A reason to celebrate.

We did it!

We are in our new apartment and I literally could cry just thinking about it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it, so much so that I feel like a child with its favorite teddy bear - I'm afraid I'm going to love it to death.

Anyway, I now have an oven that is too smart for me - a Gaggenau - which I fear I'll have to take a course on to learn how to use. And since I'm leaving for a shoot in the morning, I don't have time to figure it out tonight.

So, just a simple little celebratory salad for you today - a meaty, 'mealified' version of the wonderful Caprese.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks with new recipes, pictures, and apartment details!

In the meantime, Bon Appetit with this meatier, kinkier version of a Caprese Salad - and celebrate if for no other reason then for, as Paula Dean says so wonderfully in her memoir 'It Ain't All About the Cookin' - just being on the right side of the dirt;) And in case it's not obvious enough - this is more assembly line cooking than a recipe - feel free to add what you have on hand or think would taste good - this is about the only redeeming quality of a salad, in my opinion.

Piggy Caprese Salad
Serves 2

arugula - 1/2 of a pre-washed pack from the grocery store
1 small bunch basil (fist sized)
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley (fist sized)
1 fresh mango or papaya, cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 ball fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 slices prosciutto, broken into chunks with your fingers
2 tablespoons black olives, such as kalamata
fig balsamic vinegar - about 1 1/2 teaspoons (or sub regular balsamic)
2 teaspoons olive oil
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Add all to a large salad bowl. Toss gently, season with salt and pepper, and taste. You might want to lubricate your salad more thoroughly (I tend to like mine on the dryer side versus drenched like a wet dog), so by all means, season and dowse accordingly.