Friday, July 12, 2013

Summer Salads

This time of year
is the best time
to load the fridge with
Summer Salads
for quick and easy lunches
and side dishes.

Wheat Berry Salad, Quinoa Salad, and Potato Salad


I was inspired to make these
after enjoying a lovely evening meal 
on the back porch at our friends home
last weekend.
They served some refreshing summer salads
with roasted chicken and pork chops.
It was all so delicious!

I've posted the Quinoa and Potato Salads
in the past (you can click on these links to see those recipes)

But the best and easiest salad of all 
is the one my Mom always made with
fresh cut lettuce right from the garden....


There really isn't a recipe for this
Lettuce with Cream Dressing
but this is how it's made....

In a large mixing bowl,
Pour a good "splash" of heavy cream,
whisk in a Tbsp. of sugar
Season with salt and pepper
Stir in a "splash" of white vinegar
Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking
Add some finely chopped sweet onion
and last but not least,
the secret ingredient that makes this salad
taste like no other,
"the leaf" (borage) - finely chopped
Mom always added this herb and would
send us out to her garden to get a "leaf" as she called it.

Now simply pile in some fresh lettuce
and toss just before serving!


Borage aka "the leaf"

Borage has a cucumber taste.


The pretty borage edible flower

Once you've grown a borage plant
and let it go to seed in your garden
you'll have no lack of "the leaf"
(I think it might be a weed!)

My niece uses the pretty flowers by
freezing them into ice-cubes.
So pretty in a punch bowl 
or glass of lemon aid.

Lunch is served.





Till next time ........ what are your favourite summer salads?



9 comments:

  1. Salads are my favorite part of the meal. I made a macaroni shrimp salad this week and we have eaten it over and over! I've never heard of borage. Is it an herb?

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  2. My favorite salad is a simple cucumber, tomato, sliced onion salad with a squeeze of lemon and salt. I enjoy most salads especially when someone else makes them and I can enjoy them. Happy Saturday to you!

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  3. I'm eating a big plate of salad right now - it has kale, red lettuce, tomatoes, a peach, some blueberries, yellow pepper, a few air-popped chips crumbled on top and a raspberry poppyseed dressing (made by mixing lowfat raspberry dressing with lowfat poppyseed) oh yes and a laughing cow cheese chunk for protein. It's delicious.

    I'd like to try your quinoa salad. It's so good for you!

    Happy Saturday :)

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  4. I've never heard of the borage leaf before. I wonder if it would be isolated to your area? I'll have to check it out. I can so relate to that lettuce salad though. Your salads look delicious.

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  5. My favorite summer salad is a simple tomato and lettuce one with an olive oil dressing.

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  6. I'd love to lunch on your lovely array of salads! And I'm new to borage, but wouldn't mind that lovely flower in my herb garden!

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  7. Your last salad reminds me exactly of the recipe from my mom....it's posted in the first MGCC book on page 65. But I have no idea about borage...Sounds interesting.
    My favorite salad for this summer has been the Strawberry/Spinach Salad in the Celebrations book. I love it if I say so myself.

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  8. Oh, that looks great, Rosella! How inspiring! I have never heard of "the leaf" or borage. The flower is so pretty! Such a neat idea with the ice cubes.Now I want a plant/weed like that in my garden.

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