Farmer's Market Salad with Sweet Paprika Dressing + Weekly Inspirations

Last week was chalk full of inspiration.  I was invited as a VIP Food Blogger to the Dole “Taste of Spain Salad Summit” in beautiful Carmel.  It was three days of talking about food, blogging, salads and learning about how the lettuce makes it to your table.  I gained new knowledge, met great people and will share the entire experience in a few days.  In the meantime, I was inspired to make a Farmer’s Market Salad with Sweet Paprika Dressing that I will share with all of you.

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Simple Recipe:  

Farmer’s Market Salad with Sweet Paprika Dressing

I was inspired by learning about the numerous varieties of lettuce at the Dole Taste of Spain Salad Summit.  I decided to use Tuscan Kale, Arugula, and Frisee along with baby roasted beets, mini rainbow carrots, Easter Egg Radishes, cherry tomatoes and pickled cauliflower.

Sweet Paprika Dressing
3 Tablespoons Crème Fraiche
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
6 to 8 drops of hot sauce
2 teaspoons Sweet Paprika
2 Tablespoons Spanish Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix well and let sit for 30 minutes to develop flavor.  Toss with lettuce and lightly coat the vegetables.  Enjoy!

Shopping Inspiration:  

Whole Foods Market

A few days ago on the way home from my trip to Carmel, I stopped in Whole Foods to pick up some fun ingredients to make a healthy salad.  Of course, I needed to pursue through the wonderful and magical cheese counter.  It is like visiting Disneyland.  One particular display caught my attention – It was a gorgeous log of chèvre, (Goat Cheese) with lemon curd drizzled on top and adorned with fresh blueberries.  Simple and stunning!

Fun New App:

A Beautiful Mess

Have you downloaded this new app – “A Beautiful Mess” yet?  If not, it is great.  It is like having Instagram’s "BFF" on your phone.  Essentially it adds fun and whimsical boarders, text and images to your Instagram photos.  Move from ordinary to extraordinary - smile.

Inspirational Quote:

Enjoy Life Now

Food Blogger Spotlight:

Patty from Patty’s Food

Early in my blogging days, I began following Patty’s beautiful blog, Patty's Food.  Later, we were finally able to meet in person through a blogger brunch that Jean from Lemon and Anchovies put together.  She is as lovely in person as she is in her blog.  Patty also hosted a Valentine’s Day Cookie Party and we were able to see her amazing garden from which she makes many of her tasty delights.  Patty makes amazing baked goodies along with stunning salads and much more.  Take a few minutes to dive into her beautiful blog – you will probably spend more than just a few minutes.  Trust me. Smile.

Healthy Inspiration:

Eating Well Magazine

If you don’t purchase or subscribe to Eating Well Magazine, you are missing out.  It is chalk full of beautiful recipes that are well tested and full of amazing flavor.  Lisa Gosselin is the Editorial Director and Stacy Fraser is the Test Kitchen Manager.  Both were an integral part of the Dole “Taste of Spain Salad Summit”.  I had the opportunity to get to know each one and they are extremely interesting people who are inspired everyday by great food, recipes and the stories they tell.  The June issue is amazing!

Inspiration Destination:

Carmel Valley Ranch

Dole selected the Carmel Valley Ranch to host the “Taste of Spain Salad Summit” and they could not have chosen a more beautiful resort.  It is nestled in the luscious Carmel Valley and at the peak of a hill for spectacular views of the valley.  From the rustic mission style décor to the fire pit where each evening a selection of smore accoutrements are laid out for you to create your smore masterpiece. I will share more with my upcoming post along with photos of this magical place.

Must Have:

Arugula Candle

I am obsessed with this Arugula scented candle made by Archipelago.  It is a hand-poured soy candle which burns longer and cleaner than regular candles.  The scent permeates the house and it propels you to a relaxing spa.  One of my favs!

Entertaining Inspiration:

Kinfolk Magazine

While sifting through Pinterest last week, I stumbled upon the photo above and was mesmerized.  This would be the quintessential way to entertain with a beautiful wood board and an assortment of mouth watering appetizers.  Check out Kinfolk magazine for a plethora of entertaining inspirations along with their blog.  The possibilities are endless.

Must See:

Beach Blanket Babylon

One of my teams at work won Presidents Club for 2012 and we decided as a group to celebrate by heading into San Francisco to see Beach Blanket Babylon at Club Fugazi.  It had been over ten years since I had seen it.  The characters consistently change to depict the most current people in pop culture, politics along with some historical folks.  Essentially Snow White (or as they call her – Snow Pop, Snow Ho, Snow Glow, etc) is on the hunt to find her Prince and she travels the world in search of him.  My favorite character was Barbara Streisand with her ten inch nails – could not stop laughing.  If you are in San Francisco, be sure to get tickets to this super entertaining classic show.