Eat-Your-Weeds Salad

With the new growth comes the old in the typical kitchen garden. Unless you're meticulous, chances are you have some overwintered crops thriving in various spots of your garden plot. Put those weeds and any early-harvest crops to use in a freshly-cut salad. From the gardens I maintain both on and off the farm, I gathered the following to make a tasty salad, almost entirely from overwintered crops:

• mustard flowers
• violets
• chives
  
• kale
• red and green-leaf lettuces
• radish tops (just harvested from a school garden... the kids ate all of the radishes!)
  

Creamy Sesame Dressing
(makes approximately a 1/4 cup)

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp tahini (can substitute peanut butter if you don't have tahini)
• 2 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or rice wine)
• 1 tsp sugar (agave nectar or honey work well)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• dash white pepper
  
• salt or soy sauce to taste
  

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the oil. Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture as you simultaneously whisk to thoroughly combine. Serve immediately. Double or quadruple the measurements for 1/2 or 1 cup of dressing, respectively.

My Two Cents:

These measurements make for a slightly-sweet and tangy dressing. If you like less tang and more sweet, use less vinegar and add more sugar and sesame oil. For even more flavor, consider adding a touch of minced or grated garlic, ginger, or orange peel. For a little extra crunch and nutrition, toss in some toasted sesame seeds; to make them, constantly stir raw seeds in a small skillet over low heat until they begin to turn golden brown.

Rebekah


Images and dressing recipe by Rebekah Carter (2011).