The Amazing Technicolor Dreamsalad

It's Summer!  Around here, that means an abundance of fresh, home-grown, leafy goodness to munch on.  I love having a garden to pluck from, and in the PNW you can pretty well manage this year round with a little research of what to plant when, even without cold boxes.  But what can you do if you're short on space?  Even in an apartment with a deck the size of a thimble, and a sliver of sunlight you can grow things to brighten up your meals.  Sometimes all you need is a sunny window, and a flower pot!  Some of my favorite, easy to grow, summertime edibles include:

• Red Romaine Lettuce (Often comes as a free gift from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds & can be successfully grown in an 11" pot)
• Nasturtiums - Both the blooms, and medallion shaped leaves are edible, and a source of both vitamin C & Iron.
• Marigolds (Tagetes & Calendula) - Cut petals at their base, and sprinkle over salads, or steep blooms in hot water for teas.  There is a laundry list of supposed uses, and health benefits of calendula blossoms, as well as praise for being a source vitamin C & Flavinoids.
• Pansies - Adorable sprinkled in salads, adorning deserts, or garnishing beverages, these little beauties contain both vitamins A & C.

If you're low on inspiration, look no further than Laurel Anderson's Wild Plate.  This gorgeous
non-cook book is loaded with fresh ideas, beautiful photography, and valuable, rarely shared tips and thorough explanations to help even the most rookie raw foodies out there!  I'm not one who follows a strict raw food diet, but as the temperatures climb I am one to avoid warm meals in the summer heat, and find myself flipping through its pages for new ideas.  If the raw food diet is something you're interested in, Wild Plate is not only the place to look for new smoothies, salads, and juices, but it will take you beyond the basics of raw cuisine, and walk you through what you need to know about raw food prep where others leave off, and gives you all the tools you need to start your raw food adventure!

My go-to Summer Salad consists of (vulgar amounts of):

• Red Romaine Lettuce
• Kale
• Carrots & Radishes (sliced into medallions)
• Black Olives
• Dried Cranberries
• Nasturtium Blooms
• Marigold Petals (snipped)

All tossed & topped with my favorite summertime Strawberry Vinaigrette by: The Gracious Pantry found here.  What I love about this really basic salad, and delicious dressing is that you can stop here, and have a beautiful dish packed with flavor, or  you can keep pushing it as it affords you the opportunity to get creative.  Want a little more heft?  Throw in some mushrooms!  Need more crunch?  Get out the celery stalks!  Swap out the lettuce for spinach ... throw in some walnuts, I mean, wherever you want to take it is totally up to you.  Bon Appétit, my lovlies!

xoxo

P.S. enjoy that blue moon tonight!

Still Waiting for the Out Like a Lamb Part...

*Looks outside* 

Well here we are in April (already?) and for all you faithful readers I regret to inform you I'm still waiting for my monthly prank call from my mother - she didn't even leave me any instant messenger bombs!- if nothing happens in the next couple of hours I'll have to file a missing persons report. 

I figure today's as good as any to share a couple of recipes.  Yay you!  Ok, so you're looking at the picture and asking, "Girl, do you really drink your breakfast from a champagne flute with a heart shaped fun-straw, and eat strawberries from a crystal bowl all served on a little silver platter?"  Not every breakfast.  Thing is, my 7/11 big gulp cup with a female wrestler on it didn't exactly visually translate.  I do, however, make a fruit smoothie most days for my breakfast, and not one of those icky ones with wacky junk that tastes like it should be served in a feed bag.  No dear, mine taste like they could be served at a beach resort, and if you close your eyes you can almost make out the faint tinkling of a friendly little steel drum.  The point, while it may not be drink your breakfast from a champagne flute, is most definitely to take a moment to spoil yourself, and do special things to make your day a little more magical.  Besides, who doesn't want an excuse to sing about putting limes in coconuts?  So, get out your blender - here we go!