The Thrifty Foodie

Super Simple Arugula and Cherry Tomato Salad

I first had this delicious and tart salad when I was visiting some folks in Siena.  A large bowl full of this mixture before some thin-crust Margherita pizza and I was hooked!  I got my greens and tomatoes at the local Red Stick Farmer's Market.  A pint of cherry tomatoes and a bag of greens only ran me five bucks, and lasted me for about five or six servings of this salad throughout the week.  I hope you enjoy this simple salad as a satisfying snack or meal-starter as much as I always do.

One large handful arugula greens, chopped
8-10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 ½ T balsamic vinegar
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
Place chopped greens onto a salad plate, top with sliced tomatoes, pour vinegar and oil over the top, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Quickie hors-d'oeuvre

I just made this last night and it was so ridiculously simple I was surprised when it received unanimously positive reviews: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, chop the top quarter off of two garlic bulbs, drizzle about 1 T of oil on each, wrap them in foil, throw 'em in the oven, and forget about them for the next hour while you work on other meal prep.  About ten minutes before you take them out, put a wedge of brie on a cookie sheet and stick that in the oven as well.  Brie is one of the more reasonably priced specialty cheeses on the market (I am particularly fond of Trader Joe's double-cream brie).  When you take them out, the top of the garlic should be caramel colored, and the brie just beginning to melt on the sides.  Put them out with a baguette and a knife to scoop out the roasted garlic - I like to spread it on the bread, and then the brie on top of it.