The nicest part about living on an island is that your life is pretty much dictated by the tides and the weather. For a control freak like me, that makes certain things in life out of my control, and purely dependent upon mother nature.
So when yesterday dawned very clear, still and warm, I knew it was the perfect day for painting. Our outside furniture is a collection of vintage, hand-me-downs and inherited pieces, and built and assembled by Flip. Not really having the space to store inside for the winter, the weather takes its toll, peeling paint, rusty flakes and chipping.
This usually means scraping…don’t I hate the noise…and filling in the cracks with globs of paint…trying to seal it from the rains. I use the same colors year and year…someday soon it will all be paint.
And how does one dine after painting all morning? A simple Spring Shrimp Salad seem to fit the bill. I had just enough leaves of baby lettuce growing on the deck to line the plates. And fresh chives in the herb garden.
Cook one pound of frozen Maine shrimp in a large pot of boiling water. For only one minute. Then quickly drain the shrimp and cool off in an iced water bath. In the meantime, prepare a dressing made with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon Zucchini Relish. Stir into the shrimp and arrange the shrimp salad on top of the lettuce leaves. Add some julienne carrots to the top. Arrange Pickled Beets and Bread & Butter Pickles on the side and top with some chopped chives.
We sat on our freshly painted furniture, enjoying our Spring Shrimp Salad with a crisp, chilled glass of white wine and watched the boats sailing in the bay and the eagles overhead. Not a bad way of life…. living the day dictated by the tides and the weather!
Bon Appetit!
Spring Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen Maine Shrimp
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Zucchini Relish
Instructions
The Shrimp
- Cook one pound of frozen Maine shrimp in a large pot of boiling water. For only one minute.
- Then quickly drain the shrimp and cool off in an iced water bath.
For the Dressing
- In the meantime, prepare a dressing made with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon Zucchini Relish.
- Stir dressing into the shrimp and arrange the shrimp salad on top of the lettuce leaves. Add some julienne carrots to the top.
- Arrange Pickled Beets and Bread & Butter Pickles on the side and top with some chopped chives.