It’s too hot to cook…but Merry Christmas anyway!

It’s been almost 46 degrees with the humidex in Toronto this week. So no debate: salad for supper. In a house without AC, temperatures over 35C mean no oven, no stove, and frankly I don’t even want to stand in front of a blazing barbeque.

I make hearty salads a lot. They start with lots and lots of greens, fresh veggies and then feta and toasted seeds and nuts for protein. Working in a test kitchen means that we eat all day long, so I’m frequently not really hungry for much at suppertime. Case in point: this week it’s Christmas in the Chatelaine Kitchen. We’ve got almost 20 different cookie recipes in development as well as a “reveillon” menu (including an adaptation of my mom’s tourtière).

I’m often asked if we hate being totally out of whack with the seasons. Quite the opposite. We love holiday feasts and consider it a job perk that we get to “celebrate” twice a year. We even fight over turkey carcasses to take home for soup. And when I bike home in the 40+ heat, I definitely know what season it is.

In other words, another vote for a salad supper!

Try these fresh salad recipes:

Shrimp and grapefruit salad
Apple fennel salad with prosciutto and walnuts
Sausage and corn salad
Arugula and hazelnut salad