… from our own garden: first one was earlier this week!
This salad would rival any I have eaten at the top restaurants around the world. I think it might even be better than any I have eaten. The inspiration comes from my maternal grandmother, Maude. The dressing recipe is one that is a very traditional recipe for young lettuce salads in the Central Alberta prairie area. I have found (by asking) that many rural families are as eager to mix their Spring greens with this dressing as our family is. Each of us feels it belongs to our family, yet it appears to belong to our place: the Alberta Prairies.
My only addition today: garlic. The creamy sweet and sour vinegar dressing is the perfect foil for the tender and often bitter little green leaves that rear their heads first in the garden. The cream used to come from that skimmed off of the cows milk in the morning. Oh, the new vegetables in the Spring: creamed peas, creamed carrots, creamed peas and carrots. Oh my. And the salad was very lightly dressed with this same cream, the perfect combination of sugar and salt with the tang of white vinegar. This was (and is) such a treat with thinly slivered onions. This salad must have thinly slivered onions in it. You cannot see any in the above pic, but I used red ones.
This year I planted my lettuces in tubs a week or a few apart from each other so I would always have fresh greens. Look at this beautiful variety. Lush!
And, my addition to this traditional salad was the herbs. That is hardly a stretch. I added everything I could find that I was growing, except the mint: dill, oregano, basil, tarragon, marjoram, chives, chervil, and flat leafed parsley.
Oh, how I celebrate my kitchen garden. I move through it every morning seeking weeks and new little tender heads to greet and smile at. I spray “Tomato Set” on the stamen of each new (and still golden) tomato flower. I smell the earth and the herbs. And I work to incorporate as much as I can every day somehow. I love picking the fresh and perfect greens to nourish our body and spirit each day.
I carefully cut them back and they continue to grow. Below you will see how half has grown so much and the other half is just beginning to appear. These were seeded at the same time, but the germination time is clearly very different.
Prairie Spring Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 3 tablesp0ons of vinegar
- 1/4 cup of sour cream or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (or more) or milk, to thin dressing
- 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- minced garlic, to taste (not traditional)
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients and taste to adjust seasoning and thin so that it just coats the tender leaves
Additional Notes:
- Make sure you have some thinly sliced onion to the leaf and herb mixture
- I also added toasted pinenuts
What is your traditional dressing for a Spring lettuce salad? MMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm. I would really love to hear yours!
You had me at HELLO, with the pine nuts! Lovely pictures and great post!
Hey Valerie, this looks so delicious, and I know it was. Salads made with super fresh lettuces are unbelievable. I firmly believe that people who don’t like salad have only had store bought, conventional lettuce and produce type salads-they aren’t so great so I can’t blame them in a sense for hating on salad…
Hey, sorry you didn’t understand my post. My recipe is only for the hummus (quick chick pea stew-In Arabic, ‘hummus’ simply means chick pea, not necessarily dip). Under the chick peas is a corn grit spread (smile). I figured most people know how to make grits, but maybe I shouldn’t assume that (yikes). I’ll look at my post and see how I can fix this.
Hope your’e doing well, Valerie! Stella
Ok you’re going to think I’m coo coo, but I kept reading “thinnly sliced SILVERED” onions rather than “thinnly sliced SLIVERED” onions. Finally caught it the third time. And I was even going to ask you what silvered onions were. Good thing I caught it or you would’ve thought, “just how many miracle berries did lequan take?” Lol.
I never wanted a garden cause of all the maintenance and earthworms I’d have to deal with (yeah, I’m so girlie girl like that) but people like you and my dad are starting to change my mind. I’m starting to have garden envy…teehee. I think Gary needs to thank you for this cause I’m already starting to think of what I’d want to plant. Your greens look fantastic. So lush and green! I’m sure that was a delicious salad :-P. I’m not much of a salad eater so when I do eat salad it’s just plain ol’ ranch for me. I’m not too picky about the dressing. Yours sounds great though. I’ll have to give it a try next time. Have a great day Valerie!
Hi Valerie, love your post. You’re right, there is nothing better then fresh picked veggies and salads from the garden :-).
A beautiful, simple, perfect salad you’ve made here. Nice salad dressing too for a sweet change of pace.
I’m jealous that you’re just starting your seasonal garden and have such a bounty of Spring greens to choose from. My garden has been producing since last Sept. and is now pooping out big time in the heat. Just a few tomatoes, onions, and sun-bleached basil leaves left to pick, and then it’s time for a 2-month fallow period.
To be honest; most of the best salads I have eaten at home and not in any top restaurant (or not so top restaurant) I think there are not a lot of things that can rival with a really good home made salad! And your greens all look beautiful! I wish I was a bit better in my home garden… Weed has taken over completely now!
“The new 5 meter diet”. HAHA. You crack me up Valerie!
We’ve been harvesting greens from our garden also. I absolutely LOVE it. Yours are stunning! I swear it tastes so much better than buying it in store.
I don’t think there is are too many things more joyful than being able to grow your own food. It always amazes me to watch plants grow and develop. It looks like your garden is going to be quite a success this year.
I think I am going to learn a bit of gardening…the salad looks really fresh and great!
That iis wonderful that you were able to grow all of that in your own back yard. Great dressing recipe!
5 meter diet – I like that. Perfect salads sort of create themselves as the garden evolves through the growing season, no? It’s a thing of beauty, indeed.
My go to dressing this year: into a jar goes a dollop of dijon, dollop of organic honey, pinch of kosher salt, few grinds of pepper, organic canola oil [I’ve been using Mighty Trio Organics, but am a big Highwood Crossing fan], and some white wine vinegar [soon to be replaced with 5 meter diet apple cider vinegar ;)]. Although a lover of fat, I lean pretty far from the standard vinaigrette 3:1 fat:acid ratio, and am far more towards 2:1. The honey tends to balance out the bitter greens I’ve been using more and more of.
Need to hit the garden this morning now to get some greens!
Kevin!
Sounds wonderful. I will try your recipe tonight! When you make your apple cider vinegar, I want to know. We also have an apple tree and I would love to make some, too! Ours is a Parkland Apple Tree… a nice medium to small size with white flesh, red-green skin and a tart flavour with, unfortunately, mushy flesh.
🙂
Beautiful bunch of greens…The salad looks amazingly fresh and light:)
Valerie
I can’t think of anything better than a salad with a variety of greens and herbs from one’s garden! Yours is wonderful and I approve the addition of garlic and pine nuts lol!
great salad, nothing is better for the season than a freshly [icked veggies from one’s garden..i miss my garden, soon
sweetlife