In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen: Spring Salads

June 1, 2015

It is the season of small harvests as the garden transitions from winter to summer. Bits of this and that linger and garden fruits begin–strawberries, apples, apricots and usually–but not this year–rhubarb.

Reviewing my images for the week, I see that I gathered what was at hand for salads so that’s what I’ll share this week.

I’ll lead with my favorite salad of the week, call it strawberries and greens. The ‘Seascape’ strawberries are perfect since they’re mostly red in the middle which ups the gorgeous factor.

Since this was lunch, I added almonds and the cheese for a creamy touch. Meyer lemon juice and olive oil let the other flavors shine.

The salad began with the gathering of the late spring lettuce. It was beginning to bolt and I had transplants to insert in the same spot. ‘Freckles’ (or ‘Speckled Trout Back’–why do I like that name?) does well for me in the warmer weather and this variety seems to cheat on the lettuce water requirement.

I added lemony French sorrel to brighten the flavor of the greens. The sorrel is a year-round garden standby, growing in a pot in part sun. A little water and an occasional tidying up is about all it takes. So much for so little effort.

The next salad happened when Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks featured Genius Kale Salad from Food52. Read her intro to get the “genius” piece.

The recipe calls for roasted kabocha or similar squash and my butternut departed over a month ago. My fall-back, add-to-most-anything is garden celery and it worked just fine. Other options: fresh apricots, roasted asparagus, kohlrabi, patty pan squash, slices of apple or persimmon.

Get the genius piece now?

A portion of the last head of cabbage became a slaw with a Waldorf twist.

Again, what was at hand provided the inspiration: Apricot Stilton cheese, garden celery, early apples and walnuts.

One large gnarled carrot was suitable only for grating and so my take on the original Moosewood’s Carrot-Yogurt Salad: grated carrots and apples, diced celery, raisins, sunflower seeds and a few other ingredients that make it special.