I like reading Meeta’s blog, What’s for Lunch Honey. A few weeks ago on her shared Plate to Page site I read that she had announced a competition, in which she was looking for comfort food. But when I first read -make a comfort food?- I was totally uninspired. Comfort food? What does it mean to me?
In summer I like eating vega burgers, a creamy tomato soup, but during winter, when the weather so unfriendly and the wind is blowing all the day I don’t have special comfort food. Just a glass of mulled wine! But it’s not a food.

So, in the last two weeks I just monitored myself all the time, every day what I ate with pleasure: and I found that I made several kinds of salads every day. Sometimes as a starter, and other times as a side dish. All of them was full of vegs, no meat, no fish and the dressing was also very simple: vinegar (white or balsamic), honey, fresh seasoning (thyme, basil, parsley, and so on) olive oil, spring onion or garlic, salt and mustard. So, if You had asked me a few months ago whether salad without meat was a comfort food for me in winter time I would have answered no, definately not. When we are preparing for Christmas, and I try to go on a kind of diet just like before Easter and in the past our predecessors. It helps me to be ready to enjoy the most delicious roast turkey I have ever eaten made by Mum, accompanied by my Father homemade hungarian red wine. Looking forward Christmas and enjoy the winter salad experience!

Ingredients:

Serves 4 glasses

1/4 chinese cabbage
a good handful of fresh green leaves
100 gr Lancashire cheese
8 vine tomatoes
1/4 pomegranate
1/2 ripe mango
4 quails eggs

for the dressing:

small bunch of flat leaf parsley
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 drops honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon white vine vinegar

some basil leaves for garnish

If I make the salad in a glass I put the ingredients layered. If I make in a bowl, I mix well before serving.

Pour water in a small pan, bring to boil, and cook the eggs in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Slice finely cabbage, then add the fresh green leaves. Dice the cheese, slice tomatoes thinly. Cool the eggs in cold water, then crack and peel them. Cut half in lengthway. Peel mango, and remove pomegranate seeds and scatter over the eggs, greens, and cheese.

Meanwhile make the dressing:
Put mustard in a tall mixer bowl and use a small size wire whisk. Add gradually oil, salt, honey, vinegar, crushed garlic and finally finely chopped parsley. Leave at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.

Pour the dressing over salad just right before serving. Serve alone or with with toast, toasted bagett.