Eat your greens

Sometimes,when it comes to our nightly salad, inspiration flees. While I like salads of pure green, nothing but a leaf in sight, Vince looks at them and gets visibly depressed. So to tempt him to eat them I include layers of sliced raw vegetables, often quick-pickled, or I insinuate some nuts, some citrus segments. But when the chopping and thinking and pickling is too much of a challenge, I fall back on the my secret weapon: Cheese.

I know, it's a cheap shot.

So this is just a heap of wild arugula leaves, matchsticks of Granny Smith apple (because I keep the skin on, I wash the apple with soap, first - unless it is organic, apple skin is nicely coated with pesticides and wax) - both tossed in a vinaigrette. And then a cloud of parmesan cheese rasped over the top with the Amazing Microplane. Given to me by Germaine, my mother-in-law, it is one of the best things in my kitchen, even if my oft-grated right thumb does not agree.

The salad arrives, the Frenchman's eyes light up, and he actually helps himself.