Green Salad

I love salad, but I tend to get crazy with it.. I'll add fruit, veggies, flowers, grains and nuts that some might not have even considered. So here is a paired down version of salad. Simple, crowd pleasing, delicious and healthy (before dressing). Feel free to play around with the veggie ingredients (I would), they are very interchangeable.

1 Head butter crunch lettuce (romaine works here too, but you could add some ice burg to give it more juice : / )
1 or 2 large slicing tomato, Diced
4 or 5 crimini or white button mushrooms, sliced
an avocado, cubed
1 carrot, Sliced thin (optional)
Dressing of your choice (ranch is heavenly, blue cheese would be nice to.. indulge)

Toss all the veggies together and top with your dressing of choice.

Best 'Ceaser' salad

Dressing:

1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp Vinegar
1 tsp chopped onion
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped garlics
zest of 1 1/2 limes
1 egg

blend all ingredients together.

Croutons:

a dash of olive oil
2 slices day old bread, preferably sour dough, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4 garlic cloves chopped

Heat OVEN TO 350. Heat a bit of oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and heat over low. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet w/ a little oil and bake , tossing every once in a while. After about 20 minutes, add the bread chunks into the garlic mixture and on top of the stove and cook for about 5 more min or until crisp and golden.

Salad and Assembly:

About 8 cups crisp greens, such as bok choy, Romaine hearts, butter crunch, etc.
3/4 c grated Parmesan
1/2 c roughly chopped cilantro

Toss everything together, or layer on individual plates!

Summer Harvest Salad

The garden, the files that are stacked, 271 e-mails to sort, the house to clean ... all the ingredients of the recipe for a busy and productive day! So between chores I'm going to try and sneak in a couple posts here. Yes, alternative to the chores I head out to the garden and fill my basket with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, lemon cucumbers and basil. Today, intrigued by these fresh ingredients, I'm making .. some kind of crazy salad, and calling it a Summer Harvest Salad!

Summer Harvest Salad

1/4 c vinegar (red wine, or 1/2 balsamic/1/2 apple cider. or whatever)

1/4 c chopped fresh basil

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 garlic clove minced

4 large tomatoes, chopped

4 medium cucumbers, chopped

2 medium zucchini (yellow or green), chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 c pitted Greek olives, or a can of black olives

Fresh baked french bread

Some kind of good cheese (Parmesan, or extra sharp white Cheddar)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a jar and shake. You can also add oil to this, like up to a half cup if you want, but I do not oil my dressings usually. You be the judge.

Then combine the tomato and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

When your ready to eat, toast the bread and melt the cheese over the top (I recommend using the oven or toaster oven for this) and serve to salad over the top or on the side of the bread.

Salad idea..

I think Salads are great because they go with anything, they are light, good for you, and you can throw in just about anything!
This is one of my favorite salads because all of the ingredients are home grown. Just splash on some balsamic vinaigrette and there you go!

In Season Salad Ingredients:

-Lettuce

-Bell peppers

-Fresh Basil Leaves

-Onion
-Garlic

Cabbage salad with oranges

This salad, that I made tonight, could easily be altered and added to; fresh chopped parsly, shredded carrots, diced apple and walnuts would be good in it too.



Cabbage salad with oranges

About 5 cups finely sliced cabbage
1 tsp salt
2 leafy celery stalks, finely sliced

Salad idea..

I tend to veer clear of ice burg lettuce, but recently I've been feeling like it adds a nice crunch to a salad.. Here's an idea..

equal parts of your favorite lettuce greens and ice burg lettuce
1 cup candied walnuts
1 cup raisins
3 cups chopped apple
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

(you could even add a cup of chopped celery, and/or a diced avocado)

Toss everything in a bowl and top with poppy seed dressing!

Orange and Apple Salad

This is a great light dish, so summer-y, but a great addition to the fall menu!!


Ingredients:

***Dressing***

1 tsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 orange, juiced
1 orange, zest ed
1 small lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 pinches salt
a bunch of Black pepper

***Salad***

2 crisp apples, cored and sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices,
3 oranges, peeled, cut in half and this into 1/8-inch slices
cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar or other seal able container and shake to emulsify. Combine apple, orange and cilantro in a mixing bowl and toss. Toss the salad with the dressing. Distribute between serving plates. (Top with shaved cheese?)

Salad with Grapefruit and Pine Nuts

I love this salad combination, how the buttery pine nuts and juicy, sweet grapefruit come together. The lettuce adds a great crunch and the goat cheese baguettes add a creamy bonus.


Salad with Grapefruit and Pine Nuts

4 servings

2 t vinegar (your choice, but I used balsamic)
1 t fresh lemon juice
1 t Dijon mustard
3 T olive oil
a head of lettuce (again, your choice of variety)
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
salt and pepper
a baguette (optional)
fresh goat cheese (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and olive oil. Toss lettuce, pine nuts, and grapefruit in a large bowl and add vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with toasted baguette slices topped with goat cheese.

Sunshine salad

(This picture is the lettuce from my sisters garden down in Scio (beautiful!))

After a period of very rich holiday foods, the simple pleasures of summer are necessary. Nothing represents summer better than a green-clad salad-ey composition. Add to this recipe a few slices of cucumber, and some nuts if you want (what ever you have depending on the season). The real star hear is the lettuce. You might serve this with, maybe some soft goat cheese, or fresh bread with aged balsamic vinegar and a dash of olive oil ... :)

Sunshine Salad Recipe

Dressing:
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 chopped garlic clove
zest and juice of 1 1/2 (or two) limes
1 egg

blend all ingredients together, in a blender.

Croutons:
a dash of olive oil
2 slices day old bread, preferably sour dough, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4 garlic cloves chopped

Heat OVEN TO 350. Heat a bit of oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and heat over low. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet w/ a little oil and bake , tossing every once in a while. After about 20 minutes, add the bread chunks into the garlic mixture and on top of the stove and cook for about 5 more min or until crisp and golden.

Green Part:

About 8 cups (a couple heads) crisp greens, such as bok choy, Romaine hearts, whatever, etc.
3/4 c grated Parmesan
Some toasted almonds
some peeled orange sections, cut in half if you want
thinly sliced onions; red, yellow, shallot, or green

Toss together, and top with the dressing and croutons!