Salad

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Main Dishes Salad

Arugula Pesto Salmon Salad

written by Ali

I’ll admit that I’ve been having a bit of a food blogging crisis of faith lately. Before we moved, before I started my new job, I had a better grip on work life balance. Here of late, it’s been challenging. I haven’t had nearly enough time to cook, much less take photos, promote my posts, and so on. I’m also five weeks into our move and still can’t find anything. Immersion blender has gone missing, as has the crockpot, and most of the lids for my lunch dishes. It will get better, right?

In the meantime, I’ve got a good reason to start cooking (and hopefully blogging consistently) again. We are sharing a CSA share with another couple and the CSA baskets started rolling in last week. I was inundated with veggies. I’m going to do my best to be inspirational and start cooking more around the CSA baskets, because, if you are anything like me, you may not quite know what to do with some of the veggies that show up in a CSA share.

So – here’s what we received this week: a head of lettuce, a bag of arugula, two harukei turnips (we are sharing, so my friend split the turnips 50/50), six baby artichokes, two bok choy, and a bundle of oregano. The bok choy went into stir fry, which is honestly the best way to handle much of what comes from the CSA. The oregano is languishing in the fridge – I’m open to inspiration on that one. The baby artichokes got roasted (and over-crisped – I’m also still figuring out the oven in our new house). Everything else landed in this arugula pesto salmon salad. I’m super lucky that we have access to some pretty incredible fresh seafood. It doesn’t hurt that where we go also serves some of the best clam chowder in the state (but I digress). The combination of arugula pesto and salmon is so wonderful. And it’s so easy to bake the salmon with the pesto and then toss it all into a salad. It’s the perfect easy lunch.

It’s so pretty, isn’t it? The salmon fillet gets coated with the arugula pesto and then baked. The salmon is perfectly moist and flaky and goes great with salad greens and a little drizzle of avocado oil and lemon juice. Super easy, super healthy, and the perfect lunch for a busy weekday.

Yum

Arugula Pesto Salmon Salad

Ingredients

1 cup arugula
1/3 cup pine nuts
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 pound fillet salmon
Assorted greens
Other veggies as desired
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a food processor, combine the arugula, pine nuts and juice from 1/2 lemon and process until finely chopped (alternatively, you can chop by hand).
Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the salmon with the pesto. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
To serve - flake the salmon into smaller pieces and place on salad greens. Drizzle with avocado oil and the remaining lemon juice. Salt to taste.
Serves 2. Enjoy!

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June 7, 2017 0 comment

Foodie Lists Lunch Recipes Salad

Amazing Sandwiches Roundup

written by Ali

It’s hard to believe it’s already May, but on the other hand, it’s the perfect weather for this Amazing Sandwiches Roundup! Two things have been going on in my life recently: one, we moved and two, the sun has started to peek out of the clouds. Ok – so the first thing is the more monumental of the two, as it also means I’ve started a new job. All of this means that I’ve been a little scattered lately and haven’t had much time for cooking, since, well, I don’t know where half the kitchen utensils have wandered off to, anyway. The last time we moved it was three months before I found the box that had my whisk in it. I’d like to say I’m a little more organized this time, but I’m really not. Therefore, we are going to start out May with featuring an amazing sandwiches roundup and sharing fifteen of the best sandwich recipes from some amazing, awesome food bloggers.

Plus – it’s picnic season! All of these sandwich recipes are perfect for making ahead of time and packing into your picnic basket. Can we just say that I’ll be doing a lot of picnicking on the Oregon Coast this summer? I feel perfectly well prepared, too, because of all of these great recipes.

First up is a Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich with Bacon and Coleslaw from The Missing Lokness.

Next up is a BLTA Sandwich with Herb Garlic Dressing from In Mama Maggie’s Kitchen. She had me at avocado and bacon. But then herb garlic dressing pushed me over the edge.

This tuna and lentil salad sandwich from Peppers and Pennies epitomizes picnic sandwich to me. I can only imagine how tasty and filling it is.

I love sundried tomatoes and basil. I also love how they are combined in this chicken salad to make a great filling for a sandwich from Pinch Me I’m Eating.

This French Tuna Sandwich from Curious Cuisenere is an homage to the Nicoise salad. I’m pretty sure this is the first sandwich on this list I’m going to make – because wouldn’t this just be perfect for a day at the beach?

Somehow or another, I’ve never had pimento cheese. It’s a bit sad, really, because for the first few months I lived in Vancouver, WA, there was a food truck that served only dishes with pimento cheese in the neighborhood. I regretted not trying it, but now I think I might just make my own so that I can enjoy this Bacon Pimento Cheese Guacamole Guacamento from Two Lucky Spoons. And yes, this is my third recipe in the roundup with bacon, because bacon on sandwiches is just that good.

This Greek Stuffed Crouton Vegetarian Sandwich from Bowl Me Over is a great vegetarian option for your picnic lunch.

Garlic and Zest shared this really tasty looking Don’t Cry For Me Argentina Roast Beef Sandwich. Am I the only one for whom the song is now playing on a loop in my head? I love the song, so I don’t mind. I just wish I had one of these sandwiches right now to go with it.

Little Figgy shared this beautiful picnic sandwich with triple meat and brie. I think this sandwich is so pretty.

I’m a huge fan of onigiri and onigirazu. I can’t wait to try out this Wasabi Mayo Crab Onigirazo from HWC Magazine. I think this would be incredible with fresh Oregon Dungeness crab.

This next option is a really lovely vegetarian sandwich with roasted eggplant, herbed goat cheese, and sunflower seeds from Luci’s Morsels.

Next up is another sandwich with bacon and avocado from Bourbon and Honey. It’s possible that this is one of my most favorite food combinations, especially when tomatoes are in season. I especially love the idea of a spicy aioli to go with it.

Midlife Croissant shared this plantain and pancetta panini with pesto. I don’t often cook with plantain, though I see them from time to time at the grocery store. I think I’m inspired by this recipe to check it out.

I love lentils, but don’t think I’ve ever made a sandwich that included them. Rhubarbarians has the great idea of using green lentils with walnut herb ricotta. This seems like a perfect vegetarian sandwich to me.

Finally, Food Well Said shared this gorgeous and tasty looking spring sandwich.

This has been such a fun roundup to put together. The only problem is that I am now incredibly hungry – it’s not a good idea to write a food blog post before lunch. I’m off to have a sandwich. I would love to see your picnic spread – if you make any of these or have a favorite sandwich to share, post in the comments, post to my Facebook feed, or send me a tweet @Alittlelunch1.

May 1, 2017 3 comments

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Quick and Easy Salad Vegetarian

Gluten Free White Bean Radish Lettuce Wraps

written by Ali

I’m so excited to be participating in #Recipe Makeover this week. As you know, I tend to be a mostly healthy blogger, but still rely quite a bit on carbs and dairy to get myself through the day. I was definitely challenged to think about past recipes and try to figure out how to make them just a little bit healthier. I’ll be posting three recipes this week – this one, and then a healthier baked treat on Wednesday and a healthier cocktail on Friday.

This first recipe is a gluten free white bean radish lettuce wraps. I’m a huge fan of sandwiches with bread (lots of bread). However, I know it’s probably in my best interest to cut back on the carb loading and focus on my proteins instead. This is so easy to accomplish with a lettuce wrap. Lettuce does just about everything that bread is capable of for a sandwich. It’s also pretty filling, especially since you can eat a lot of lettuce leaves in place of a couple of slices of bread.

My original concept was to do a riff off of my preserved lemon tuna salad using chickpeas. But wouldn’t you know it? We were out of chickpeas and I only discovered it minutes before I started doing food prep. I wasn’t going out to the store again, so decided to just use the last can of cannelloni beans I had on hand. As it turns out, I really love the white beans in these wraps. They taste practically meaty. Radishes, pickle, and a bit of mayonnaise (or soynaise or Greek yogurt) finish it out. It’s super easy to stack the salad and the lettuce leaves in a container for the perfect quick spring and early summer lunch.

Yum

Gluten Free White Bean Radish Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

1 can drained and rinsed cannelloni beans
6 - 8 radishes, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup finely chopped pickle (about 2 small pickles)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, vegan-aise, or unflavored Greek yogurt
Ground black pepper to taste
1 head lettuce

Instructions

Combine all ingredients from cannelloni beans through mayonnaise. Chill for several hours. Serve on lettuce leaves. Serves 4. Enjoy!

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April 25, 2017 0 comment

Farmer's Market Quick and Easy Salad Vegetarian

Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad

written by Ali

There’s nothing quite so wonderful in spring as a hearty salad, like this Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad. I’m in a little bit of limbo right now about whether or not we are going to be moving. Three scenarios are going on in our lives – one is that we stay where we are, one is that we move on the other side of the Portland Metro area, and the other is that we move to the Oregon coast. None of these are bad options and all have some very definite pros when it comes to cooking, food, and resourcing ingredients. But the problem is that it is spring – truly and officially spring, and what I really want to do is start planning and planting a garden. However, I don’t want to drag pots of plants with me when and if we move, so I’m (reluctantly) holding off.

What does this have to do with this Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad? Well, not much I suppose, except that I’m desperately craving fresh, spring veggies, and would prefer radishes directly from my garden, but will make do with the ones I found at Whole Foods. That said, if you’ve never planted a radish, and you have a bit of gardening space, plant some radishes immediately. The round orbs of radish will start peeking through the ground in about 45 or so days and there’s something supremely decadent about rinsing off a radish in the hose and eating it right there, whole, out of the garden.

If you haven’t cooked with Israeli couscous before, I encourage you to try it. It’s a slightly larger version of regular couscous, but is also made with semolina flour. It’s a bit toothier – has a bit more chew to it than regular couscous and is fabulous in salads. You might see it labeled as pearl couscous or Israeli couscous. In this recipe, I toasted it a bit first and then cooked it, which gives it a nuttier flavor.

I recommend either paneer cheese or haloumi cheese for this Israeli couscous, arugula pesto spring salad. Both cheeses toast, so you’ll want to take the extra time to get a light brown crust on the cheese. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Yum

Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad

Ingredients

Arugula Pesto

1 tightly packed cup of arugula
1 garlic clove
½ cup walnuts
Juice from ½ lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch salt

Salad

2 – 3 cups arugula
1 cup Israeli couscous or pearl couscous
1 1/2 cup water
1 package paneer or haloumi cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch salt
1 bunch radishes

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the couscous and toast, stirring occasionally for five to seven minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for ten minutes or until all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Prepare the pesto by either hand chopping the arugula, garlic clove, and walnuts or processing in a food processor. Add the lemon, olive oil, and salt to combine.
For the salad, chop the radishes into slices and set aside. Slice the cheese into cubes. Preheat a cast iron or non-stick pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the cheese with a pinch of salt and then toast the cheese on at least two sides until light brown (about 5 minutes per side). Remove from heat and set aside.
To assemble the salad, start by layering the arugula on serving plates. Add the Israeli couscous on top, and then divide the cheese and radishes on each salad. Spoon the pesto over the salads and enjoy!
(If you are making these for lunch, and have 1 pint mason jars on hand, layer the other direction. Add arugula to the bottom of the jar first. Add cheese and radishes next and then the Israeli couscous and finally the arugula.)

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This post is linked up to Meat Free Mondays at Tinned Tomatoes.

And to #Recipe of the Week

And #CookBlogShare hosted this week by Hijacked by Twins.

And What’s Cooking Wednesday hosted by Jess Bee Creates

March 27, 2017 6 comments

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Quick and Easy Salad

Macadamia Lemon Shrimp Salad

written by Ali

Macadamia Lemon Shrimp Salad is a #FoodBloggerLove recipe. What is #FoodBloggerLove? Each year, The Pintertest Kitchen hosts #FoodBloggerLove, a great chance for foodies and bloggers to share the love around Valentine’s Day with another blogger. This is my first year participating, and it’s been so much fun! I was paired with Meadoe from Meadoe Out on a Limb. Meadoe is a food and lifestyle blogger, so there are lots of great recipes for healthy food, as well as great fitness plans and tips, and parenting tips on her blog. In addition, she’s got great tips for doing a 21 Day Fix, including lots of really tasty recipes.

Here are a couple of my favorites from Meadoe’s site:

Meatball Veggie Pesto Soup
Apple Crisp Parfait
Supreme Pizza Soup
Chocolate Protein Pancakes

I love that the foods, while healthy, also sound so incredibly tasty – I don’t think I’d miss my carbs and cheese with any of these recipes.

Meadoe is also on social media – check out her social accounts here:

Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter

So when I got Meadoe’s name for the exchange, it included some information she wanted me to know, including that she posts easy, healthy recipes, in addition to stories from her fitness journey and posts about adventures in parenthood. Her favorite recipes are soups and salads, but she hates onions.

This, and the health focus overall, inspired my macadamia lemon shrimp salad recipe. I’ve been curious about the whole Whole 30 thing – by and large, minus the carbs, cheese and dairy, Clay and I eat a pretty healthy diet. However, my lunches have been a little decadent here of late (I’m blaming the weather and the need for comfort food). As spring is finally starting to peek around the corner, I think I’m ready for some healthier lunches. So this week’s recipe is my inspired #FoodBlogerLove salad, which is Whole 30, quick, easy and definitely healthy.

Yum

Macadamia Lemon Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

16 – 20 medium sized shrimp (I used frozen – you could definitely use fresh here and cook until they are done)
1 package of mixed lettuces (spring mix or similar)
1 chiogga beet
1 bunch of radishes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
Juice of 1 lemon + lemon wedges for an additional lemon
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3/4 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts
Salt to taste

Instructions

Peel and slice the chiogga beet into thin slices. Slice the radishes. Toss the lettuce, beets, and radishes in a bowl and set aside.
Either cook the shrimp or thaw the frozen shrimp by running it under cold water. Once the shrimp is ready, combine with the chopped garlic and the juice of the lemon and set aside.
In a small pan, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Add the macadamia nuts and stir the nuts until they turn a golden brown. Drain and add to the salad.
Plate the salad and add the shrimp to each plate. Squeeze a bit more lemon over the top and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4
Enjoy!

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If you would like to join up with #FoodBloggerLove next year, join the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/foodbloggerlove/

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This post is linked up to Kahakai Kitchen Souper Sunday.

February 13, 2017 13 comments

Lunch Recipes Salad Vegetarian

Baby Kale Salad with Bitter Blood Orange Vinaigrette

written by Ali

Did I promise no more blood orange recipes? I hope not – though I really do think this baby kale salad with bitter blood orange vinaigrette is my absolute last recipe with blood oranges until next year. Maybe.

Regardless, if you happen to have blood oranges on hand that need a purpose, one of the easiest things to do with them is to salt preserve them. Blood oranges impart the salt brine with a lovely rose hue. The salted blood oranges themselves are more subtle than a lemon and infuse a salty-citrus flavor to a dish. Just a quick salted citrus tutorial: take your blood orange (or lemon or other citrus) and make cuts to quarter the orange. Don’t cut all the way through – you’ll want to leave the orange attached at the bottom. Fan your orange out and add salt. Gather the orange up around the salt. In a pint jar, layer about 1/2 inch of salt at the bottom. Add your salted orange and push down with the end of a wooden spoon. Add another layer of salt and then do the same with another orange. Add another layer of salt and another orange if you can. Layer with salt at the top. If you don’t have quite enough salt/juice to cover the top blood orange, you can add a bit of filtered water to top off. Let the salted blood oranges hang out in the fridge for about a month, shaking occasionally to distribute the salt.

Isn’t it pretty? Once you have your salted citrus, you can make baby kale salad with bitter blood orange vinaigrette. The bitter part comes from the use of bitters. If you happen to have even more blood oranges on hand and have about two weeks to wait, Kelly Bakes has a beautiful recipe for bitter orange bitters. I used some of the blood oranges from the windfall at the start of January to make these bitters – they aren’t fully infused yet, but I used just a bit of them for baby kale salad with bitter blood orange vinaigrette and it was heavenly! The vinaigrette is both salty and tangy – a perfect counterpoint for baby kale. You can most definitely use store bought orange bitters to achieve the same effect.

Yum

Baby Kale Salad with Bitter Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped salt preserved blood orange
1 teaspoon orange or blood orange bitters
1 package baby kale

Instructions

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt preserved blood orange, and bitters in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Dress the baby kale with the vinaigrette and enjoy!
Serves four - six

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February 1, 2017 0 comment

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Quick and Easy Salad Vegetarian

Blood Orange, Walnut, and Bitter Greens Salad

written by Ali

The first week back to work after a long break feels like the perfect time for a blood orange, walnut, and bitter greens salad. I think about food a lot (no surprise from a food blogger). I thought about food a lot before I started blogging. One of the things that I’m always curious about is the first time a human being thought to eat something. This always comes to mind for me, for example, when I eat an artichoke or some other food that seems otherwise inedible until it is transformed into something we eat. I also think a lot about food trends and how some foods aren’t regularly eaten anymore.

One of those foods features prominently in my blood orange, walnut, and bitter greens salad. The bitter greens category includes arugula, chard, and endive, but also includes dandelion greens. When I was growing up, dandelions were a weed. My grandparents, my mother, neighbors all spent a lot of gardening time trying to eradicate dandelions from the lawn and the garden. I did the same with my first house, digging them up and tossing them into the trash. At some point along the way, however, I learned that dandelions are edible. I would occasionally cultivate a few plants in my garden, harvesting the greens and sautéing them to toss over pasta. As it turns out, all the parts of a dandelion are edible, but that’s a story for another blog post.

Knowing that dandelions are edible and were, in fact, first brought to the US as a food and that dandelions evolved 30 million years ago (Wikipedia), makes me sad to think that we have relegated them to the status of a noxious weed in our gardens. Dandelion greens can be eaten raw in salads. The taste is a bit bitter, but also has a hint of taste that reminds me of the smell of a dandelion flower in the sun. The greens evoke some pretty serious nostalgia for me of lying in the grass as a kid in the summer. That memory makes this a perfect salad for a frigidly cold January day here in the PNW. It raises my hope level that spring really is right around the corner.

For now, dandelion greens feature prominently in this blood orange, walnut, and bitter greens salad. I found my dandelion greens at Whole Foods. Many natural grocers carry these greens in the winter. You can also substitute other bitter greens for this salad – finely chopped chard would be lovely, as would arugula. I also threw in a few strips of preserved lemon to brighten the salad and to add a bit of salt to cut the bitterness.

I prepared my salads for the week ahead of time. Instead of drizzling the dressing over the whole salad, I put a couple of tablespoons at the bottom of each jar and then added the salad on top. All I have to do is pour the salad out into a bowl once I’m at work.

Yum

Blood Orange, Walnut, and Bitter Greens Salad

Ingredients

3 peeled and segmented blood oranges
1 bunch bitter greens (dandelion greens, kale, or arugula or some combination of some or all)
1/3 cup walnuts
10 thin slices of preserved lemon

Blood Orange Dressing

Juice of one blood orange
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss gently. Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar and close tightly. Shake to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy!

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This post is linked up to No Croutons Required. Check out the hosts’ pages at Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa’s Kitchen.

And is also linked to Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sunday. Check out all the great soups, sandwiches and salads!

January 4, 2017 22 comments

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Salad

Green Salad with Asian Pears and Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

written by Ali

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as a good green salad, especially when you add ingredients like Asian pears and preserved lemons. Asian pears are one of my favorite winter fruits: they are about the size of a very small apple, but have a brown-yellow skin and a pale white flesh. They are quite tasty while still a bit firm and can be eaten skin and all. They lend a lovely crunch to a salad and pair really well with nuts. If I could figure out where I put the hazelnuts from last year, as well as find the nutcracker, I would definitely have used hazelnuts on this salad. As it was, I do know where the walnuts are, so that’s what I went with.

I’ve been waiting weeks to start eating my preserved lemons. Preserved lemons are amazingly easy to make – all it takes is salt and lemons, though you can add in various spices, like peppercorns or bay leaves. This year, I made my preserved lemons with both peppercorns and bay leaves, but also added in the few juniper berries I had left over from pickling last summer. The lemons are perfectly salty and tart and ideal for adding to vinaigrette. I’m sure I’ll be posting more recipes with preserved lemons soon. If you are looking for a recipe, check out the preserved lemon recipe I posted last year. You can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons – both are fantastic. They do take a little bit of time, as the lemons have to cure in the refrigerator for at least a month. Use only the rind – the pulp is discarded. You can also find preserved lemons in various specialty food stores, though I have to say that these are super easy and quick to make and well worth the time to make a batch of your own.

As we move into the calorie laden holidays, I definitely will be eating salads with my lunches. This green salad with Asian pears and preserved lemon vinaigrette is a bright spot this time of year. Enjoy!

Yum

Green Salad with Asian Pears and Preserved Lemon Vinaigerette

Ingredients

4 cups salad greens
2 Asian pears, sliced and cored
1/4 cup walnuts
Preserved lemon vinaigrette (below)

Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the salad greens, Asian pears, and walnuts in a salad bowl.
In a small jar with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, preserved lemon and pepper. Shake to combine.
Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and enjoy!

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December 13, 2016 0 comment

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Salad Vegetarian

Spinach Pear Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

written by Ali

Spinach pear salad with Meyer lemon vinaigrette is a festive and easy salad to chase away the rainy day blues. I’ll admit that even though I really love rain, there are some days when I miss the sun just a little bit. Meyer lemons always cheer me up – there is something about their sunny color and floral smell that promises that summer is just around the corner.

I love salads. I try to eat them with my lunch every day when I can, especially in the winter time when I just find myself craving greens, whether its lettuce or spinach or kale. I think some of my near obsessiveness with vegetables comes from the two years I lived in Majuro in the Marshall Islands when I was in my late twenties. I was there to teach at the College of the Marshall Islands, and while I loved the experience, sometimes finding local fresh food could be incredibly challenging. The Marshalls are coral reef islands, and as such, there is limited top soil, which makes it tough to grow things like lettuce. Most of the food to Majuro is shipped in in great big container ships that would only dock every other week. To get things like salad greens or onions, you had to be at the store at just the right time, or otherwise crews from the purse seiners (large fishing boats) would buy out the entire stock of vegetables and fruits. In my second year there, there was an increased focus on local foods – local tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkins, and so on, but even then, quantities were limited. As you can imagine, I ate a lot of fish while I lived there and while it was abundant and tasty, I often longed for just a large green salad. I remember, particularly, one time that a friend of a friend brought raspberries with her from another island (the island had a significant American military presence and she was able to get the raspberries from a source there). Those raspberries were the most precious dessert I’ve ever eaten.

So, salads with all sorts of various ingredients, locally sourced, make me tremendously happy. Since I’ve moved to the PNW, I’ve gotten much more adventurous about pairing salad greens with fruits. This particular salad is a simple combination of spinach, pears, and walnuts, topped off with a tangy Meyer lemon vinaigrette. Since this is Meyer lemon season, now’s the time to add Meyer lemons to everything that you can.

Yum

Spinach Pear Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

1 teaspoon finely chopped shallots
Juice from 1/2 Meyer lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fennel fronds or parsley
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper

For the salad

4 cups spinach
1 ripe pear
1/2 cup walnuts

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the Meyer lemon vinaigrette in a small jar. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously.
Combine the spinach, pears and walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Serves 4

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December 6, 2016 0 comment

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Salad Vegetarian

Kale Persimmon Salad with Black Garlic Dressing

written by Ali

After days of indulging in holiday foods for Thanksgiving, it’s time for me to get back to salads for lunch, like this Kale Persimmon Salad with Black Garlic Dressing. One of the many great things about living in this part of the PNW is that the climate is mild enough a winter garden is possible. This year, we have a small pot of winter lettuce, some spinach, a few cauliflower, and some lacinato kale growing. I have to say though, I much prefer lacinato kale’s alternative name: dinosaur kale. I can completely see this leafy green with its bumpy foliage being munched on by dinosaurs in prehistoric times.

Here’s what mine is looking like right now:

I’ll admit that the winter garden veggies don’t grow as fast as their summer counterparts, but there’s still something lovely about going out this close to December and harvesting greens for a salad, which is exactly what I did to make this kale persimmon salad with black garlic dressing.

I’m also still mildly obsessed with black garlic, so couldn’t resist seeing how it would pair with some balsamic vinegar in a dressing. The combination is absolutely yummy, especially with the sweet counterpart of the persimmon and the crunch of the chopped almonds.

Yum

Kale Persimmon Salad with Black Garlic Dressing

Ingredients

For the Salad

1 bunch lacinato kale
2 fuyu persimmons
1/4 cup chopped almonds

For the Dressing

1 large black garlic clove (or 3 small ones)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Smash the black garlic into a paste. Add the black garlic paste, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper into a jar and close with a lid. Shake until combined.
Tear or cut the kale into ribbons. Dress with two to three tablespoons of the dressing and work the dressing into the kale with your hands. This softens up the kale considerably. Chop the persimmon into a small dice and add to the kale/dressing mixture. Top with the almonds and enjoy!

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November 29, 2016 0 comment

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