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!