A Salad Manifesto
Here in Palm Beach, we are happily blessed all year round with beautiful fruits and vegetables at our local farmers’ market, but in September there’s a special buzz in the air as the traditional Fall harvest invites us to re-invent the ultimate salad, bringing together bold new tastes in order to absorb a seasonal burst of supercharged nutrients in support of great eating and good health.
Naturally, some of the most delightful powerhouse ingredients also boast a whole host of incomparable benefits for skin. Take kale, for example, skin’s favorite nutrient-dense super-food, full of the potent antioxidant Lutein, which supports healthy cell growth, as well as an array of immunity boosting vitamins. Gorgeous sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes are packed with Selenium, another strong antioxidant that helps to repair skin. Fresh broccoli, just lightly steamed, if at all, is packed with Vitamin C. And nothing beats the crispy and crunchy toppings—seaweed, seeds and nuts, rich in fatty acids, selenium and zinc.
Of course, though we may forget what our grandmothers knew so well, all vegetables are not created equal, and sometimes eating for vitality requires looking with fresh eyes at what goes into our shopping baskets—and, ultimately into our bodies. No matter how pristinely packaged that drab, pale sack of supermarket spinach may be, it’s probably not the uplifting, healing, nurturing choice we’ve been searching for.
The salad I crave isn’t sad and penitent or rote, but a robust and utterly flavorful celebration of all that’s delicious and satisfying, with each ingredient selected just at the peak of its ripe perfection. Let’s go local. And let’s go for what looks irresistibly, divinely beautiful while the harvest is in full swing.
This week, why not leave the shopping list behind and let intuition lead you through the market. What does your body hunger for? Let the beauty of the bounty call you—heart, body and soul—towards those items that you just can’t help bringing to the plate.
