SPRING SALADS AT LAST!

I truly feel spring has arrived when I can walk into my garden and pick fresh greens for salads. And with that comes the desire for daily fresh salads gracing our meals, in fact their being the focal "entree" of our evening meals. I hadn’t even ever considered using lettuce “flowers” as part of my salads in the past and the other day when I wandered out to see what I’d like to include in that nights salad, eyed the tall, pretty, white flowers from last falls lettuce. Why not? I thought!




One of the things I enjoy so much about living in the moderate winter climes of southern California is that certain vegetables not only “winter over” but remain a constant producer all winter long. Vegetables such as my rainbow swiss chard, my beet tops (I left a few remaining beets in the garden last fall and have picked the baby leaves as they continuously emerge after each “picking“, my prolific parsley, sage, rosemary, and chives, (I always have the melody of Simon and Garfunkles timeless song play out in my mind when I put those 4 words together, although I have to substitute “chive” as I have no thyme at this “time”) and cilantro. All chopped up and tossed with store bought greens or spinach, along with toasted nuts of every kind, make for wonderful gourmet eating. Bon appetite!


I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout