I'm an independent lady; or, Broccoli and Tomato Gribiche

I love being single and living alone (okay, with a dog). Nothing beats being able to sleep anywhere you want, watching whatever television shows you please (reruns of Grey's? Sign me up!), spontaneously going out on a Thursday night with the girls, and packing the fridge with single lady food, like the ingredients above.

I am an independent lady. I listen to strong, independent lady music (thank you, Kelly Clarkson!), I eat right (mostly), I run (too much), I get work done, I volunteer, and I'll eat an entire jar of Nutella with a spoon for dinner if I feel like it. Don't judge.

But there are times when I am reminded of how nice it would be to share these things with someone. This recipe was so good and homey and comforting that I wanted to have a nice glass of wine at the table with it and good conversation. Instead, I ate two servings and had two glasses of wine. It was like dinner for two... for one.

So now I'm sharing this with you. At the risk of sounding completely bonkers, I'll just admit that I found this more comforting than any soup, pasta, or cup of tea I have ever had. The lovely thing about this is that it uses veggies that are starting to crop up at the farmer's market. Think of it as spring comfort food.

Broccoli and Tomato Gribiche

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day

1 lb cleaned, unpeeled fingerling potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb broccoli florets
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 shallots, diced
4 eggs, hard boiled
2 tbsp basil, chiffonaded

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Toss with tomatoes, broccoli, and shallots in 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on baking sheet, and roast for about 30 minutes, until broccoli starts to brown and potatoes are tender.

Dice the hard-boiled eggs. Toss with the roasted veggies in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and more salt and pepper (to taste); add dressing to salad and mix until just combined. Serve hot.