Texture

I have this thing about texture….Actually what I’m talking about is the size and shape of ingredients. Chunky has its place (Waldorf Salad?) but I really like variation, and often finely chopped things. Whether it’s in a casserole, a soup or stew, and particularly in a salad. I don’t like the feel of a large chunk of fruit or vegetable as I’m eating; I’d rather have a blend of things together, playing off each other.

Variety is certainly the key in a leafy lettuce or spinach salad: you want thin slices of things, and strips, that will layer between the leaves along with fine and small and medium elements. Think green leaves, long thin slices of pear or strawberry, crumbled blue cheese, toasted pecans, thin strips of bell peppers….Yum.

In this fruit salad I wanted to taste the blend of all four things together. (I just happened to have grapefruit, apple, kiwi and pear to use that day). Chopping them up delicately made that happen. Play with cutting, carving, chopping…crafting.