Love and Adventure Salad

"Don't let anybody tell you that you have to come down from your joy" Said the man with the slicked back mullet. His outdated hairstyle matched his shiny yellow pickup truck with the rounded cab: short on top, party in the back. "..and don't concern yourself about what anybody else thinks of you, that's how you get to a place of happiness" Out in the street, the air blew clean and fresh and the grass was fragrant newly cut. My mind felt empty and free. An empty mind, a fertile breeding ground for love of every kind.

I met Christina on an empty mind with no urge to fill it. She drew me to her with her eyes and I found myself a puppet, reaching my hand out, shaking hers, and then performing the fools dance; the one where you puff out your feathers, and show off your colors and laugh nervously and more than usual. The seat next to hers opened up and I slipped into it, burning through stores of breath while stringing together the whistling bird songs of my adventures. She left me questioning. Suddenly I found myself carrying around a locked suitcase, designed to fit perfectly on a clear table. In an empty room the contents spilled open, and vinegar found bitter cabbage, salt enhanced the sweetness of carrot, mango was softened by oil, the sweet crunching of life's freshness echoed booms like fireworks and filled every empty corner with the ping pong game of sound.
I sat across from a friend this morning and listened with an empty mind while she told me about how when she met him something drew her in. She couldn't stop thinking about him, and every movement, every smile, even the "red flags" he wove through the air were perfumed by pure perfection. I recalled the feeling, that jittery feeling, the one they write about in songs, the one that inspires poetry. The feeling you had only played at before, and you never believed it existed until it happened to you. I knew it exactly. As she sat on the very edge of her wooden chair, she was ignorant of coffee, and the smell of pastries, and the mumbling chatter of brunch goers around her. She spoke excitedly of her adventure, and I knew she wanted to shake me and scream "you don't understand how this FEELS"!!
The words ran through my mind "Don't let anybody tell you that you have to come down from your joy"

Once you have learned this recipe, you can enjoy it anytime you want:
Clear a space. Believed in your own abilities. Take risks. Mix flavors and spices. Work with what you have. Taste love firsthand, but don't get lost the memory of that flavor. Let the flavors clear and enjoy each fresh bite anew. Allow love to nourish you.

The dressing:
Blend in a mini blender:
1 mango
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Ume plum vinegar
2 Tbsp San Pellegrino
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp salad oil (sunflower oil)
1 large chunk fresh ginger (about the size of a silver dollar and 1/4 inch thick)
sprinkle of salt and pepper

Using a mandolin or shredding setting of a food processor, shred 3 purple kohlrabi (peeled), 3 carrots (peeled), and 1/4 head purple cabbage. Dress and serve.

Christina's vote: "This was like eating a bag of potato chips without the guilt. Crunchy goodness."