Garden in my salad bowl

With a variety of lettuce types, as well as abundant arugula and spinach, salads have graced our table quite frequently in the past two weeks.

At their simplest, I dress salad greens with vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and/or honey, and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Once you have a base of greens, the add-ins are limitless.  Here are some favorites:

• Nuts or sunflower seeds (toasted/roasted for optimal flavor)
• Black beans or chickpeas
• Dried fruit
• Roasted beets
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Goat cheese
• Tomatoes, in season (i.e., not yet here)
• Avocado
• Marinated tofu
• Frozen corn or peas, thawed

I recently made this Asian-inspired salad with the idea of creating the flavors of a spring roll without the work of actually wrapping the filling.

Base of greens with rice noodles, thinly sliced garden veggies (including radishes, carrots, and asparagus), green onion, cilantro, and marinated tofu, in a dressing of seasoned rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped peanuts, minced garlic, and a dash of sriracha chili sauce.  It totally tasted like a spring roll in a bowl!

After spending Monday morning in the garden, the strawberries were calling.  I detoured by the store on the way home to pick up goat cheese for this salad:

Base of spinach and arugula, tossed with sea salt and good balsamic vinegar, then allowed to sit and wilt slightly.  Topped with sliced (and lightly sugared) strawberries, toasted pecans, goat cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.  Yum, just what I had in mind!

Your turn
Any favorite salad combos that you’re enjoying these days?  I love suggestions, because even with all the options, it’s easy to get in a rut!