A Garden Salad...(because most of it came out of my garden!)
/My husband, David and I have a massive garden.Almost too much for two people. We live on about fifty acres and thus have room to have a massive garden and do so every year. Since we juice regularly now it's been a real blessing because of all the greens I snag from the garden for them. We are trying to grow as much as we can and try to live off our land and give our grocery bill a break as well as grow an abundance of stuff that we can preserve and put up for future use. Unfortunately, we also have busy lives and our garden has the tendency to get away from us and we are left with having to eat a shit ton of broccoli and beets all within one week :) Last weekend we were having friends over who were in town from Canada and we happened to have an abundance of beets and broccoli. I remembered a salad I had had at a friends about a year ago and wanted to recreate it for my friends. This salad however, is so versatile that you could put whatever you have on hand in it and it will still be incredibly delicious. It's simple and uses only a little olive oil and balsamic as the dressing which leaves you really tasting the true flavors of each ingredient. It's my variation of A Garden Salad because well, I got a majority out of our garden!
A Garden Salad
Ingredients:
A head of roccoli
Bunch of swiss chard
10 beets
10 small baby red potatoes
1 cup quinoa
Drizzle of olive oil + balsamic vinegar
1 lemon (optional)
Sea Salt + pepper
Preparation:
1. Rinse quinoa and then pour into a pot and add 2 cups of water. Allow water to come to a boil then place lid on pot and turn heat all the way down to low. To get fluffy quinoa, don't stir or lift lid. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Check once time goes off by lifting lid slightly. If you can see liquid or it doesn't seem quite fluffy, place the lid back on the pot and set the timer for 5 more minutes. Continue doing this until the liquid is absorbed, then turn off heat and leave lid on pot for another 20 minutes. It should be nice and fluffy when you turn it with a fork.
2. Set your oven to 400 degrees and with a fork, puncture hole on both sides of all the potatoes. When oven is warm, place potatoes in a baking dish and set inside oven. Cooking time will vary depending on your oven so check every 15 minutes with a fork. When done, remove and set aside to cool.
You can cook your beets at the same time. I usually remove the skin before roasting them using a vegetable peeler. Then, placing them in a baking dish or wrapping them in tin foil, place in the oven for about 45 minutes. They will take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to cook all the way through. Hint: try to cut them up in the same size pieces. They will cook evenly.
Coat broccoli with a little olive oil and salt + pepper and place in a baking dish. Cook for about 10 minutes. You want them to be crunchy and lightly cooked.
3. Once all your vegetables that need to be cooked are done. Allow them to cool completely.
4. Cut your potatoes in halves or fourths and place in a big mixing bowl. Cut your beets up into bite size pieces and add to the bowl. I usually cut the broccoli into about 1- 11/2 long pieces and add them with the other ingredients. Wash and chop your swiss chard and add to the bowl. Last, you will add the quinoa. Mix everything together well.
5. Here is another recommendation: use a good quality olive oil. Oh my, it makes the world of a difference. Start to drizzle it on the bowl of garden goodies and then add a bit of balsamic. Start with the 'less is more' mentality then people can add more if they like. You can also squeeze some fresh lemon juice on it as well. Finish with a good quality sea salt and ground pepper.
6. Serve and enjoy.
Other options:
+ Add avocado for an added creaminess.
+ Other veggie goodies that would be killer in this are asparagus or zucchini. Just play around and use what is on hand.
+ Sprinkle sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds on top as a garnish or a sprout variety of your choice.
This salad is chalked full of fiber and tons of nutrients. It's a superfood salad to the max and your body will thank you later. It keeps really well in the refrigerator for several days so don't worry about the swiss chard or the other veggies getting soggy like other salads.
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Tell me, what would you add to this salad to make it even more of a superfood powerhouse?