my1stwordwaschocolate

Recipes and photographs from an Asheville Foodie

Enjoy this cooking blog with tons of sweet AND savory recipes. I use down-to-earth language and love to create my own recipes as well as recipe-test other chef's work. 

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Herb Salad

Herb Salad

June 26, 2013 by my1stwordwaschocolate in "arugula", "cherries", "dinner", "fruit", "garden", "gardening", "herb salad", "herbs", "raspberries", "salad", "vegan", "vegetables", "vegetarian"

My lovely sister-in-law turned me onto this beautiful herbaceous salad when we visited LA in March. It's another one of those recipes that's more than the sum of its parts (others in that category, IMO: roast cauliflower with chili, garlic, capers and lemon, roasted vegetable panzanella, and these almond macaroons). It's lightly dressed with a lemon and orange water vinaigrette. The bright flavors of this herb salad pairs perfectly with grilled meats or fish. 

BONUS: Leftover herb salad can easily be tossed with hot pasta, a glug of olive oil, and some parmesan  cheese for a quick, delicious meal.

Herb Salad

Source: unknown, Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 3 1/2 cups arugula
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup dill
  • 1/4 cup tarragon
  • 1/3 cup pistachio kernels, toasted and salted

For the Dressing

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp orange flower water
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Finely chop the salad greens and herbs and place in large bowl serving bowl. Roughly chop the pistachios and add to greens/herbs. Whisk together the vinaigrette in a small bowl, toss with herbs and check for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper accordingly. 

2013 Garden

This year's garden is coming along nicely. In addition to the herbs and vegetable garden our fruit trees (cherry, mulberry, nectarine and peach) and bushes (golden & red raspberries and blackberries) are maturing nicely. Below is an assortment of what we've been enjoying! 

Basil, a monster flowering sage plant, two kinds of chives, lovage, oregano, tarragon, and tomatoes abound.

Mixed greens (mostly arugula), zucchini, and watermelons.

The sour cherry crop this year was excellent. I got a third of it picked before the birds  ate the rest.

This child can eat a pint of raspberries in one sitting!

2013 raspberry harvest in full effect.

These were gone in seconds...

So that's my garden, how's yours growing this year?

June 26, 2013 /my1stwordwaschocolate
"arugula", "cherries", "dinner", "fruit", "garden", "gardening", "herb salad", "herbs", "raspberries", "salad", "vegan", "vegetables", "vegetarian"
Kale Chips

Kale Chips

June 22, 2013 by my1stwordwaschocolate in "kale chips", "kale", "low-carb", "snacks", "vegan", "vegetables", "vegetarian"

I like kale just about any way you can prepare it. Past attempts in making kale chips turned out soggy or burnt. Leave it to David Lebovitz, one of my favorite bloggers and pastry chefs, to perfect the recipe. The seasoning options are endless, think Greek seasoning blend, Goya, sesame and soy, or Cajun seasoning. Kale chips are also the perfect answer to low carb eating. Crispy and crunchy like potato chips + low in carbs and high in fiber = delicious snack food!

Kale Chips

Recipe from davidlebovitz.com (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2013/06/kale-chips-recipe/)

About six servings

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 cups (140 to 200 g) kale leaves; if large, tear them into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • flaky sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove the tough stems from the kale and wash and spin dry the kale thoroughly. This recipe can easily be doubled. Just be sure to rotate the baking sheets in the oven for even cooking.

Put the kale on an unlined baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, then massage it into the leaves.

Spread the kale leaves in an even layer on the baking sheet and put in the oven. After about 5 minutes, use a spatula to separate any leaves of kale that are clumping together.

Continue cooking the kale for about 20 minutes, until the leaves are crisp. Remove from the oven and sprinkle fairly generously with salt.

Kale Chips
June 22, 2013 /my1stwordwaschocolate
"kale chips", "kale", "low-carb", "snacks", "vegan", "vegetables", "vegetarian"
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