Garden Greens and Violets

Our menu for supper recently was bean enchiladas, spiced Spanish millet, and a garden green salad. It was the first meal from our garden greens. Oh, they were fresh and so delicious! There were freckled and white violets blooming nearby, so I added them in as well as some fresh curly parsley, Italian parsley, and cilantro from the herb garden. The violets were 'not' picked out of the salad at meal time --- by now my family is used to my ways.

Just think about all the vitamins and minerals in those garden fresh greens!

I used garden scissors to snip the baby greens. Since they were scatter planted, rather than placed in rows, the early harvest by snipping (not pulling) helps to thin them out and yet gives the plants opportunity to sprout new growth from the roots still in the ground.

The spring bush peas are growing, and the Cherokee bush beans have pushed their heart-shaped leaves out of the soil. Walla Walla Sweet onions are growing in two of my garden 'squares' and this week the pickling cukes and regular cucumbers have sprouted leaves through the earth. And, the beet greens are a little behind, but are coming along alright.

There is something about a garden...

Summer Green Salad with Raspberry Lemon Dressing

Summer Green Salad with Raspberry Lemon Dressing

• 1 lb. red and green artisan lettuces, torn into 1" pieces
• 1 medium green apple, peeled and diced
• 1 avocado, diced into 1" cubes
• 1 Tbsp. dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup corn kernels, defrosted

Prepare ingredients and toss together in a serving bowl.


Raspberry Lemon Dressing

• 1 small package raspberries
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup raspberry apple juice, concentrated OR raspberry white grape juice concentrate
• 1 to 2 packets stevia
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
• 3 Tbsp. black cherry fruit spread, fruit juice sweetened
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard OR 1 Tbsp. mustard powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds

Place all ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender. Whiz until well blended. Pour into serving pitcher and stir in poppy seeds.

Enjoy!

Charming Petals for Garnishing

Squash Blossom Potato Salad

8 - 10 potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 can black olives, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 orange or red pepper, diced
2 - 3 dill pickles, chopped
1 cup extra-firm tofu, cubed OR boiled eggs
salt, to taste
sweet basil, dried, to taste
1 cup Veganaise (or mayonnaise as desired)

Mix all ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to your taste. 

Serve in a squash blossom and enjoy!

Squash blossoms and pumpkin blossoms are edible and taste somewhat like uncooked squash. They should be washed and trimmed to remove stems and stamens. They can be breaded and fried, added chopped to foods like scrambled eggs, and are tasty in soups and fillings.

Here's an interesting article with quotes from a restaurant chef. He shares some excellent ideas for using squash blossoms in cooking; plus some recipes!

Broccoli and Pea Salad

Alma's Broccoli and Pea Salad

2 cups broccoli, fresh, cut into small pieces (Cuisinart/curved blade)
2 cups frozen peas
2 - 3 stalks celery, diced fine (Cuisinart/squared blade)
1/2 cup almonds, chopped and roasted in skillet (or oven)
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup Vegenaise

Mix all ingredients together after preparing/chopping. Stir until mixed. Serve and enjoy! VERY yummy!

*Use more Vegenaise if you like more moisture.

Holiday Green Salad with Raspberry Lemon Dressing

Holiday Green Salad with Raspberry Lemon Dressing

1 lb. red and green artisan lettuces, torn into 1" pieces
1 medium green apple, peeled and diced
1 avocado, diced into 1" cubes
1 Tbsp. dried cranberries
2/3 cup corn kernels, defrosted

Prepare ingredients and toss together in a serving bowl.

- - -

Raspberry Lemon Dressing

1 small package raspberries
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raspberry apple juice, concentrated OR raspberry white grape juice concentrate
1 to 2 packets stevia
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
3 Tbsp. black cherry fruit spread, fruit juice sweetened
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard OR 1 Tbsp. mustard powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Place all ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender. Whiz until well blended. Pour into serving pitcher and stir in poppy seeds.

Nasturtiums with Sweet Onion & Cucumber Salad

 

Each spring I carefully plant nasturtiums in my garden, not only so I can enjoy their beauty, but so their peppery flavor can be enjoyed and appreciated. Nasturtiums are a fun plant to use as an ingredient in cooking or as a garnish to enhance the appearance of the food. Their petals and leaves can be used to make tea sandwiches, to be scrambled into egg or tofu dishes, and to garnish just about anything.

 

This summer our family enjoyed a simple and tasteful salad, and nasturtiums gave it eye-appeal. The instructions are pretty simple. 

To try our cucumber and sweet onion Greek salad you'll need:

2 cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
dash of mineral or sea salt
a dollop of Greek-style yogurt*
2 packets of NuNaturals stevia**

Stir cucumber slices and diced onion together in a mixing bowl. Season with salt. Add Greek-style yogurt and stevia. Mix until cucumbers are coated. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish and enjoy!

*Greek-style yogurt can be made from soy or coconut milk yogurt. Or use dairy Greek yogurt.

**NuNaturals stevia is my favorite brand. A packet equals about 1/2 tsp. You may use your favorite sweetener like sugar or agave syrup if you prefer.

Yummy as an be!

Sweet Potato Salad

4 small sweet potatoes

1/4 cup Vegannaise

1 Tbsp. mustard

4 stalks celery, chopped into 1/4" pieces

1 small red pepper, 1/4" dice

1 cup fresh pineapple, diced

2 green onions, chopped

sea salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Wrap each sweet potato in foil and bake for 1 hour.  Remove from heat, unwrap, and allow to cool.  Then peel and cut into 3/4" pieces.

Using a large bowl, mix together Veganaise and mustard.  Add cooled sweet potatoes, celery, red pepper, pineapple, and green onions.  Season to taste with sea salt.  

Cover and refrigerate for one hour.  Then fold in pecans, sprinkle with chives, and serve.

Delicious as a salad served for an afternoon tea!

Avocado Stacks

Potato Stacks are a stand-by meal in our family. Simply take a baked potato, add chili, and a variety of green toppings like chopped onions, tomatoes, and olives. Add a ranch-style dressing or catsup and it's a one-dish dinner. But in the summertime, oven baked meals do not delight! Who wants to work in a hot kitchen? So, last week I developed a recipe that is a variation on the theme. Avocado Stacks! This recipe is simple, quick, delicious, and doesn't require much (or any) cooking in an already hot kitchen! 


Avocado Stacks


Three or four avocados, cut in half with pits removed
3 cups corn, cooked and cooled (can used canned corn for no cooking required)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch cilantro
½ sweet onion
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. garlic, minced
¼ cup pumpkin seeds


Cut the avocados in half. Remove the pit, but leave on the skin. It works as a "bowl" for your meal. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Then, scoop into the hollow of each avocado half. Garnish as desired and serve.


*There will be topping left over. It can be used as a refrigerator salad for another meal.

Sweet Potato Salad

It's nearly time to plant my early spring garden. I am looking forward to peas, green onions, radishes, kale, and lettuces. But until garden produce from my garden or from Farmer's Market become available, I'm stuck using seasonal "winter" produce. That's alright; seasonal foods are tasty too. Here's a recipe that is a unique take on traditional potato salad.

 

Sweet Potato Salad

 

4 small sweet potatoes

1/4 cup Veganaise (or mayonnaise)

1 Tbsp. mustard

4 stalks celery, chopped into 1/4" pieces

1 small red pepper, 1/4" dice

1 cup fresh pineapple, diced

2 green onions, chopped

sea salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Wrap each sweet potato in foil and bake for 1 hour.  Remove from heat, unwrap, and allow to cool.  Then peel and cut into 3/4" pieces.

Using a large bowl, mix together Veganaise and mustard.  Add cooled sweet potatoes, celery, red pepper, pineapple, and green onions.  Season to taste with sea salt.  

Cover and refrigerate for one hour.  Then fold in pecans, sprinkle with chives, and serve.

*There are options to this recipe.  Today I microwaved the sweet potatoes instead of baking them.  It was fast and easy.  I didn't have fresh red pepper or pineapple, so I used canned paprika quarters that I chopped, and 1 can of diced pineapple.  Instead of green onions, I used finely chopped yellow onion.  And I substituted walnuts for pecans.  It turned out delicious!  For garnish, I added sprinkles of vegan Baco-Bits and chives.

Crunchy Brown Rice and Garbanzo Salad

Winter months call for hearty salads. I love rice salads that contain legumes, something crunchy like nuts and seeds, and fresh, flavorful herbs. Flavor, crunch, and color work together in this salad to make a delicious dish for the holiday season.

1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice
15 oz. can garbanzos, with broth
1/4 cup chopped parsley, fresh 

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose seasoning
1/4 tsp. sweet basil
1/4 tsp. oregano

Simmer celery and onion in garbanzo broth, until tender. Combine with remaining ingredients and mix together well. Press into prepared, two quart casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 - 45 minutes, uncovered.

Serves: 5