Simple Summer Squash Salad

A beautiful dish with fresh, homegrown produce. Use small summer squash, picked very young. It will be the star of this simple, summery, side or light supper! 

Summer Salad Poetry

Use one small squash per person 

(if serving as a light dinner) 

and slice very thinly on a mandolin

(Mine were as thin as the tine of my fork is flat.) 

Add a handful of fresh mint leaves 

(per serving) 

cut into chiffonade 

(Roll up a stack of leaves and cut crosswise into thin strips)

Toast a handful of pine nuts per serving

(over high, in a seasoned, cast iron pan-  must have)

Until golden brown and fragarant

Make a simple dressing with the magic formula

(for each serving)

1 1/2 tsp acid (here vinegar- infused with chives perhaps?)

1/2 tsp of mustard

(Dijon: Grey Poupon)

Salt & Pepper; a pinch and a pinch

Whisk now for a moment... 

          &  then slowly whisk in 1 1/2 Tb oil

Toss together the squash slices, mint chiffonade 

(oh how fancy you are)

pine nuts and dressing

A few curls of parmesan

(with a vegetable peeler)

And the flavors of summer join hands in

The End

Early Spring

So, spring has sprung, and quickly!! I've been in garden mode since late winter, planning, re-planning! I've been using my newly acquired Excel skills to make spreadsheets (not the intended goal, but it's coming in handy!)

Here's a screenshot of my planting guide:

And here's my garden layout:

With the beautiful weather we've had Ben & I have all ready taken a few nice hikes. Last night we had a salad of daylilly shoots, garlic mustard greens and dandelion greens all foraged from a hike yesterday! I'll add a picture when Ben gets home with the camera! I am actually hoping for a little rain as I reminisce about the wonderful Morels I found last year!

As far as the gardening goes.... I started seedlings indoors in Feb and March. Eggplants, peppers (Cubannell and Cherry), tomatoes (five varieties), cabbage (Baby Gonzales) and cauliflower (Rainbow Mix). They're doing well and growing fast now that it's warmer in the basement under their lights!

Here they are on March 16:

And here on March 22:

Outside, our two 4'x8' beds were installed and prepared last fall:

 I added a little compost and ash (for potassium) and got to planting on St. Patrick's Day! Peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard and beets are in! 

Here are the radish sprouts:

And my newly made pea trellis:

Yesterday I got my onion sets in:

And even a few pretty flowers are coming up from the bulbs:

Stay tuned for more, I'm growing, foraging and cooking up a feast this year!

A few pics... More to come :)

 Cucumbers!

 Swiss Chard and Pole Beans (Growing on Fence)

 Pumpkin Patch! No babies yet...

 All ready harvested this Round Zucchini! It got about 1" wider.

 Cubanells, my favorite peppers! Also have had a few jalapenos all ready!

 Sun Gold Cherry doing GREAT!

 Heirloom Tomatoes!

Carrots, just starting to peek their shoulders up... will have a close up soon!


PS: Please read about the Oak Park Michigan case!
Oak Park Front Yard Garden...