I know that for my northern friends, gardens have barely been planted but here in the south, herbs are coming into their fullness and vegetables are not far behind so it’s time to start using what’s local, fresh and ready!
I have a little array of potted herbs nestled near my patio door – chives, two kinds of basil, parsley, oregano, thyme and mint … oh, and catnip for my darling kitties to wig out on – so last night I decided to highlight most of them in a nice big salad for myself and served it with a yummy, black bean burger topped with feta cheese.
Some people just pick this and that out of the fridge to eat when they are alone but when my husband’s not home, I still prepare a full meal for myself. One – because I don’t like picking, I never feel satisfied; two – I work at home so the change and rhythm of meal preparation is my way of decompressing from my work … down the hall; and, three – maybe the most obvious, I like cooking.
Besides the herbs, I used ingredients I had on hand, ones that I love – heart of palm and avocado are truly my favorites – and the combination proved delicious. But, as usual, I encourage you to add ingredients that appeal to You. This goes for the herbs, too.
A little note about fresh herbs – don’t be afraid to try different combinations and use liberally because, well, they’re green and fresh! Plus, herbs are full of nutrients, many have medicinal qualities, and they offer a nice alkaline component to our diet.
This recipe was plenty! for me, so if served with meat and another vegetable, it could certainly be enough for two.
Herb Salad
3 large leaves of leaf lettuce or romaine, sliced or torn
6 kalamata olives, sliced
1 piece heart of palm, sliced
1 inch cucumber, quartered and sliced
6 grape tomatoes, halved
1 mushroom, halved and sliced
1/2 medium avocado, cubed
2 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 sage leaf, thinly sliced
3 sprigs of parsley, chopped
1 small sprig of oregano, leaves only
1 small sprig of thyme, leaves only
1 T chopped chives
A good dash of onion powder
A good dash of garlic powder
A super dash of Jane’s Crazy Mixed Up Salt
A super grind of cracked pepper
1 – 2 T olive oil
1/2 lemon, squeezed juice
Combine all ingredients, toss and serve!
You’ll feel healthy just making this salad, I promise.
Eat well. Be happy.
Plynn
Plynn Gutman 