Day 5: Taco Salad

This salad works for a meal, and allows us to use any leftovers from the traditional salad. We also talk about the food groups at this meal, since this salad covers them all.

Ingredients

Green head lettuce

Red head lettuce

Arugula

Onion

Radish

Turnip

Carrots

Black beans

Cheese

Tortilla chips

Wash and chop the veggies. The arugula, radishes, and onion add spice, so proportion it according to your taste. Top with black beans cheese, and tortilla hips just prior to serving. Dress with French dressing or salsa.

Day 5: Taco Salad

Salad 4: Spinach Mandarin Salad

I really like pairing spinach and tat soi with fruit. Their stronger texture compliments the soft fruit, and the sweetness of the fruit seems to enhance the greens' flavor, too.

Ingredients

1/4 pound tat soi

1/4 pound spinach

1 small onion, chopped

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1/4 cup roasted almond slivers 

Raspberry vinagrette, or another sweet dressing

Wash and chop the greens. Top with onions and oranges. Add the almonds and dressing just before serving. (Super easy!)

Salad 4: Spinach Mandarin Salad

Day 3: The Traditional

This sala is our basic, go-to, three-times-a-week salad. You can top it with your favorite dressings and toppings to fit your household. For us, that means homemade ranch dressing, boiled eggs, bacon bits, and shredded cheese.

Ingredients:

Red head lettuce

Green head lettuce

Turnips

Radishes

Carrots

Green onions

And, as soon as available, tomatoes as cucumbers

Wash it all. Chop it all. Mix it all.

As a side note, if you spin out your greens after you wash them, you will get many days additional freshness out of them. The salad I made tonight, we will still be eating on this weekend.

Day 3: The Traditional

Day 2: Strawberry spinach salad

With a house full of girls, pink is always a winner. This salad is definitely pink, and a favorite use of the spinach.

Ingredients:

1/4 pound spinach

1/4 cup tat soi

1 green onion

6-8 large strawberries

1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sugar

In a small saucepan, add the sugar and pecans. Roast on medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Pour pecans onto wax paper to cool.

Coarsely chop the spinach and tat soi (after you have washed it, of course). Finely chop the green onion. Slice the strawberries. Mix all together in a large bowl.

Serve topped with the sugar roasted pecans and a favorite sweet dressing. Make the salad super pink and delicious by making your own strawberry vinaigrette. I used the recipe from here:   http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/89812/strawberry-vinaigrette/

It's also good with a store-bought raspberry vinaigrette.

Day 2: Strawberry spinach salad

Salad 1: Kale and cilantro

We love it when people ask us what to do with the veggies we sell. Since we have so many types of salad greens this time of year, We thought we should post some salad recipes. So, I will post a new recipe every day for the next week, starting with a kale salad and homemade vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

1 pound of kale

2 green onions

5 cilantro sprigs

1/3 cup apple juice

1/3 cup vinegar

1/3 oil, olive oil or canola

1/2 cup sugar

2 T soy sauce

In a saucepan, combine the apple juice, oil, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. Whisk together over high heat. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Wash the kale, cilantro and green onions. Rough chop the kale and dice the cilantro and onions. Mix in a large bowl.

Pour the dressing over the greens.

Optional: Top the salad with crushed toasted dry ramen noodles.

Salad 1: Kale and cilantro