Throw it in a bowl. Call it something fancy. (Panzanella con sardine)

Dear Joanne and Jenny,

I HAVE QUESTIONS.

How does an adult woman:

• Feed herself a balanced diet?
• Balance a social life with necessary time alone?
• Keep her room relatively clean at all times?

• Find time to write a blog?
• Remember to take her vitamins?
• Remember to buy gifts for peoples' birthdays?
• Preserve her youth?  

• Have a productive argument with a man?
• Have a productive argument with a female friend?
• Be friends with her parents?
• Balance the urge to nurture with the urge to be nurtured?

• Find time to work out every day without it becoming something that defines her?
• Dress herself well enough to give off the illusion of competence?

• Figure out what the hell she's going to do for the rest of her life?
• Be okay with that/those decision(s)?
• Get rid of painful cystic acne?

• Drink enough water so that her pee isn't as bright as Gatorade?
• Figure out how to get people excited about her weird-ass, esoteric art?
• Remember to shave both underarms before donning a sleeveless dress?

 
 I NEED TO KNOW.

PANZANELLA CON SARDINE

"Pan" means bread. "Zanella" therefore means awesome way to consume. "Con Sardine" because sardines are delicious and full of great things. Eat them.

I make this every time I get my hands on ripe, heavy, heirloom tomatoes.

Quality matters! Because this is a simple recipe, each component must be delicious enough to eat on its own without any dressing up.

INGREDIENTS

one large, delicious tomato, chopped (1-2 cups)

1 cup really good croutons or stale/crusty bread

3-4 green onions, chopped

1 can sardines in oil

1 tsp kosher salt

Pepper to taste

(lemon juice--I don't add this, but you might to balance out the sweetness of the tomato)

Directions:

Chop, mix, enjoy. Adjust seasonings as-needed.

You can make a pretty amazing salad by varying any of the four ingredients.

For tomato: Zucchini, Avocado, cucumber

For green onion: White/yellow onion (Chop finely and use less), basil, shiso (whatever herbs you like)

Sardines in oil: Tuna in oil, fresh fish, chicken, soft white cheese (mozzerella, feta, etc. Add olive oil to taste if you go the cheese route), beans (white or fava or chickpeas or black-eyed peas