Paleomantic

Rocket, Parmesan and Balsamic Salad with Strawberries

Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Shaved Parmesan, Balsamic and Strawberries.

Heap peppery fresh rocket leaves onto a plate and scatter over shards of shaved, aged parmesan. Poke a few just-picked strawberries in and about. Sprinkle with the best quality balsamic vinegar you can afford, and douse liberally with extra virgin olive oil. Finish with a grinding of sea salt. Close your eyes and think of Venice or Verona, Florence or Siena, Naples or Rome… Springtime in Italy. Rocket, Parmesan and Balsamic Salad with Strawberries Looking for the Recipe? Scroll all the way down. A few weeks ago we went to a friend’s house for dinner. This salad of rocket, parmesan and balsamic with strawberries was served as a first course and was much appreciated. It always is, and everyone always accepts more. It’s one of those equisite examples - found so often in Italy - of simple ingredients coming together in a synergistic masterpiece of flavours, textures and style. I actually hadn’t thought about it since last spring, and was super happy when Serena and Stefano jolted my memory, right at the time when we were picking dozens of ripe strawberries down in our orto, our kitchen garden. We don’t often have dairy products in the house - apart from clarified butter - but I went out and bought a small block of parmesan so as to indulge in this. It's perfect served alongside a quickly grilled steak, or a pink-in-the-middle tagliata. Luckily, I snapped these photos before the strawberries finished. And thankfully, the summer version, with cherry tomatoes, isn’t far away. More Salads and Sides Salad Nicoise with Tuna, Green Beans and Potato - A classic dish, one of our stand-bys. Chicken, Green Bean and Beetroot Salad with a Ginger Balsamic Dressing - Yes, eat more beetroot, it’s so pretty on the plate! Zucchini, Mint and Carrot - A fresh summer salad, perfect for when you have two many zucchinis, and too much mint, both at the same time. I hope you love this Rocket, Parmesan and Balsamic Salad with Strawberries. If you do, be sure to rate it! Before you go, ...

Click here to download a Free Printable PDF of The 5 Stages of Grief and Loss. A friend died. It was sudden, unexpected and inexplicable. It sent shockwaves through our families, who have strong ties. Her great grandmother and my grandfather were siblings. Her father, Piero, and my father are close friends. Here in Italy, we share the hillside where our ancestors were born. Piero turned my grandparent’s old stable into a lovely cottage, a weekend retreat for the family. We keep the old Osteria from falling down. Fiorenzo and Piero are a good team up there. They work well together, keeping the grass low and the woods safe. It’s a beautiful place. That’s where it happened. We’re reeling with grief. I can’t imagine the pain of her family, her intimate circle. I can’t touch upon that of her close friends and collegues, her social groups, the people who saw her every day and shared the years. We didn’t have that kind of relationship. Our connection was that of two families with strong ties, who share a hillside, and a bit of history, and every springtime and summer, a carpark where we’d chat and catch up while our dogs barked like mad. This is how I’ll remember Francesca: in shorts, a singlet top and walking shoes, healthy and tanned, her huge smile and loving eyes. We’d catch up, and then she’d head off up the hill to their cottage. Peace. Nature. A little bit of paradise. Maybe her father would be up there, or her sons. Maybe she’d spend time on her own. So, no, I can’t claim closeness. But the grief is intense, and what hurts is the whole of it. It’s like some great collective weeping when I think of the sadness all around. Knowing that my father’s shoulders are heavy and his tears are streaming for the suffering of his friend. Knowing that my mother can’t think of anything else. For my brother, trying to get his head around it. For my sisters, reaching out, for our mutual friends. It’s an overlapping of pain. An expansion, an ...