Oasis Salad

Coming into an oasis from the desert can be hallucinatory. One moment you’re in a vast, open, shadeless space, the sun beating down, the next you’ve entered the leafy calm of the poplars and cottonwoods that mark the edge of the oasis. Water gurgles in open irrigation ditches, birds sing, and green vegetables thrive in well-tended gardens. Everything smells moist and fresh, and there’s a softness to the air. It’s tempting to cross back out into the desert just to reexperience the transition