Quinoa Salad with Blood Orange, Clementine, Beet and Kumquat

Instructions

1. Whisk all Dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Boil small pot of water with salt. Blanch the beets for 3-5 minutes. Drain. Soak in ice water bath.
3. In another small pot bring quinoa, salt and water to a boil. Then lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork.
4. Mix all fruits and vegetables with the quinoa and dressing. Garnish with cilantro and chives. Season with salt.

One night after work I trudged through the snow in our backyard, in my wedged heels, to get to our detached garage. My goal was to find this weathered chair. Aside from the fact that the snow came up to my hips, thus ruining my shoes and freezing my legs, I found the chair! I just knew that its creamy distressed seat would be a perfect back drop for a food scene.

As I am learning how to take fantastic food photos that represent how exquisite the food tastes, I enjoy showing you, my reader, what happens behind the scenes. When you look at a close up of a divine dish, you never really know the time and effort the photographer took to make it look appetizing. I mean come on, did you know this bowl was placed on a chair when you saw the first photo?

In the book “Plate to Pixel”, the chapter about styling a photograph encourages the utilization of props such as fresh herbs, silverware or glassware. These pieces connect the puzzle, so to speak, and enhance the meal’s visual appeal. Helene, the author, also enlightened me on using the color wheel to choose linens, props or backgrounds that will compliment the natural hues of the dish. I chose to pair a blue striped dish towel with my orange bowl of goodness because these colors are directly opposite from one another on the color wheel! Cool huh?

Also, when reading blogs, I like to see a picture of the food’s creators once in a while. So here I am holding a bowl of fruit in my super cute new jump suit.