Since the Queen can have anything she so desires…the salad she requests is the most colorful, artistic assemblage of the season. A morning’s cuttings of crisp, tender greens offer a bed upon which lie a tasty bouquet of textures, flavors, and fragrances to entice her every sense. Of course, upon sighting this exquisite dish, the envious king himself will order one as well!
Saves 3-4 days in the refrigerator (undressed and in a covered container). Plan ahead and make enough for lunches and snacks.
Each salad is unique. Design per LOCAL and SEASON. Choose an item from each category.
Ingredients
- Bed of greens - spring greens, red/green leaf lettuces, cabbage, spinach
- Fresh herbs - chose one and chop fine - cilantro, parsley, chives, dill
- Fruit - just a touch for sweetness - tangerines, apples, tomatoes, grapes, Fuyu persimmons
- Crunchy stalks - celery or fennel bulb
- Roots - carrots (grated, rounds, matchsticks), grated beets, or turnips
- Savory onions - sweet red onion or green scallions sliced thin
- Fruit of the vine when available - cucumbers, red/yellow/orange bell peppers
- Crunch - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts
- Sprouts - mild or spicy garnish- sunflower, alfalfa, clover, radish
Optionals
lightly steamed broccoli, steamed and cubed potatoes, yams, or sweet potatoes
Other goodies
light sprinkling of raisins, currants, dried cranberries
Dressing
The beauty of this regal salad is that the exquisite variety of tastes, textures and fragrances are most often enjoyed without the need of a dressing!
And, there are those times when the queen wants just a little wetness to sprinkle over her greens. In this case she has options:
1. Squeeze fresh lemon juice, orange juice (or balsamic vinegar) over salad.
OR
2. Blend well and drizzle over salad
- 1/2 cup lemon (or orange) juice, 3-4
- Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons almond butter or sesame tahini (2-3 drops Stevia)
- and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.