Post #196 Fresh Tropical Garden Salad
Blog Description: Recipe for Fresh Tropical Garden Salad, Zone 10 Zone 11 south Florida gardening for food, subtropical, permaculture, forest gardening, sustainable gardening, perennial, edible plants
This is so versatile, it’s hardly a recipe. But looking through the ingredients should give you an idea of the possibilities when you are walking around your garden.
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
4 cups of the freshest, youngest raw greens you can find (Chaya, amaramth, lamb’s quarters, purslane, water leaves, Florida pellitory, katuk, Okinawa spinach, Malabar spinach, Spanish Needles, young sweet potato, etc. If you have coromandel on your property, use its mild flavor as a mixer to help knock the plant back. Most of these fresh greens are best in combination rather than alone. Experiment with what you have.)
1/4 – 1/2 cup leaves for flavor. (Try herb leaves like basil and garlic chives, young leaves of cranberry hibiscus or roselle, peppergrass, …)
1/4 – 1 cup chopped fruits or baby vegetables (Toss in whatever is available today: baby luffa or snake gourds, okra, green beans, radish pods…)
a few edible flowers for color (daylilies, pansies, hibiscus, butterfly pea, edible bean flowers, herb flowers…)
dressing of your choice (try 5 parts oil with 1 part vinegar and maybe some seasonings), or just a little oil and salt
Directions
Toss all the leaves together gently, fold in fruits and vegetables and top with flowers. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Possible additions would be any type of nuts and/or cheese.
I hope this will encourage you to expand your salad options, and to grow some of your own! What do you like in your salad?
Mary