The wonders of salt

photo courtesy of The Meadow

Last summer, we toured Oregon's wine country for a day with several other couples.  At one of the vineyards, we stopped for a lunch break and had an Italian inspired picnic.  Our friend Mary- who is the most gifted hostess I know- brought along many goodies, including  a salt block.  She sliced fresh veggies on it, and I was hooked! 

The Meadow is a wonderful little shop in town that specializes in salt, chocolate, and wine.  It's my new favorite place now (thanks to Mary!) to look for gifts for family and friends. With fresh cut flowers by the door and every inch of the space filled with fine edibles, I feel like I'm transported back to France.

From mountains to seas, salt is a natural resource that is gathered by people all around the globe. Recently, I stumbled upon amazing works of art made from sea salt.  The following are installations created by Japanese artist Motoi Yamamoto.

Utsusemi.  Toyama, Japan.  2005.

To Remembrance. Ishikawa, Japan.  2009.

Sakura. Ishikawa, Japan.  2008.

close-up of Sakura installation