A Weekend on the West Coast + A Summery Salad
Happy weekend, friends! By the time this post is live, I'll be in San Francisco! I was planning on posting this yesterday in the air, but I was too cheap to pay the $35 charge to connect (especially given that the WiFi is always so slow!). So I used my time in the air to catch up on some offline activities: reading, journaling, planning, and napping!
I'm so looking forward to spending a few days on the West Coast. I was invited to go to Sonoma with a group of writers/magazine editors to check out a few wineries and farm-to-table restaurants, and connect with some health-focused brands. I was told there will be hiking, biking, yoga, and cooking – which all sounds right up my alley. We're staying in a really pretty house near the vineyards – don't you worry, I'll be posting plenty of pictures on Instagram!
The trip technically starts today, so last night, my brother Davis (who lives in LA) met me in San Francisco. I've always wanted to eat at Tartine, so we had dinner last night at Bar Tartine (and ate, no joke, the best bread I've ever had), and today we're about to have breakfast at the bakery. We also checked out Bi-Rite Market which is the coolest little farmer's market grocery store I've ever seen! Then I'm heading up to Sonoma in a few hours to meet the group.
This week was a bit of a blur. I had a health scare that about knocked the wind out of me, but at the same time, it reminded me of what is truly important. At some point I might be able to share more, but for now, I'm just incredibly thankful that everything's OK. It made me so grateful for my amazing husband, and for our community of friends in NYC, who love and support each other so well. I love that eating meals in our friends' homes (or them eating at ours) is the norm for us, rather than the exception. Despite it being a tough week in some ways, the time spent with friends was extra-sweet.
I wanted to share with you a new salad recipe that I recently made for a dinner party, and I can't get enough of it. I love the contrast of textures (chewy farro, crunchy raw snap peas, crisp watermelon radishes) and flavors (sweet snap peas, peppery arugula and radish, salty feta, and tart lemon). It's so light and fresh, and the colors are so pretty together. It's delicious served with Honey-Dijon Roasted Salmon, or with Lemon & Garlic Roasted Chicken.
It takes a bit of prep, but you can make the farro a day or two ahead, and prep the other ingredients several hours in advance and just toss together before serving. If it's too late to add this to your Mother's Day feasts, then definitely try it out later this spring or summer! It's quickly become my new favorite salad.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Make sure to let your mom know how much you love her - or if you are a mom, I hope your kids lavish you with love. Here's my Mother's Day tribute from a few years back, but it still hold true.
xo, Anna
(Photos by Olivia Funk)
[recipe:best-arugula-salad-farro-watermelon-radishes-snap-peas-recipe]