May 7 Salad

Chris and I enjoyed a sunny Saturday with some spring skiing at Squaw. I knew I’d be tired after a fun day in the slush, and we'd discussed taking our time getting home so we could enjoy some après-ski drinks and snacks, so I decided to eat salad for lunch because who knew if there’d be a need, or energy, to make a salad when we got home. My May 7 salad du jour came in the form of this pretty little ditty at the Poolside Café at High Camp — mixed greens with champagne vinaigrette served with citrus, goat cheese, carrots, sliced almonds and grilled chicken breast.

When a neighbor gives you lemons, what exactly do you do with them?

The citrus fairy left a present on my doorstep.

I got home after work yesterday to find a bunch of little, yellow lemons, curiously placed on the ground outside of the front door.

Carmen, the little old lady across the street, brings me tomatoes every once in a while — I was the recipient of at least one egg carton crammed with a dozen roma tomatoes this summer — so I wasn’t too wary of the mystery fruit. But, come to find out, it’s her next-door neighbor, Patrick, who actually supplied the citrus.

Mystery solved, but now I’ve got nine medium –size lemons to put to good use. Any ideas? Until I come up with something, I’ve at least got a pretty centerpiece for the coffee table.