Fruits and vegetables are a staple of a healthy diet, especially fresh, organic choices. Create a garden that promotes better eating habits by building better salads featuring hand-picked fruits and vegetables.
Several easy-to-grow varieties offer nutritional value and fresh choices from the convenience of a kitchen garden. From ingredients for homemade salad dressings to savory substitutes for plain iceberg lettuce, the selection will inspire healthier food choices through elaborate salad creations.
Salad Garden Basics
Spinach: This iron-rich substitute for ordinary iceberg lettuce needs early planting, but the reward benefits in salad are worth the effort. Harvest the dark green leaves for both pasta salads and traditional tossed varieties.
Tomatoes: Sweet cherry tomatoes or sliced Celebrity fruits, tomatoes are nutritional, delicious, and a salad staple, as well as easy to grow in pots or garden beds.
Carrots: Rich in vitamins and flavor, carrots are easy to grow, harvest, and store for plenty of salad toppings. Harvest them young to avoid the overly-strong or "woody" flavor which carrots sometimes develop when overgrown.
Squash: Although not a typical choice for salads, squash are a mellow, flavorful choice for dressing up salads. From yellow to zucchini, to more exotic flavors like lemon, slice them over a tossed salad or pickle lightly in vinegar, oils, and spices for a spicier topping.
Zesty Salad Ingredients
Bell Peppers: Red or green, peppers are a fresh choice to add zest to traditional topped salads. Choose red for a slightly sweeter flavor in a mixed or tossed salad.
Red onions: Slice red onions thinly over tossed salads to add both flavor and nutritional value to the mix. Slightly sweeter than traditional white or yellow, red onions make a succulent topping when marinated in sweet oil-based dressings for a few hours before serving.
Radishes: Forget carving rosettes, since a simple sliced radish contributes flavor and color to any salad combination. Like carrots, radish are easy to grow and can be harvested while young for optimal flavor.
New Salad Choices
Cabbage: An interesting lettuce substitute, crunchy cabbage provides nutrients and sharp greens to the salads mix. Chop thin to add crunch without creating an overwhelming cabbage flavor.
Leeks: These tiny onions should be planted early, but produce a sweet, small onion perfect for a variety of dishes, including salads. Chop them thin and sprinkle into a mixed salad along with other veggies.
Scarlet runner beans: A colorful alternative to traditional beans, these purple-and-black seeds are lima bean-shaped and flavorful. Cook them and drain them well before adding them to any tossed salads or pasta salad recipes.
Snap peas: A quick and long-favored garden variety, snap peas are simple to grow with basic vine supports. Harvest and shell the pods, then cook the beans before adding to salad varieties.
Broccoli: A slightly more challenging veggie selection, broccoli may require more care, but rewards its gardeners with vitamins and flavor in salad combinations. Soak the blossoms in salt water to remove bugs; steam or sauté the chopped greenery before serving to maximize its nutritional value.
Garden Salad Toppings
Jerusalem artichokes: An unusual choice, Jerusalem artichoke roots make a crunchy topping for tossed salads. Harvest the bulbs, then chop them for serving over a bed of traditional veggies and greens.
Sunflower seeds: These small and crunchy snack seeds are easy to grow and make a beautiful landscaping edition before harvest. Shell and salt the inner seeds before sprinkling them over the top of any salad.
Garlic: Fresh chopped garlic is a perfect addition to home-made salad dressings. Add chopped cloves to the salad only if garlic breath (and overly-strong flavor) isn't an issue for diners.
Create unique salad combination with fresh vegetables, using greens and savory toppings to make each combination a savory culinary experience. Harvest and store garden selections to ensure a summer of fresh salads and healthier meals.
Sarah Briggs - For the last two years, I have designed primitive dolls and folk art sculptures (such as Edwin Drood and the Ghost of Marley) for Cordwood ...
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