Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Drowning in Gray; Rainbow Salad

Last night, it snowed heavy, white-out, huge, fat, fist-sized flakes. We sat inside the snow-shaker with the outside light on, watching the show.
 Later on, it warmed up above freezing for the first time in a month, and rained.
Not enough to wash away all the snow, but enough to keep the skies gray. Enough that when you sit in the outhouse, there's a drip of gelid water that lands right on your knee. And drips again.

I'm struggling with the gray since returning from Israel. Yes, the rain washed the snow-cover from the spruce trees, and they're my favorite green; yes, there are still some mountain ash berries on the trees, scarlet red. But mostly, there's gray, there's blanketing white. I feel like I'm in a dream where my limbs are numbed to robotic, leaden treads and when I take a step, it sends me in a slow-motion spiral so that where I thought was was going is on the other side of the floor. An end of everything seems so attractive right now--just turn out the lights and be finished in one last gush of red.

But I'm not supposed to think that way! I go through the motions.
For Phil's birthday, I even made a rainbow salad, so that all the colors could be in a bowl, if not before my eyes.
 Of course, the light makes any kind of colorful photography kind of grayed over...
Salad was:
Pomegranate seeds (red--persephone in the underworld)
shredded carrot (orange)
The dressing (see below) (yellow)
lemon zest (yellow)
shredded ginger (yellow)
spinach (green)
purple cabbage (that blue-purple end of things)

Tahini-Mustard Dressing
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon flax meal
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons miso
1 teaspoon black pepper
water to thin as necessary
Blend all together, adding water as necessary. This mixes up really easily, would probably even be doable by hand, but even an underpowered blender can easily do it. (I used my hand-held blender, as you can see in the salad pic.)

Even in the pillows of gray, there can be light deliciousness...
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 30, 2011 at 5:28 PM

    Oh I'm so sorry it's been so gloomy. I have had times where I've felt it was much harder to deal with the lack of light and rain after a break being somewhere not so dark. I hope using the lightbox (I remember you having one) can help a little bit. The dressing sounds good, I actually have all the ingredients here so it's possible for me to make. (I've barely had any ingredients as we are still building a pantry). Thanks for the recipe.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 30, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Hi Ela, I was going to suggest a light box but it sounds like you have one. Do you use yours daily? What make is it? It used to be my business for 15 years. I use mine at least an hour every morning just after I get up. It keeps me going. Without one I'm a wet noodle.
    This gray weather still gets to me unless I also get exercise and have plenty to do.
    I also like adventuring off in a book by the fire... Cheers Neil

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  3. shannonmarieDecember 2, 2011 at 5:21 AM

    I often say I'm powered by the sun. When we have consecutive gloomy days, I feel tired and sometimes a bit gloomy myself. I like the idea of preparing and eating something bright during those times. I'll have to try that.

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  4. UnknownDecember 2, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    Thanks so much, bitt--it's strange how the contrast with 'less gloomy' can make 'gloomy' harder. And you know, you're right--I haven't been using my lightbox and I really need to get that back in the schedule.

    I hope you try the recipe--I'm getting back into a salad kick including dressings so may post some more. And I hope it's actually some fun building a pantry!
    love
    Ela

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  5. UnknownDecember 2, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    Thanks Neil--that's so interesting that lightboxes used to be your business. I don't remember our one's make but we got it from Phil's dr in Anchorage and it was expensive! It's true, I haven't been using it lately and usually it's my winter habit to spend about an hour with it in the morning. Good reminder.
    cheers
    Ela

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  6. UnknownDecember 2, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    Shannonmarie--I often have said that I 'photosynthesize' (note that I didn't say I was a vegetable, lol)--it can be hard to see through the gray. But eating colorful food is a fine idea.
    love
    Ela

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