By A week after the second meeting with Crystal and I have been carrying all of it in layers, which is the only way to carry something that is multiple things at once. The anger and the tenderness and the recognition and the grief and the curiosity. They do not take turns. They are all just there.
I told Tyler the details on Sunday evening when he called. He listened for a long time and then he said: you have her eyes and her work. I had not put those two things together in exactly that way before he said it. She holds people in the hard early days. I hold toddlers in the hard early days. We are different people doing different things and the shape underneath is similar. I do not know what to do with that except notice it.
I called Gloria on Monday and told her about the second meeting. She listened and then she said: how does it feel to meet someone who is in the middle of becoming better? I said: complicated. She said: yes. She said: you do not have to be done with complicated for a long time. There is no deadline on this. I said I know. She said: I am here either way. I said I know. She said: that is the whole thing, Savannah. That is the whole thing.
I made a spring lemon herb roasted chicken at Gloria's on Sunday, simple and right, with roasted carrots and a simple green salad. The chicken was golden and the skin crackled and we ate it and talked about things that had nothing to do with any of this, and that felt like exactly what the day needed.
The green salad I threw together that Sunday at Gloria’s was exactly this one — nothing fussy, nothing that required me to think too hard. I needed something bright and uncomplicated to sit next to the chicken, something that felt like a breath of air, and this Greek salad with lettuce was that. It held its place on the table without demanding anything, and that was exactly right for the kind of afternoon it was.
Greek Salad with Lettuce
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, sliced into half-moons
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced (optional)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Wash and chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the cucumber, and thinly slice the red onion.
- Assemble the salad. Add the romaine to a large bowl. Top with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, and pepperoncini if using.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Dress and finish. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Scatter the crumbled feta over the top and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 180 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 420mg