I love my garden. It's not very big, but I'm able to grow some of the vegetables and herbs near and dear to my heart. So, when I saw
that the lovely Mandira at Ahaar was hosting the Green Blog Project, I knew it would coincide with harvesting my first spring vegetables. My fava beans are almost ready to pick, but the tomatoes were only recently planted, and that splendid moment when I pick my first juicy red fruit is months away. But some weeks ago, I planted a variety of lettuce seedlings and now they're ready for a salad. I didn't want to do anything that would overwhelm the fresh picked flavor, so I made a simple garden salad. Just the lettuce leaves, dressed with a simple vinaigrette, and sprinkled with a little finely chopped hard boiled egg and chives. I also tossed in some organic flowers. They look pretty, taste good, and help celebrate the first spring harvest. If you want to see what other bloggers have in their garden, head over to Mandira's blog.
As I said, my garden is small. It's really a series of different sized boxes in different areas of my yard. This narrow box in on the side of the house where it gets fairly good sun. I planted three determinate Early Girl tomatoes in it a month ago, and slipped the lettuce seedlings in as well. The tomatoes are starting to shoot up, and the lettuce is ready to pick, so the tomatoes will have more leg room soon. Lettuce can be planted in containers and does quite well. So even if you don't have a large yard, or any yard at all, you can create a little lettuce garden if you have a sunny spot.
This is a mixture of frisée, mizuna, red leaf lettuce, mâche, and dandelion greens. If you want to use flowers in a salad, make sure they are organic when you buy them, or grow them yourself. You can make a salad using all flower petals. It certainly makes an impact. It's best to use petals, with only a few whole flowers thrown in.
I like finely chopped hard boiled egg as a topping on green salad. Pressing the egg through a garlic press is a quick way to produce minced egg.
Mixed Green Salad With Chopped Egg And Flowers
About 6 handfuls of salad greens, washed, trimmed and dried
about 1/4 cup of torn basil leaves
finely chopped chives
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped fine or run through a garlic press
5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
small organic flowers, petals torn off to toss with the lettuce
Make the dressing by combining the oil, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk until blended. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and ratio of oil and lemon juice.
Toss the lettuces, herbs, and flowers together. Add the dressing and toss. Sprinkle the egg and ground pepper on top, and serve.
Oh, I'm jealous! We were out in the garden doing spring cleanup this weekend, and just the tips of crocus are coming up. The compost pile is frozen! And I'm so ready to plant and harvest. Til then, I'll have to make do with lusting after home-grown salads like this one.
Posted by: Lydia | April 10, 2007 at 03:12 AM
Such a beautiful salad Sher! Absolutely wonderful!
Posted by: ilva | April 10, 2007 at 03:38 AM
Nothing look more Spring than your salad and your flower box! Thanks for the tip of growing lettuces, I think I will start it :) :)
Sher, you photos are just getting prettier and prettier! Especially the first one, just gorgeous... somehow it remindes me an opening scene in the movie The Lake House :D
Posted by: gattina | April 10, 2007 at 03:42 AM
Absolutely beautiful!
Posted by: Glenna | April 10, 2007 at 04:10 AM
Sher, gorgeous salad, looks beautiful. I'm hosting GBP to see homegrwon salads like yours :) Thanks for participating.
Posted by: mandira | April 10, 2007 at 06:01 AM
I'm jealous too! That's so neat that you can just walk out the door and have all the ingredients there.
Posted by: Butta Buns | April 10, 2007 at 06:44 AM
Thanks for the lettuce tips. It is my hope to grow some this year, but I was a little unsure as to how to go about it. I live in a different "Zone" so I think I'm going to have to wait until after the last frost before I start planting. LOVE the idea of flowers in salad! It is so pretty!
Posted by: kross-eyed kitty | April 10, 2007 at 07:47 AM
BTW...I'm making your meatball recipe today!
Posted by: kross-eyed kitty | April 10, 2007 at 07:48 AM
Well, you've inspired me if only I can remember to plant some lettuce around the tomatoes next spring!
That is mind blowingly beautiful salad! and the flower petals are fabulous!!
Posted by: Tanna | April 10, 2007 at 09:28 AM
What a pretty salad. It looks exactly like what spring should look like!
Posted by: kristi | April 10, 2007 at 10:22 AM
That is the prettiest salad I have ever seen!
And this may be a dingbat question- but has anyone really eaten flowers? I've never tried them in salad!
Posted by: Jennifer | April 10, 2007 at 10:56 AM
Oh no!! The compost pile is frozen. I remember that in Illinois. In fact. My mom always dug a hole in the ground before winter, just in case one of our pets died. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to bury them because the ground would be frozen. Sounds morbid, but such is life in frigid areas. Hope it warms up soon for you.
Ilva,
Thank you!
Gattina,
Oh, what a lovely compliment. Thank you! :):)
Glenna,
Thank you!
Mandira,
I'm looking forward to seeing what other people grew in their garden.
Butta Buns,
I'm grateful I have a garden. For years I didn't and I missed it so much. :)
Kross-eyed kitty,
Once the frost is gone, it should be very easy to grow some salad greens. They grow so quickly, you are rewarded in no time!
Tanna,
The great thing about the lettuce is that they grow so fast next to the tomatoes, you can use that extra space for them. Radishes are great for that too.
Kristi,
Thank you!
Jennifer,
People are putting flowers in their salad more and more. Some of them don't have much taste--just add a nice color. But, some are quite flavorful. Nasturtiums are wonderful in salads. The leaves have a peppery taste--and the flowers look so pretty. For the most part, you want to tear the petals off each flower and use them. But a few whole flowers add such a nice visual. and it's so much fun eating flowers!!! Actually we often eat veggies that are immature flowers--like broccoli! :):)
Posted by: sher | April 10, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Fresh lettuce looks wonderful!
I just planted 24 lettuce 'sets' the other day so we should be have salads shortly.
I don't remember seeing that in the U.S. but it's all over France and Spain - lettuce that is about 6" high - you get 12 plants for less than a dollar and they're full size in about 3 weeks.
Posted by: Katie | April 10, 2007 at 12:56 PM
How pretty! I am also very envious as so far my garden is a patch of half frozen ground and my plants are little seedlings in a tray on my kitchen table.
Posted by: Jenny | April 10, 2007 at 05:02 PM
How cool! I haven't used nasturtiums (they are daisies , right ?). If I had a garden I'd get some myself this summer.
I saw edible violets for sale the other day and I was very tempted to get them. I have no idea wha they taste like but they look so good!
Posted by: Ros | April 10, 2007 at 05:03 PM
oh sher, how beautiful! my back porsh is so sunlight deprived. i'm everso jealous! what a clever idea for the egg. yum, now i could go for a salad :)
Posted by: aria | April 10, 2007 at 07:31 PM
Looks so pretty like a Garden, Sher. Are the fllowers edible ?
Posted by: sandeepa | April 10, 2007 at 07:42 PM
oh Sher, it's that time of year again, time for me to be jealous of your wonderful garden! look at those greens! gorgeous! and I bet they didn't cost $9 a quarter pound (the current going rate for greenhouse greens at the Greenmarket).
Sigh. Someday, someday.
Posted by: ann | April 11, 2007 at 06:03 AM
I'm going to suffer from garden envy till the end of the summer. Oh well, at least my tummy can live vicariously through you!
The flowers are a beautiful touch.
Posted by: e | April 11, 2007 at 07:32 AM
Looks beautiful! Summer on a plate!
Posted by: Freya | April 11, 2007 at 07:35 AM
What a beautiful salad! Would you mind if I put it onto my desktop?
Also, I'm just a little jealous that you have been able to plant tomatoes.
Posted by: s'kat | April 11, 2007 at 11:31 AM
OMG, Sher!!! What a beautiful garden you have!
The photos are amazing, and what about that salad?? I'd love to have a salad like this, with flowers on it!
Posted by: Patricia Scarpin | April 11, 2007 at 12:25 PM
Hooray this is a beautiful salad welcoming in spring. I can see a few Beatrix Potter characters joining in too. Your veggie boxes look so nice.
Posted by: Callipygia | April 11, 2007 at 02:49 PM
That is just too, too pretty. I remember the first time I ever tried flowers (it was a pansy, I believe), I was so surprised at the taste. Not sweet, as they look, but peppery. Adds such a nice depth to a salad. And not hard on the eyes, either.
Cheers!
Posted by: almost vegetarian | April 11, 2007 at 04:56 PM
BTW...I made the meatballs!
They were ToDieFor Delicious!
Thanks for the recipe!
Posted by: kross-eyed kitty | April 11, 2007 at 07:53 PM
Sher, your blog is so popular now! Look at all the people who love your work! As well they should. :)
Posted by: Shannon | April 11, 2007 at 09:14 PM
Every year, I make sure to pick a colorful marigold or two for the yard at the garden shop--I especially like the deep gold flowers tinged with red edges. They don't really add much taste, but tossing some of the petals into a salad adds a dramatic shot of color.
Posted by: Terry B | April 11, 2007 at 09:16 PM
Your garden produces such beautiful things! Lovely salad...the flower petals is such a gorgeous touch!
Posted by: Kristen | April 12, 2007 at 07:35 PM
This looks beautiful!! there was a time when i had no appetite for salds, but now that i've discovered diff additions and dressings and seasonings, making and eating a sald is so much more fun!
Posted by: Mansi | September 12, 2007 at 10:23 AM
I was searching for new garden products and found this site at homegrown-hydroponics.com.
What do you think?
Posted by: Hydroponics | September 15, 2007 at 05:10 PM