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HOW LONG? 30 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 18 CROSTINI

CHAPTER TWO

TOSSED AROUND

Baby Spinach with Pears and Plumped Raisins

Fennel and Avocado Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

Crab Salad Vinaigrette

Pronto Panzanella

Pesto-Drenched Tomato Wedges

Spinach, Bacon, and Corn Salad

Warm Potato Salad with Red Onion and Bacon

BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad with Lime and Sour Cream

Warm Carrot and Asparagus Salad with Sesame Dressing

Fertilizer. Water. Industrial-grade aluminum foil. Sex toys.

My dad’s gardening essentials. And when I was five, it made perfect sense. Blame his obsessive desire to grow the perfect beefsteak tomato. In the city. In winter.

Frustrated by our tiny city plot of hot top, Dad took his gardening ambitions into our basement, a dank, asbestos-filled hole he was convinced could be fertile ground.

Mom and I had doubts. The plants didn’t. They grew phenomenally.

But for that to happen, Dad first had to hermetically seal the basement in foil, rig giant lights powerful enough to approximate sunlight, and devise a mechanized watering system.

Thankfully, he didn’t also bring in a hive of bees to pollinate. He did that manually. With a vibrator. Flower by flower.

A short, pudgy electrical engineer (anyone shocked that he’s an engineer?) crawling around a steaming, extremely well-lit foil bubble in our basement gently rubbing tomato buds with a sex toy. We’re lucky he didn’t get busted for … something.

But apparently a little loving can go a long way with tomatoes. And lettuce. They were delicious. Though it took years before I understood why he wouldn’t let me help pollinate.

I don’t believe in working quite that hard for a decent salad.

Baby Spinach with Pears and Plumped Raisins

This salad is easy to keep seasonal. Simply swap out the pears with whatever is freshest, including apples, halved grapes, slices of melon, strawberries, or mango. And if spinach isn’t your thing, use whatever green you got.

1 cup golden raisins

8 ounces baby spinach

2 pears, cored and diced

2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks

3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste

Parmesan cheese, for shaving

Place the raisins in a small bowl, then add enough warm water to cover. Allow to soak for at least 20 minutes, or until quite soft.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the spinach, pears, and carrots. Toss, then sprinkle the pine nuts and salt over the salad.

Once the raisins have plumped, drain and discard the water. Gently squeeze the raisins to remove any excess water. Add the raisins to the salad.

Sprinkle the vinegar over the salad, then drizzle it with olive oil and top with Parmesan shavings.

HOW LONG? 20 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 4 SERVINGS

BOILED BALSAMIC, ANYONE?

Don’t want to spend big bucks on high-end aged balsamic? Make your own. Buy a cheap bottle, then simmer the vinegar until reduced by half. Let it cool, then return it to the bottle to use as you normally would. The flavor is intensified and the consistency becomes nice and syrupy.

Fennel and Avocado Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

Fennel has a pleasantly peppery flavor that goes wonderfully with creamy avocado and acidic tomatoes. Turn this salad into a meal by adding crumbled feta and either chunks of grilled chicken or a can of chickpeas (or be wild and add both).

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

1 large fennel bulb, ends trimmed

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 firm, ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into bite-size chunks

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin. Set aside.

Cut the fennel bulb into quarters lengthwise, then cut each quarter crosswise into bite-size chunks. In a large bowl, toss the fennel with the tomatoes and avocado.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then gently toss to coat.

HOW LONG? 10 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 4 TO 6