Salad in a Panic

What do you do when all of sudden it's September, and you just feel fall coming? It's dark now by 7:30, there are no more cherries in the market, nor apricots, and there is actually a chill in the air when the sun goes down. Yes, fall is a-comin'. And I think I am ready for it. I actually love autumn, the change from the sweltering days of summer, to the frosty days of winter. Those nubby sweaters packed away in my closet are looking more and more tempting.

But every summer I feel a little sorrow. As much as I love those hearty autumn squash, and root veg in all its many incarnations, it is tough to say so long to my beloved berries and stone fruit. It throws me into a bit of a panic. And when I get thrown into this panic I begin to cook. Some people need a stiff drink, I just need a Santoku knife and a saucepan. So here I am trying to cook the foods that exemplify the summer, a little late in the season, and that to me means semi-not cooking-- or making a salad.

There were beautiful little, pimply Kirby cucumbers at the market, a small bunch of shockingly pink radishes, and a crisp red onion. That spells summer salad to me. Now sure, I could simply make a neatly chopped salad from these three ingredients. But I needed substance. I needed lentils-- French lentils to be exact. Substantial, nutty yet mild in flavor, these lentils hold up well during the cooking process, giving the salad the body that I craved.

Simmered for half an hour in some chicken broth and whole garlic, the lentils were buttery and smooth. Mixed in with crispness of radish, the crunch of the cucumber, the punch of the red onion, and the tang of a homemade Dijon mustard-Balsamic vinaigrette, this salad was the perfect antidote to quell my seasonal jitters. If you're feeling a little jittery yourself, I highly recommend getting into the kitchen, and making this substantial salad before summer is gone for good.