Salty, Sweet, Savory, Spicy

Ok, so I'm not hungry anymore, and will no longer be speaking in 3rd person caveman. I'll wait while you finish cheering.

All right, then.

I e-mailed that salad recipe posted below in "Food Addendum" to a co-worker friend, and lo and behold, she came in with it for the office today! She made a few changes, which I'll post below, and kept the jalapenos separate for those who wanted them.

Let me tell you, this stuff is food of the gods. Unbelievably good.

Drop everything right now, go to the store and buy the ingredients and then, in your car or on the bus on your way home, MAKE IT. I suppose you could wait until you got home to make it, but that's just lazy and uncommitted and I expect more from you, honestly.

Ok, here's the version she made:

Sweet, Spicy, Salty and Savory Salad

Dried organic figs
Dried organic apricots
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese
Capers
Mint
Orange zest
Jalapenos (she put these on the side for those who wanted them)
Toasted pistachios (she used toasted pine nuts instead)
Mesclun greens (the mix she bought had just a bit of cilantro in it, which just added to my euphoria)

Toss all ingredients in a vinaigrette of:
Honey
Sherry vinegar (she used red wine vinegar)
Extra virgin olive oil (first person who giggles, tosses their hair and says, "EVOO" gets a fork stuffed up their nose)
Dijon mustard
Lemon juice

That's it folks! Make it and bring it to your 4th of July parties and picnics, or enjoy it at home in the cool, cool air conditioning with a smile and a fork.

P.S. I tried that Walden Farms fat/sugar/calorie free chocolate sauce and marshmallow sauce. While I agree with my dearest Otter that it does indeed taste a little like poison, it's good enough (especially when you're desperate) and the chocolate stuff is actually pretty tasty on a banana.