the last hour watching the short food documentaries they put together, not because I have to, but because I’m incredibly moved by each story. By Richard who changed his whole life after eating a plate of real food. It made him feel good, so he did it again the next day. He lost 150 lbs., started cooking, and eventually moved to a hobby farm to grow his own food and raise his own chickens. That’s power. By Chef Anne Cooper who left her celebrity chef post to become “the renegade lunch lady”. They called her a renegade for bringing real, fresh food to school lunches. That’s power. By Katie from South Carolina who once grew a 40 lb. cabbage in the third grade. It made her realize how many people she could feed, people who weren’t getting real, whole food. She then started Katie’s Krops, youth-run farms that supply produce to soup kitchens. That’s power. And every time I type “that’s power”, I fight off tears.
Food is one of the most basic needs. Sometimes it’s handled well. And sometimes it’s not. And there are thousands of different food issues we can agree to disagree on. But one thread woven through each of these stories—we can all do a little bit better. For me, that means giving dinner a little more forethought. It means dragging myself to the store, which is literally two blocks away, to pick up tomatoes or cabbage or something just pulled from the dirt. It’s being a little more patient during dinner prep, digging out a plastic butter knife, and teaching Hallie to chop those tomatoes.
I like to think that we’re all in the midst of our stories, of our short documentaries awaiting their resolutions. I say documentaries because they capture the everyday. The breakfast, lunch, and dinner things. The tying your shoes and washing your hair things. I’m a dreamer and I dream of doing big things. But I think it’s the little things that guide us to the big things.
“Mel, what’s for dinner tonight?” Kev asks. “Oh, I don’t know. Something Mexican.” “You said that last night and the night before.” I say it every night, because every night I want Tex-Mex. It’s a quick and easy vehicle for delivering a pile of vegetables and a scoop of avocado (duh). We’re adding this Tex-Mex salad to our line-up. A big vibrant plate of vegetables topped with a homemade Tex-Mex Ranch that’ll make you lick your plate clean—this might be one of the big things.
This salad is all about the dressing—a homemade chili-garlic ranch with a little zing. It’s plate-licking good.
Ingredients
Scale
Tex-Mex Ranch
3 tbsp. organic mayonnaise
3 tbsp. plain whole milk yogurt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
handful of cilantro, stemmed
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
squirt of honey
Salad
romaine, chopped
red cabbage, shredded
white cheddar, shredded
can of black beans, drained
frozen or fresh organic corn, lightly sautéed
tomatoes, diced
avocado, diced
sweet potato chips
Instructions
Prepare dressing. In a food processor or high-powered blender, pulse all ingredients together until evenly incorporated. Store covered in fridge for up to a month.
Prepare salad ingredients. Assemble as desired. Shake dressing just before serving. If hardened, run container under warm water.
Notes
If spicy makes your tongue sweat, cut the cayenne pepper in half.
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In the name of dressing, head over to A Couple Cooks to listen to their new podcast on olive oil. I made a special appearance by phone and talked about my deep, borderline crazy, love for homemade dressing. Also, here’s my favorite mason jar dressing dispenser.
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I think we underestimate food at our own peril. And by that I don’t mean the way we fetishize food, with the perfect shot of the elaborately decorated cake for our dog’s birthday. I mean the act of making something that nourishes and sustains us, often imperfectly, frequently with people. It’s life giving, and it shouldn’t be a luxury. I’m so encouraged by people who are working to change our broken systems.
This looks delicious- an everyday meal that I can throw together in a minute, but also feel happy about eating.
Melissa, thank you so much for the link to the mason jars and topper for poring salad dressings. I, too, have their shaker, but did not know about this product.
So true. It’s so easy to underestimate the power of food in our lives. I love that you’re teaching the little one to appreciate the time it takes to prepare whole foods!
We made this for a dinner party and the salad was a huge hit! It’s on our list for the long weekend now too.
Best comment ever!! That dressing is my favorite! I’m going to work on an avocado version soon!
LOVE this for our usual taco Tuesday feast, or pretty much every other night of the week as well
I’m definitely doing a tex mex salad tonight! It’s too close to swimsuit season to load up on tacos!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
One would says it all for this salad – PINNED (already!!) ; o )
Love it. And I need that salad dressing topper for the mason jar!! Genius.
I think we underestimate food at our own peril. And by that I don’t mean the way we fetishize food, with the perfect shot of the elaborately decorated cake for our dog’s birthday. I mean the act of making something that nourishes and sustains us, often imperfectly, frequently with people. It’s life giving, and it shouldn’t be a luxury. I’m so encouraged by people who are working to change our broken systems.
This looks delicious- an everyday meal that I can throw together in a minute, but also feel happy about eating.
Looks like you have found the perfect homemade salad dressing container. Do you mind sharing where you got it?
Hey Marnie! Thanks for the reminder. I meant to include that in the post. Here’s a link to the product. I have their cocktail shaker too.
Melissa, thank you so much for the link to the mason jars and topper for poring salad dressings. I, too, have their shaker, but did not know about this product.
Actually, I mean pouring!!
So true. It’s so easy to underestimate the power of food in our lives. I love that you’re teaching the little one to appreciate the time it takes to prepare whole foods!
That dressing looks super delish and easy! Thank you for sharing. Couldn’t agree more about the weight food holds in our lives.