These started off as peanut butter and jelly, I’m not even kidding.  Melissa (Smells Like Brownies) and I had been having a bit of a rough week and hadn’t planned anything for our weekly get together.  So that morning we just wanted to keep things simple and focus on getting our cats to be friends (long story).  We were thinking – let’s just make PB&J or store-bought ravioli.

But then – she said she was craving salmon, and I said smoked salmon and goat cheese with crackers was easy and good, she said what about nice bread and an egg.  Then there were herbs and kale and shallot and good lord we can’t keep it simple!  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Fresh, gorgeous ingredients (including some from Mel’s garden) turned into a lovely lunch for us, even while wrangling a baby, a toddler, and 2 kitties in an un-childproofed house (mine). (more…)