Kris Larkin

The Sunshine salad and a super easy and, light and delightful salad to serve to your guests and it is also perfect to bring with you to a brunch or dinner.  Christmas is over and now, all of a sudden, we all seem to be more focused on how our waistlines have expanded in just the last week or so!  How great it is to have something that is light, tasty and low in fat and calories for your friends as well as yourself.

Let’s make our salad!

SUNSHINE SALAD

PREP: 20 minutes
SERVES – 10

Ingredients FOR DRESSING:
½ cup corn oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar
½ tablespoon of poppy seeds
½ teaspoons dry mustard
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pepper to taste

Ingredients For SALAD:

8 ounces soft salad greens
8 ounces baby spinach
1 kiwi – peeled and sliced
1 small European cucumber, sliced
½ pint of grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 (8 ounce) can of mandarin oranges, drained1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

For the dressing, in a bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the salad, in a large serving bowl gently toss the salad greens, spinach, kiwi, cucumber, tomatoes, mushrooms, mandarin oranges, strawberries and spring onions.

Just before serving add the dressing and toss.

ENJOY!

Interesting Note:  Did you know that poppy seeds will cause a drug test to show positive for drugs?  I guess it is because the poppy plant is where opium and heroin come from.  How is it that I know this?!

Several years ago while living in California, my small group (bible study group) was presented with the opportunity to prepare a meal at a halfway house.  The residents were people recovering from drug or alcohol abuse and in general working at getting their lives back together.

We served then a nice pasta dish, with a salad and rolls . . . potato rolls . . . sourdough rolls and you guessed it . . . poppy seed rolls.  All of a sudden, one of the residents started running all through the dining area plucking dinner rolls off of everyone’s plate and promptly throwing them all in the trash,  What the . . . ?!!  It was then that he told us that there were two requirements each resident had to meet in order that they stay at the halfway house;  1.) be employed or in school and 2.) pass a drug test every week.  He explained to us then that the poppy seeds would show up positive on a drug test.  The administrator of the halfway house conferred.

Moral to the story: Be sure that if any of your guests are subject to drug testing at their jobs . . . perhaps they are a delivery driver or equipment operator . . . let them know about the poppy seeds in your salad.

That’s all for now.  As always, thank you for reading!

Kris

We are in the process of putting our 2013 schedule together for Cooking Classes at The Lark Inn.  Stay tuned to our website to find the right cooking class for you.

Also, all of a sudden we are getting a lot of requests for bookings for our guesthouses in the Flint Hills of Kansas.  Prairie Burning is coming this spring as well as many other events.  Be sure you have relaxing and comfortable lodging for your Flint Hills experience.  Check our website to learn more.