Time. There never seems to be enough of it. Sometimes I wonder, what would I do if I had more time? Would I read more? Exercise more? Cook more? See more friends? Travel more? Write more? What would you do if you had more time? An extra hour or two in the day?
I hate to admit it, but every once in a while when I find myself with more time, I seem to just waste it. Not waste it in the sense that I’m not doing something enjoyable, but waste it in the sense that I’m not doing something productive.
I think wasting time is kind of like dieting: everybody eventually falls off the wagon. When you spend literally half of your life online (in my case, either working, or working on Turntable Kitchen) it’s easy enough to waste some time online. It’s true, if we’re friends on Facebook, I’ve probably looked through most of your pictures. Sorry! Don’t think I’m creepy! What I find particularly annoying is that it’s so hard to get OFFline because it seems like — at least in my life — being productive more than likely means doing something online and when I’m trying to be productive, but just not wanting to be, I’m still online.
I’ve come to the conclusion that if I had more time, what I’d actually do is spend a little more of it away from my computer. I only know you through this here little Internet space, so maybe you’d just spend more time playing video games, or shopping on Gilt.com, or watching E! — all completely acceptable ways to spend your time. But, I suspect that at least some of you might feel the same way I do.
If you have a little bit more time this week, consider this: make a simple summer salad and eat it out on your porch, or by a window (somewhere where you can see people, fields, buildings, and grass in real life). Turn off your computer (and the television) and have a quiet moment to reflect: what would I do, if I had more time?
Minted Zucchini, Pea and Lemon Cucumber Salad
*serves 2-3
2 small zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise using a mandoline
1 lemon cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds, then cut into half moons
handful of hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of champagne vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Humboldt Fog cheese, to taste
1/2 cup of freshly shelled English peas
1/4 cup of chopped mint
1. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are well incorporated.
2. Place the zucchini slices, cucumber, mint and peas into a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss the salad gently.
3. Arrange the salad on a large serving plate and top with a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts and cheese. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.
Musical Pairings: Bishop Allen – Bishop Allen & The Broken String + Minted Zucchini, Pea and Lemon Cucumber Salad
More on the Turntable.
