By November 2024. Thanksgiving and the Larson-at-their-best event. Table was closed for the day and Ethan came to cook in my kitchen, which is both a strange inversion and completely right. Twenty-five people. He brought two of his kitchen staff — Mia and Daniel, who were eager to cook for a family gathering and who I liked immediately because they worked in Ethan's kitchen with the same calm efficiency he has. Three professional cooks in my home kitchen. Mason hovering in the doorway, watching and helping when asked, learning by proximity.
The turkey was Ethan's. It was the best Thanksgiving turkey I have ever eaten in my life, and I've been making Thanksgiving turkeys for twenty years, and I say this without reservation or pride wound and entirely as fact. The technique he's developed is beyond what I know. I watched him work and understood why people pay for a table at Table.
Gary gave the blessing on the food. He thanked God for the family and the people around the table and for the hands that prepared the meal. Then he said — and I don't think he planned this — he said, "And for everything that led us here. Even the hard parts. Especially the hard parts." Ethan looked at me across the table. I looked at Gary. The room was quiet for a moment.
Even the hard parts. Especially the hard parts. The same thing he said on the porch three years ago. It remains true. It becomes truer every year.
Ethan owned the turkey, Mia and Daniel owned the sides, and I needed something to contribute that wouldn’t get in their way — something bright and fresh to balance twenty-five people’s worth of richness on the table. This spinach salad with poppy seed dressing was what I made. It’s the dish I’ve brought to every big family meal for years, the one people quietly go back to for seconds, and standing in my own kitchen that day with three professional cooks working around me, I was glad to have something familiar in my hands. Grateful, really — for all of it, even the parts that got us here.
Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 10 oz fresh baby spinach, rinsed and dried
- 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup mandarin orange segments (canned or fresh)
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup candied pecans or sliced almonds
- 4 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl or jar until the sugar dissolves and the dressing is well combined. Stir in the poppy seeds. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prep the salad components. Place the baby spinach in a large serving bowl. Arrange the sliced strawberries, mandarin orange segments, and red onion over the top.
- Add the toppings. Scatter the candied pecans or almonds, crumbled bacon, and feta cheese evenly over the salad.
- Dress and serve. Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat. If serving at a large gathering, keep the dressing on the side so guests can dress their own portions and the salad stays crisp longer.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 215 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 13g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 210mg