Deconstructed Salad - Simple and Fresh

Our salad tonight was simple and fresh. Each ingredient stood out on its own.

The purple leaf lettuce came in our Roots and Shoots Farm CSA food basket this week, as did the onions.

The Saint Agur Blue cheese was picked up yesterday from Jacobson's Gourmet Concept on Beechwood Avenue at the corner of Acacia Avenue. Saint Agur is a blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk from the village of Beauzac in the Monts du Velay, part of the mountainous Auvergne region of central France. It is so rich, creamy and delicious.

The walnuts were toasted first. They came from California. The walnuts are a source of fibre, iron, phosphorus, as well as a source of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturates, and a good source of magnesium.

The navel oranges were sectioned with the extra attention of completely removing the pith, membrane and skin, leaving sweet, tender, juicy citrus wedges.

Dressing: canola oil, fresh orange juice, Canadian pure light maple syrup, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper.

The chocolate mint sprig decorating the plate was picked this afternoon from my walking buddy's garden in the heart of Ottawa.

Simple. Fresh. Delicious.