grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Parmesan Croutons – take your salad to a whole other level

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Parmesan Croutons

The next time you make a salad, add homemade Parmesan croutons to take your greens to a whole other level. Like the top floor. The ease of preparing these croutons compared to the flavor added will leave you wondering why you don’t always have homemade Parmesan croutons on hand. I call this the Flavor Multiplier Effect (FME) something I just created based on all that economic theory I learned at Baylor in the eighties. Sounds official, doesn’t it?Continue Reading

July Cobbler, an old Ozark recipe

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July Cobbler

Have you heard of a July Cobbler? Until last weekend I hadn’t, but I found this recipe in an old Ozarks Collection Cookbook someone left in our Little Free Library. I LOVE old cookbooks, and I’ve been reading it cover to cover. The cookbook is filled not only with old regional recipes but also snippets about traditions of a “storied region”. And there are sketches throughout, small pencil drawings of barns and farmers and crops growing in fields. This treasure is a great example of one of the many benefits of having a Little Free Library. I never know what will show up next.Continue Reading

Simple Summer Salad

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Simple Summer Salad

Certain flavors are happy together. One enhances the other. This simple summer salad does just that. The combination of only a few ingredients sing. Try it, you’ll like it, even if you’re one of those people who doesn’t appreciate the under appreciated radish.

Trust me, use butter lettuce (also known as Boston and Bibb). Butter lettuce is usually found it in a plastic container with the roots knotted at the bottom. This variety is super duper fresh because it’s still alive. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of washing lettuce, and butter lettuce is easy to wash because the leaves are loose. Although this lettuce is a bit more expensive than some, there is no waste. You will eat the entire thing, other than the roots, which you will toss in your compost. The leaves are sweet. As you will taste with this simple recipe, you don’t have to dress up butter lettuce to make it flavorful. And, these leaves are especially perfect for wraps.

Now about radishes. The radish often gets a bad rap. People don’t like them for whatever reason(s). But you might want to learn because the health benefits are astounding. From liver detoxification (hello drinkers…) to respiratory cures (allergy sufferers!), radishes even help with insect stings. Plus, they are easy to grow, inexpensive to buy, and a bag will last months in your fridge.

Look how gorgeous they are!

Simple Summer Salad with gorgeous radishes!

 

Okay. I’ve stated my case, so now on to my simple summer salad. I know you will love it!!

Simple Summer Salad

Print Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly chopped dill
  • 1/2 Tablespoon freshly chopped chives
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 head of butter lettuce torn into pieces
  • 5 radishes thinly sliced

Method
 

  1. Toast pine nuts in a 375 degree oven until golden brown. This doesn't take long, about 5-7 minutes depending upon your oven.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayo and herbs.
  3. Arrange lettuce and radishes onto salad plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Drizzle with creamy dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

What’s your favorite summer salad?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]This will soon be your favorite summer salad! Promise. #simplerecipes #gardentotable #IHeartRadishes[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Happy Together, The Turtles

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!