Recipe: Rainbow Garden Veggie Salad

I'm back!  I'm so sorry for the long absence. I returned from our trip to Minnesota to find that I was unable to log into the blog, and after a couple of weeks of back and forth with the support team, I have just now regained access. Whew! Anyway, we may have some changes to our posting schedule coming up, but I will keep you informed. In the meantime, we are back on schedule with our end-of-the-month recipe.

One of the simplest and easiest nutritionist-recommended ways to eat healthier is to "eat the rainbow" - that is, to eat as wide a variety of colored fruits and veggies as possible. It should come as no surprise that salads are my favorite way to get lots of beautiful colors on my plate. There is nearly an infinite variety of colors, flavors, and textures that you can add to a salad, which makes it one of the most exciting things to eat, in my opinion!

You can have a big salad, or small one, a salad as a whole meal, or as a side dish. A salad can be just greens and vegetables, or topped with fruit, nuts, or seeds. You can add beans, meat, eggs, or fish for protein, and throw some healthy fats on there like avocados. Toss on some homemade kimchi or pickled veggies for some healthy probiotics, and of course, don't forget the huge array of dressing options to top off your salad. Just about anything goes when it comes to salads, so they are just as fun to make as they are to eat!

This week, I'm sharing a colorful and delicious salad idea full of loads of healthy and flavorful ingredients that are packed with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Some of these items are more commonly found in your garden in the spring or fall, but feel free to use your own creativity and whatever fresh garden veggies you have on hand and make it your own!

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This recipe from ModernFarmer.com is a great way to prepare and enjoy plenty of fresh veggies like beets, radishes, carrots, greens, and peas from your garden, your farmer's market, or your CSA. If there is an ingredient you don't have or can't find, feel free to leave it out, or substitute your own ingredient in it's place.

You can roast the beets in a preheated 425°F oven for 25 to 35 minutes (5-10 minutes for the carrots) instead of grilling them if you prefer.

Rainbow Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1 orange - ends trimmed, cut crosswise into slices
• 8-10 small beets - peels on, trimmed, leaving ½ inch of stem on each
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25–30 snow peas -  cut lengthwise into fine matchsticks
• 2–3 radishes - thinly sliced
• 7–10 lovage leaves - finely chopped
• 5–7 mint leaves - finely chopped
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp honey wine vinegar
• 12 baby or small heirloom carrots - peels on, trimmed
• Meyer Lemon and Mint Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• about 2 cups loosely packed, roughly chopped spinach
• mustard flowers, tops of ‘Red Frills’ mustard greens, and Johnny-jump-up flowers for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat a charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Stack 4 squares of aluminum foil and fold up the sides. Drizzle center of foil with oil and fan orange slices on top.
   
   
2. In a medium bowl, toss beets with enough oil to coat them. Season with salt and pepper. Place beets on top of oranges and wrap foil around them, leaving a small vent at top of packet for steam to escape. Place packet directly on hot coals and roast for 15–25 minutes, or until beets are fork-tender. (Be careful when opening foil packets to check for doneness; hot steam will escape.) 
   
   
3. While beets cook, in same medium bowl, mix together peas, radishes, lovage, mint, lemon juice, a drizzle of oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, stirring occasionally to help soften the peas.
   
   
4. Toss carrots with oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2–3 minutes, just until softened. Meanwhile, make Meyer lemon vinaigrette (see instructions below).
   
   
5. When beets are done, wrap them in paper towels and rub with your fingers to remove skins.
   
   
6. Make a bed of spinach on a serving dish and dress it with a little oil, salt, and pepper. Top with radish and snow pea mixture. Arrange beets and carrots on the salad, sliding a few beets underneath the greens. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Garnish with mustard flowers, ‘Red Frills’ tops, and Johnny-jump-ups.
   
   

Meyer Lemon & Mint Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• ½ shallot minced
• 2 lovage stems finely chopped
• 7-10 mint leaves finely chopped
• 3 capfuls honey wine vinegar we use Slide Ridge brand
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon olive oil we used O Olive Oil brand
  

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together shallots, lovage, mint, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking to incorporate.
   

(Want more instruction? See the whole process take place in this video at ModernFarmer.com...)

Eating lots of colors every day is one of the best ways to be healthy! Add this salad (or one like it) to your table every night, and you'll be doing your health - and your taste buds - a favor. :-)

Enjoy!

Rose.