Lamb's Lettuce ( Mâche) Salad

You might wonder why I haven’t posted in the last four months. After misdiagnosing my husband's jaw pain as TMJ for months, he was finally diagnosed with tongue cancer. What followed were 35 rounds of radiation and seven rounds of chemotherapy, including a week in the hospital where a feeding tube was inserted because he could no longer swallow. The treatment was horrendous. He is fortunate to have a great team of doctors and therapists helping him through this ordeal. He is healing; the therapy ended 4 weeks ago, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. He is starting to swallow very slowly again. Things are looking up.

​Watching my husband in so much pain and discomfort was heartbreaking for me, but I learned a lot. Thanksgiving was spent in the hospital with a dedicated staff of professionals. Friends and neighbors brought me food. I was well fed and cared for, while my poor husband was losing too much weight. I am grateful for every kind person who reached out to me during this tough time, and there were many. The true nature of people shines through in moments like these. 

In times like these, your old way of life is gone, and a new reality emerges. You realize that you can do many things you once thought impossible. Your focus narrows to one thing and one thing only: doing the best for your loved one. You appreciate all the help you receive. I am so grateful for all the care my husband and I have received. 

Since I rarely cooked or baked, I enjoyed reading your blogs whenever I had a moment. However, over the last three weeks, I started cooking again. I made beef broth for my husband and prepared a salad for myself. At our local farmer's market, I found some mâche, also known as lamb's lettuce. In Germany, this salad is called Feldsalat and is well-known and popular.  It grows in small rosettes with soft, spoon-shaped leaves. I love this salad because it has a mild, slightly nutty flavor with a touch of sweetness. There is no bitterness at all, and its texture is softer than romaine or arugula. This could be the perfect salad for salad haters. And on a site note, it contains omega-3 fatty acids (rare for leafy greens).
Since there is only a short season for this salad, I bought it every week, cut off the ends of the rosettes to free the leaves, gently washed the leaves (they bruise easily), wrapped them in a towel, and kept them in my fridge.
At different times I added crumbled feta or goat cheese, toasted walnuts, pomegrant seeds,and blackberries, and, if I wanted a full meal, I ate it with lox and toast. I enjoyed every bite. Apples or pears would make a tasty addition.  Like any salad, you can add whatever you like.
Ingredients:
This recipe makes about 4 generous servings.
4 cups of lamb’s lettuce
Blackberries or other fruits 
A handful of walnuts
A handful of crumpled feta cheese 
Dressing
¼ cup of olive oil
1 ½ TSP of balsamic glaze 
1 TSP mustard 
1 ½ TSP honey
2 TBS warm water
Instructions:
Remove the salad roots to free the leaves. Wash the salad a couple of times. I do this in my salad spinner. Wrap the leaves in a large towel and refrigerate until ready to use. They will last for several days. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a jar and shaking well. You can add more vinegar or honey according to your taste. Be careful, the leaves are delicate, and you don't want to overpower the flavor with the dressing. 
When you are ready to serve, add the lamb’s lettuce and toss them with the dressing, then add whatever you like. 
Guten Appetit!
Recipe by the sunnycovechef.com
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​I bought the first asparagus and made asparagus soup that my husband requested. I have to make it without onions because onions irritate his tongue. 
​Click here for the recipe

Our farmer's market is selling artichokes and I made my stuffed artichokes that I loved. I shared them with a friend.
​ Here is the recipe.

This weekend, I plan to make may asparagus pasta, and I hope my husband can join me for dinner. 
 Click here for the recipe