By November. The month of soup and preparation. I cleaned the garden tools — oiled the pruners, sharpened the hoe, wiped the spade — because tools deserve care at season's end. Betty taught me that taking care of your tools is taking care of yourself.
Made chicken soup Monday. Whole chicken simmered three hours, stock strained and golden, chicken shredded, vegetables added — carrots, celery, onion, a potato because I like potato in chicken soup and I don't care about labels. Noodles cooked separately and added at the end because noodles in the soup turn to mush.
The cough. Connie mentioned it Tuesday morning. She said Craig, that cough. Two words. Not a sentence, not a question — just the cough and my name linked together the way she links things when she wants me to connect the dots myself. I said it's the cold air. She said it's been there since September. She's right. Two months of morning coughing is not nothing. But it's not something either, not until I let it be something, because something leads to a doctor and a doctor leads to the word coal and coal leads to Earl and I'm not ready.
The soup was already done by Tuesday — golden and right, the way Betty’s always was — but the thing about a meal that takes three hours to build is that it leaves you with clean counter space and a restless mind. I needed something to set alongside it, something fresh and cold to cut through the richness, something I could put together with my hands while I thought about nothing in particular. This Perfect Winter Salad has been my answer to November for years: bright enough to remind you the world isn’t all gray, honest enough not to pretend otherwise.
Perfect Winter Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed winter greens (such as spinach, arugula, and radicchio)
- 1 ripe Bosc or Anjou pear, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese
- 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts. Place walnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently for 4–5 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from heat and let cool on a plate.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Prepare the greens. Wash and thoroughly dry the mixed greens. Place in a large salad bowl. Add the sliced red onion and toss gently to distribute.
- Assemble the salad. Arrange the sliced pear over the greens. Scatter the dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and crumbled cheese evenly across the top.
- Dress and serve. Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss lightly so the pear slices stay intact. Serve immediately alongside soup or as a standalone cold-weather lunch.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 215 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 265mg