la boheme cherie

I've been slacking of. I know. It seems like the dead of winter has gotten the best of me. I try to post something new at least once a week, but lately with all this dreary grey all around me inspiration has avoided me like the plague. I don't seem to have any new ideas. It might be February, or maybe I don't get enough vitamin D. Or maybe I'm just a friggin' cry baby. Those around me would definitely concur with the latter.
So why not make some good old fashioned soul warming beef stew or maybe a gooey chocolate cake? Right?
Mostly because I haven't had time lately for anything elaborate, but also because I'm one of those strange creatures who craves something fresh and crunchy ( and most of the time out of season) in the middle of winter. I'd swap my hot chicken soup with kale and roasted garlic for a bowl of fresh Ontario cherries right about now. Any takers?
So on one of these sunless days last week I decided to put some crunch in my lunch.
Like so:

Toss some frisee salad with thinly sliced fennel, sliced cara cara oranges and torn fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with a vinaigrette made of extra virgin olive oil, cider vinegar, grainy mustard, fennel seeds, sea salt and a bit of honey. Finish it off with freshly ground black pepper. You could also add some thinly sliced prosciutto to round out the meal. Or maybe a glass of crisp Chardonnay to toast the warm days ahead.