Friday Food 09-08-23

 I love  salads, but am always a little leery when eating out because of my allergy to sulfites. They are frequently  used to keep  the lettuce  and other veggies looking fresh.  Salad bars are the  very  worst so I avoid them. But better restaurants usually don't use sulfites on their food.  If  in doubt I ask, but don't always receive a firm answer. It is  worse outside of California due to the different regulations in different states.  I don't make elaborate salads at  home - all that chopping, ick.  Our  temps are on the rise this week so I am  thinking salads - maybe Fitness Grill again!

Tasty crunch with chicken and cheese on top and, as usual, the dressing on the side.

Grilled tuna and violets.  Can't really taste the violets, but they are a delight to the eye!

This is more like what I make at home - two ingredients with rice vinegar and olive oil on the side.  A little fresh parsley if I have it.

Tomatoes, radishes, broccoli, blueberries, provolone, and  greens..

Got a little fancy here.

This recipe came from a Facebook friend in Australia in 2009 and it is my favorite summer salad, worth all the peeling and chopping.  

 

There aren't any exact measurements, but this is what I use for just one dinner size serving:

3 - 4 radishes sliced

half a small can of sliced black olives

1/2 naval orange cut into small pieces

2 cups of watermelon squares - about an inch.

a couple hands full of mixed greens OR baby spinach OR what have you.

Toss with a dressing made with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. 

A beet salad at Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station, San Diego.

This is a delightful combination and I always  intend on trying to duplicate it at home, but haven't so far.  It tastes so cool on a hot day. 

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More construction in the park 09-07-23

 No workers  in the park today.

Here  is the cement they have poured at this far end of the park.

A closer view, but I cannot figure out what this will be.  The little bits of rain over the last week or so has started the grass sprouting.

The new cement path wanders off to the right to end at the small parking lot on  Palm Drive at the entrance to the park.  It is a small park - the width is about that of two house lots and  the length is about fourteen  housing lots.  I tell people that ours is the fifteenth house from Palm Drive.  

Warmer today.  The high was 84F and the low 62F.  Highs in the mid 90F until next Tuesday.  KoKo and I have enjoyed the autumn like temps for the last 3 or 4 days.  

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Construction in the park 09-06-23

Toward the end of July the city started the revamping of Parque de Arroyo Verde which we see from our backyard.  I searched through my  pictures to find  views over the years.  There aren't as many as I expected.

2011

This is sort of what it looked iike when we moved in 1986, but then the deodar trees were healthy and green.  By 2011 they were diseased  and dying and  the tree trimmers were taking them out.  

December 24, 2018

At the bottom of the picture you can just see the young trees that replaced the deodars and had been growing for about seven years.  They were just sticks when planted.    The trees  in the background had just been trimmed, they  are located in  the patio  homes beyond the perimeter block wall. 

February 14, 2019

Just a few months  later in a wet year the trees are still  rather  small, but the grass is green, very unusual for this area.  I have this picture in the wrong order, See the tall trees before they were trimmed.  Also notice that the vandals had been at  work in the flood control channel. 

Feb 26, 2923

One of the reasons for redoing the park was the city thought it wasn't being utilized enough.  There were never hoards of people, but it seemed to me that quite a few people used it for dog walking, running, picnics, and just  hanging  out.   

Notice  how much  those  little trees have grown  in four years. 

June 24,2023

We have had a drought for the last three years and the city stopped watering.   

But I guess the kids didn't  mind.  

June 24, 2023

This picture shows further south with the  wandering  path that had been there since at least  1986.

August 18,2023

The  end  of July the trees that didn't fit the  new  plan were removed.  Forms  for cement were put in.  It was very hot so they erected an awning over a table to hold the plans they were working from.  

August 21, 2023

When we had our "hurricane" that didn't amount to much, but it brought strong winds and lashings of rain  The awning and the table went flying and I guess the workers were dealing with fallen limbs and debris in other city parks because they didn't work here for most of last week.  The broken awning is still broken  and will probably go in the landfill.

I thought I had a picture of what it looks like today, but guess it didn't take.  So, I will go out in the morning and do a few shots and add on to this post.

NOPE.  I posted more pictures on the next post - 09-07-23

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