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So I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I looouuvveee farmer’s markets.
They take place on weekend mornings. A time when you can slow down, relax and wander around (did I just write “slow down?”…I can’t remember the last time I actually did that). The variety of food is fantastic and ever-changing. I’m very sad I won’t be here in California during the Fall when the strawberries and corn transition into apples and squash. It’s a great way to change up your meals and get creative with new recipes. Plus, once you get home, you can eat everything, clearly my favorite part.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to find an assortment of lettuce options, all of which would be great for a salad. The temperatures have been 90+ recently and my house lacks air conditioning. Any measure I could take to avoid turning on the oven was taken. Plus, I found a great recipe for Shallot Vinaigrette at the market. I made the dressing yesterday and ate the salad today. Simple, yet delicious salad of leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce, arugula, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, strawberries and vinaigrette.

Shallot Vinairgrette
Adapted from a Coke Farm Recipe

-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-1 shallot, diced
-1 tbsp dijon mustard
-1-2 tsp honey
-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste

Add vinegar to shallot and let sit for 10 minutes. Add mustard and whisk in honey and olive oil. Will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.

This is a self-imposed challenge. I haven’t prepared my own lunch on a regular basis since…well, ever.
My parents did such a great job making my lunch when I was younger, yet somehow the concept was lost on me. In college, I got accustomed to people making me food at the dinning halls. At work I never had time to buy groceries, so actually bringing something to the office was hard. Plus, grabbing lunch was usually the only time I got to see daylight. During grad school, there are just so many events during lunch that I didn’t need to pack anything.

And now here I am. Working again with time to buy groceries. Gasp. I’ve been buying my lunch everyday at our really nice office cafeteria, but I’ve been thinking (as I like to try and do every so often) that it’s probably more economical and somewhat healthier to bring lunch. So I’ve decided to do just that. Bring my lunch, brown paper bag style.

BUT I’m a foodie. Clearly a regular turkey and swiss won’t do on a regular basis…I need to mix it up! I want to make things that will compare to what I could be getting at the cafeteria so I won’t feel like I’m missing out. So here it is, my sandwich for today:

Prosciutto with sliced sheep’s cheese, basil, baby arugula and black olive tapenade. Ok….arguably healthier than the cafeteria. But then I realized these are expensive ingredients, so perhaps it’s not economical to make lunch. To figure this quandary out, I made a spreadsheet, ex-banker style.

So it costs me approximately $4.37 per sandwich (provided I use all the ingredients to their capacity), which is less than the ~$7.00 spent at the cafeteria. That’s a savings of $13.15/week or $52.59 per month. Hmmm, maybe I should start making this a regular challenge for the summer…suggestions are welcome for other great sandwiches.