By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
I am so honored and have so much fun intuitively creating dishes inspired by what’s growing seasonally by Lead Grower, Billy Anthony, at the Soil & Seed Garden at the Farm at South Mountain, a local urban farm in Phoenix, Arizona, just a few minutes from my home.
Let’s take a look at The Farm at South Mountain this Spring and some of the beautiful flowers: Bachelor Buttons, Sunflowers, and Asters. Perfect spot to breathe in nature and enjoy a moment of self care. Yet, another reason to visit our local urban farms.
The Farm at South Mountain: Beautiful Bachelor Buttons
Quick Arizona Farm-to-Table Chopped Spring Salad
While Billy Anthony of the Soil & Seed Garden is still harvesting a few Arizona Winter root crops (beets, carrots, daikon), in early May, Spring veggies (zucchini and celery) are also growing. It’s a fun time to create a really simple salad combining the different colors, flavors, and textures of both seasons. Plus, so great to garnish with basil – Amethyst and Genovese from my first Elevated Edible Garden!
Look closely…The beauty of the squash and it’s blossom…
The beauty of nature: Zucchini & Blossoms
Simple Ingredients
Chopped Salad
- 3-4 carrots, cubed
- 1 zucchini, cubed
- 1 daikon radish, cubed
- 3-5 celery stalks, rough chopped
- 1 medium tomato or 8-10 mini-tomatoes
indfully set to prepare the Chopped Salad.
Spring Chopped Salad: Mise en Place
Dressing
- ½ fresh lemon juice, approximate ¼ cup
- ½ cup olive oil, twice as much as the lemon juice
- 2-3 stems fresh herbs, such as mint, basil, and onion chives, rough chopped
- Pinch sea salt
Simple Steps
- Pour lemon juice, olive oil, fresh herbs, and sea salt into a small bowl.
- Whisk until combined.
- Adjust with lemon, olive oil, and salt to suit your taste.
Basil Mint Onion Chives Salad Dressing
- Place all veggies into a bowl.
The Chopped Veggies are ready.
- Pour dressing over the veggies.
- Gently toss.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and edible flowers, such as bachelor buttons.
Enjoy your fresh salad.
Join us at our Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreat in Sedona, Arizona, September 13-16, 2019. Would love to share more with you and answer any questions. Melanie Albert
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