salad days

It's so great to finally have salad greens again! I dream about them all Winter long - arugula, cress, all kinds of lettuces, thinnings from beets, radishes and spinach, even violet and raspberry leaves get thrown into the salad bowl. I made a very simple salad of arugula and radishes, and it was spectacular because it went straight from the garden onto a plate. Simple salads with just one or two kinds of greens are my favourites. The Red Sails lettuce is doing great right now - flourishing in the cooler weather we've had. For simple salads I usually put a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, but once in awhile it's fun to use a variety of dressings - here are some of my current faves: Citrus Mint Vinaigrette: 3 Tbs. lemon or lime juice 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar 2 Tbs. fresh mint leaves - not chopped 1 - 1 1/2 tsp. lemon or lime zest 1 clove garlic 3 Tbs. maple syrup 1 tsp. dijon mustard 1/2 tsp. salt pepper 1/4 cup olive oil Combine everything, except oil in a blender, then drizzle in the oil while blending. Chipotle Ranch Dressing: 3 cloves garlic smashed with 1 tsp kosher salt 2/3 cup tofu mayo 2/3 cup soy milk or butter milk 1/3 cup cilantro 2 scallions thinly sliced 1 - 2 tsp chipotle hot sauce 2 tsp finely grated orange zest whisk together in a bowl Green Goddess Dressing: 2 cups fresh herbs: parsley, basil, oregano, dill, chives, cilantro, rosemary 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 cup water 1/2 cup miso 1 minced, seeded jalapeno pepper 1 Tbs. crushed garlic 1 cup sunflower oil combine everything except the oil, which is drizzled in as blending Ginger Soy Dressing: 2 Tbs. canola oil 2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil 1 Tbs. fresh ginger minced 1 Tbs. garlic minced 2 Tbs. tamari 1 cup honey dash ground anise 1/4 cup water 2 Tbs. water 1 Tbs. cornstarch heat the oils, add garlic and ginger, cook 5 minutes. add everything except 2 T water and 1 T cornstarch-whisk these 2 together and add to cooked misture, cook 2 minutes to thicken.