As we were eating this salad for supper tonight, we talked about where we got the ingredients from – primarily our garden and the farmers’ market.  My 10 year old observed that most of the food was “local”, so I decided to call it “Locavore Salad.”  We have discussions like this because I think it is so important for kids….and all of us for that matter…to know where our food comes from.  I read an article online the other day that talked about how a group of teens surveyed didn’t know that eggs came from chickens.  Which is a pretty sad commentary…

Locavore Salad:

roughly 8 cups of salad greens (I used a mix of butterhead lettuce, baby dinosaur kale and arugula because it’s what I had in the garden)

4 chopped green onions + I also snipped 3 of the tops over the salad too

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 c. fresh raw peas (or more!  My kids love those so much I think they’d have eaten a cup each!)

3-4 c. chopped cooked chicken

4-5 large sliced mixed beets (I cooked these last night to make prep faster tonight; I used a mix of red and golden beets)

sunflower seeds – as much as you like!  (I soaked mine with 1 T. sea salt and filtered water overnight, and dehydrated them previously.  I did this because it make the nutrients more available, and the seeds easier to digest.  If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can dry them out in your oven on the lowest temp setting for several hours…but keep an eye on them!)

 

I piled everything high in a big bowl, served up and put a handful of the sunflower seeds on each plate.

 

Fresh Dill Dressing:

I adapted this from a recipe originally by Bobby Flay.  I did make some changes but figure I’d better give credit where credit is due…

1 1/2 c. olive oil

6 T. white wine vinegar

1 c. fresh dill weed

3 cloves garlic (I removed skin but did not chop)

1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

 

Process all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Don’t be daunted by making your own salad dressing if you never have.  This recipe came together in less than five minutes.  It tastes wonderful, and it is so much better for you than those nasty store bought dressings that typically contain things like high fructose corn syrup, MSG and partially hydrogenated oils/trans fats.  Once you start making your own, you won’t go back!  This recipe makes alot, but I like it that way because we use it for leftovers.  You can make more or less depending on your needs.  Best if used within a few days.

I did add a couple of pics on a whim, so please ignore my choice of bowl and plate.  I felt the salad was pretty enough to “carry” itself!  (And in retrospect, I really hope my table was clean!)