Salad as a way to use things up

In winter, when I have a lot of random bits of things that need to be used up, I make soup. In spring and summer, I make a salad.

Salads are a great way to use up veggies, meat and cheese. Limp carrots, a last bit of cheese, a handful of nuts and/or dried fruit, a last slice or two of lunch meat, eggs, bacon, croutons, mushrooms, half a pepper, the last blueberries, all those things and more can be chopped up and thrown onto a bed of spinach to great acclaim.

Last night I made four salads (in Tupperware, for future use) with spinach--thanks, garden!--the last of some fresh mozzarella cheese, four sliced mushrooms, croutons, a sliced roasted red pepper, and a shaved carrot. The dressing was my mom's raspberry vinaigrette. Each salad is a meal, so we've got fresh healthy veggie meals for a couple of days.