this delicious salad came about one day when inspired by reading Marcus Samuelson's*  book  " Yes, Chef!" ( highly recommend it) i decided to be more courageous than usual and combine several of my favorite ingredients ( in a slightly calculated yet random way) in a salad bowl, toss them together, cross my fingers, and hope for the best: a delicious salad that somehow tasted like it was absolutely meant to be: chewy (wild rice), slightly zesty (in a fresh citrus sort of a way), surprisingly creamy (thanks to the just ripe avocados), with hints of sweetness (ripe strawberries), spicy enough (red pepper flakes), super fresh, moderately " ethnic"(cumin!), and pretty good for you. add or subtract what you like, create your own favorite ingredients salad, or give this one a try...i think you might just like it!  

*below/right, a  (not so attractive) picture of me  with MS taken at his Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem!

favorite salad ingredients (4 servings or so):

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup wild rice (cook in ligtly salted water until just tender)
• 1/2 cup quinoa (cooked in lightly salted water)
• 2 just ripe avocados, sliced
• 1-2 large heirloom tomato, sliced
• 10-12 ripe organic strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• small bunch of fresh mint, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
• small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

dressing:

• juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon (2 tbs)
• 3-4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• (whisk together)