Happy July!  ‘Tis a peak of seasonal bounty!  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize the plethora of fresh produce offered mid-summer.  The list of seasonal produce is abundant including fresh peaches, apricots, tomatoes, green beans, corn, basil, fennel, zucchini and other squashes…the list really goes on and on.  It seems obvious that the freshest produce comes from the local farmer.  However, it seemed for a while that the food model of how consumers received their food was getting further and further removed from the source.  People actually began to forget where their food was coming from!  Fortunately, there is a significant movement toward sourcing ingredients as local as possible by minimizing the distance between the farmer and consumer as well as travel costs.  It is a win-win scenario for all involved as the ultimate result is the highest quality, fresh, local, seasonal ingredients for less cost.  And, we like that.

The July recipe has an abundance of goodness in it as well as a savory option and a sweet option.  The recipe is called TBSE…The Best Salad Ever.  It is simple, beautiful, and brightly flavorful with the season’s best (organic) produce.  The salad starts with the salad being whipped (literally) together in the salad bowl with the greens and extras tossed in.  It is a one-bowl wonder!  The dressing is a creamy honey mustard vinaigrette and while some may be deterred by the creaminess, it is about a tablespoon of mayonnaise and I am quite confident the goodness of the salad will overwhelm anything perceived as unhealthy in a little mayo.  I use apple cider vinegar which seems to be a stealth super food in itself.  It is a natural antibiotic and is also well known for greatly helping acid reflux, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, skin problems, digestive problems…the list really goes on and on.  The next amazing ingredient (another super food) I encourage you to incorporate into this salad are dandelion greens.  Liver detoxification, normalized blood sugar, and inflammation reduction are a few of its many health benefits.  Tomatoes are part of the salad base as well and it is hard to pick a bad tomato this time of year.  They should smell fantastically fresh, like the tomato plant they came from!  Heirloom varieties are being offered from a lot of different local farmers.  It is actually quite amazing how different tomatoes can look and taste, while all still being delicious!    The salad this month has two variations to try.  One is a sweet variation, including apples, raisins, and a little fennel.  The other variation is a savory version incorporating avocado, cucumber, red bell pepper, and zucchini.  The great thing about this salad is that the vinaigrette goes great with either variation, so you have options!  Don’t be afraid to try something curious in this salad either.  An additional peach or freshly picked onion has been known to make its way into this salad.  Don’t be shy!  Happy July!

Farm Fresh Organic Summer Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients: DRESSING

• 2 tsp sugar or 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 Tablespoons honey mustard
• 1-2 Tablespoons good quality, organic mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup organic olive oil
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper

Ingredients: SALAD

• 4 cups fresh, organic greens (some combination of butter lettuce, red leaf, dandelion greens, spinach, watercress)
• 2 fresh, organic tomatoes (get wild here…try out an heirloom tomato!), in ½ inch pieces
• ¼ thinly sliced onion (very thinly sliced here…try sweet Vidalia or a local purple variety)
• ¼ cup fresh nuts (they do exist! Start with pistachios and go from there)

Ingredients: SWEET VERSION

• ½ cup organic raisins, golden or Thompson seedless are great
• 1 organic Granny Smith apple, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 fennel bulb or celery, thinly sliced
• FOR A SAVORY VERSION:
• ½ avocado, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
• 1-2 fresh, organic zucchini, thinly sliced
• ½ organic red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• ½ organic cucumber, thinly sliced

Method

In a large bowl, place the sugar, salt, honey mustard, and mayonnaise and whisk until evenly blended.  Whisk in apple cider vinegar.  Slowly whisk in olive oil until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place salad ingredients on top of dressing as well as sweet or savory version of ingredients.  Toss salad with salad tongs, or the best tongs we have, which are our hands as they don’t bruise the fantastic, fresh, delicate ingredients.  Enjoy!!

Serves 4ish, depending on how hungry you are.

Less than 300 calories per serving, 10 grams of (good) fat, 5 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fiber