Summer Salad With Stone Fruit

This summer. we are making a big effort around here to drink more water.  So we all have our own ginormous insulated containers that we walk around with filled to the brim with water and we proudly announce every time we fill them, “This is my 546th refill!” like it’s some weird contest to see who can drown themselves first.

We were running through so many pitchers of filtered water that we decided to just give in and get a kajillion gallon pitcher with a tap that would go in the fridge so that we didn’t have to constantly add ice, fill, refill and repeat because whoever got the barely warm water after the last refill was not a happy camper (and somehow, that was usually me)

The only problems with the new container are: 1. we didn’t think it necessary to measure the fridge front to back before buying it and apparently either our fridge is freakishly short and belongs in a doll’s house or the people who made this thing live in a land of giants and they must be growing science experiments out of the old food that is waaaaaay back in the far corners of t heir fridge because no one knows it’s there and 2. when we put the filter in, the light was supposed to turn green instead of red and no matter what we tried (removing it, dumping the water, playing Beatles songs backwards, hopping up and down on one foot while drinking a glass of the water and rubbing our tummies) nothing could get that red to turn green……until the other night.

There was a group of us sitting around playing cards (our other summer obsession), refilling our water jugs and snacking on popcorn when someone got up for a refill and found that the inside of our refrigerator had become Niagara Falls. Tubs of hummus and butter were headed downstream like little barrels shooting the rapids before plunging over the falls to their destruction.  Leftovers floated along the shelves like debris in the ocean after a hurricane.  I’m pretty sure I saw a pickle with a little SOS sign as he clung for dear life onto a passing lettuce leaf.

As we commenced “Operation Clean-up”, we tried to figure out what had happened.  Had the refrigerator broken down again?  Was the ice tray jammed and leaking all over? Had something been knocked over?  Was this sabotage?  Were there UFOs and/or ghosts involved here?  Did we call a repairman, an exorcist, NASA?

And then we realized…whoever had last filled their water had failed to turn the tap off.  Not sure how they missed the gallons of water gushing out as they capped their bottle and walked away, but it was clearly human error.  Of course everyone denied being responsible for what we will now refer to as “The Great Flood of 2021”, so we then commenced a quick round of Clue meets Inspector Clouseau to unmask the culprit.  After much finger pointing and a few reenactments, we had the guilty party pretty much nailed down…and they are no longer allowed to visit the fridge unaccompanied.

The one good thing that came of it though?  The green light finally came on.  Go figure.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of spinach/arugula mix (you can choose to use only one or the other instead of both)
• 1 peach
• 1 plum
• 1 nectarine
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
• 1/3 cup Marconi almonds
• Blue cheese (optional – obviously, I use vegan)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup greek yogurt(I like Kite hill vegan)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 Tablespoon honey (I opt for the vegan honey)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the lettuce (I use a salad spinner)and place in a bowl or on individual plates.
2. Slice the peach, plum and nectarine into thin slices and distribute them evenly over the lettuce along with the red onions, almonds and blue cheese (if using)
3. In a small jar with a tight lid or a small bowl with a whisk, combine all ingredients for the dressing and shake or whisk well till smooth and creamy.
4. When you are ready to serve the salad, pour the dressing over it and toss.

Enjoy!