Somewhere between getting my reggae on and doing the dogcatcher I was exposed to some atomic (pun, yes, so what) cooties that laid me out with the nastiest head and chest cold I’ve sustained in years. Losing both the senses of smell and taste are surefire ways to also lose an appetite, and starving my cold came easily. Warm bowls of organic short-grained brown rice steamed with kombu and moistened with homemade stock supplied the bulk of my diet for three days; much as for texture as for sustenance.

When the worst seemed ( I put this out there reluctantly as I’ve heard this one has a sneaky way of relapsing just when you think you’re golden) behind me, my palate screamed for SPRIGHTLY! CRISP! JUICY! FRESH! ALIVE! A quick assessment of the pantry and fridge led me to create this colorful, healthful gem of a salad delivered with a Southwestern nod.

Salad of Heirloom Beans, Kale, Citrus and Avocado
Serves 1-2

Salad ingredients:
1 cup cooked heirloom beans (my apologies – something wonderful from Rancho Gordo stored in an unmarked container. Maybe Appaloosa? Use what you have.)
5 leaves Russian kale stripped from tough lower stem
1 tangelo, supremed; juices squeezed from membrane and reserved for dressing
1 meyer lemon, supremed; juices squeezed from membrane and reserved for dressing
1/2 firm-ripe avocado
Olive oil
Salt

In a bowl, tear the leaves of kale into random bite-sized pieces. Add a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. With your hands, squeeze the kale, salt and olive oil together until beginning to soften. Allow the kale to rest and soften further while you prepare the dressing.

Add the beans to the wilted kale along with a few tablespoons of dressing to moisten. Cut the supremes of meyer lemon into thirds and combine both the tangelo and lemons in a bowl; add the minced chile. Thinly slice the avocado.

For presentation, mound the bean and kale combination on plates; top with the citrus mixture and avocado. Garnish with the leaves of cilantro. If you aren’t feeling like fussing, toss it all together in a bowl and call it a day – still tastes great. Serve with extra dressing, if desired.

Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons barley or hatcha miso
1/2 teaspoon toasted whole cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon New Mexican chile powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons dark agave nectar or honey
4 tablespoons reserved citrus juices (if there is not enough juice for 4 tablespons, make up the balance with cider vinegar)
1 small shallot, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
Picked cilantro leaves

In a bowl, whisk together the mustard through the honey to incorporate. Whisk in the citrus juices until smooth, add in the shallot. Whisk in the olive oil.

There will plenty of dressing left over to double the other ingredients and make a larger version to share. The salad would also bulk up nicely with the addition of a grain; quinoa, barley, wild rice among others.

Your dressing may taste a bit on the sweet side right out of the mixing bowl, but remember you will be getting puckery bites of the meyer lemon; the sweetness provides perfect balance.

CONGRATULATIONS to fellow food blogger, Maggie, from Dog Hill Kitchen. Maggie is the winner of the package contributed by Life in Recipes to support Chez Pim’s Menu of Hope V raffle, which raised exactly US$ 62,206.86 in this year’s campaign to support the UN World Food Program. Many, many thanks to everyone who bid.

“Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Nothin’ but the dog in me

Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah”