And the Rabbit Ate His Way Through the Garden
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
September 15, 2009
Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
La Fonda del Sol
200 Park Ave
(44th & 45th Sts)
New York, NY 10166
212-867-6767
Are you in a state of seasonal denial? I’m not since I love the fall best, but I know many are lamenting the passing of summer — despite it being the coldest one in 80 years. For those chasing the last rays of summer sun, here’s a great dish to savor: the summer salad ($8) at La Fonda del Sol.
When I was deciding between this salad and the enticing pickled watermelon salad with avocado, arugula and pimenton, my bartender explained the summer salad to me, “Imagine a rabbit prancing about in a garden eating his way through all the seasonal vegetables.” I was sold on the spot.
The salad was even better than the playful image that the bartender created. While I was trying to figure out all of the different ingredients, into the dining room walked Executive Chef Josh DeChellis with a tray of all the greens in this salad. He sat down and let me taste each one of them: burnet, chocolate mint, sweet cicely, molokhia, to name a few of the less familiar ones. All came from Honey Locust Farm House in Newburgh, New York. There were also wax beans, asparagus, melon, and peaches to add to the texture and juicy sweetness of the dish.
Though ingredients vary depending on what DeChellis gets in, I was told the salad will likely linger on the menu as autumnal vegetables replace the summery ones. Maybe soon it will be called a “fall salad”? Before that happens though, I hope to get one more taste of summer.
