Staying fresh in December

It's that time of year when the heavy comfort food is getting old, the number of layers one needs to wear to stay warm indoors sizeably increases one's bulk, and the necessity of end-of-year productivity limits physical activity. In addition, I'm on a running hiatus right now not due to weather but due to exacerbation of an old injury -- I don't want talk about it.

So how to eat in a way that helps you to feel fresh, despite the chronic dry skin and static? I think citrus helps, but I'm not yet ready to bid goodbye to apple season. So I tried this quite simple salad, which is not exactly seasonal but is also not too appallingly unseasonal either (no miserable unripe tomatoes!).

Fresh winter salad:

• butter lettuce, arugula, or both
• radishes, quartered
• toasted walnuts*
• goat cheese (optional, I skipped it)
• juice of half a lemon
• olive oil

Toss all together and dress with lemon and olive oil. Serve with a hard boiled egg, cheese on toast, a yogurt, etc. for a more substantial meal.

*I've been craving walnuts since their health benefits were all over the yuppie and medical news last week.