We just used a light homemade vinaigrette and made a salad bar, so everyone could choose the salad components they liked — yard salad with herbs and flowers, a spicy mix with cress and sliced radishes, and a not-exactly-from-our-yard mix that includes cucumber, romaine, celery and pea shoots. I wasn’t sure if they mesclun would be too spicy for the kids since some of it had bolted in the warm weather but it turned out to be tame enough for their palates.

The kids picked some small not-quite-ready-yet french breakfast radishes while I cut the mesclun mix and cress (cress, tiny radishes and mesclun in spinner acros the top of the picture). I also gathered (going clockwise for rest of picture) parsley (far left), lambs quarters (pick them young — you can eat the stems if they’re young enough, or just the leaves if they’re woodier), some merveille de quatre saisons lettuce and bronze arrowhead lettuce, two varieties of kale and just a pinch of basil.

These pictures are from a couple of weeks ago, and the rest of the radishes have poked their ruddy shoulders out of the ground and were eaten already. Our lambs quarters are at the point that I’m only picking leaves, and our parsley, which had overwintered, is starting to flower. The lettuces are offering up more than just a couple of small leaves, and the chard is also big enough to harvest so we’re still enjoying yard salad in all it’s seasonal variations. The chive flowers have passed, though i’m wondering if I’d chopped them all off and not allowed it to set seeds, if it would keep producing flowers — anyone have any experience with this? We’ve started adding rose petals and wood sorrel which are out now that earlier “weeds” like chickweed are also past their prime.

What do you scrounge from your yard for your salad?

* gazpacho — a creamy, blended version, with chopped tomato, cuke and cilantro for garnish

* corn chowder

* Ani Phy’s walnut cranberry butternut squash rice

* Spanish rice with mockamole

* chunky chili

* almond pulp cheese with crackers

* fajitas

* green salad with sprouts, pecans and mesclun mix

* mango pie

* chocolate coconut macaroons

One of the guests, who has a severe allergy to avocados, found a delicious alternative — peas! She recommends fresh if you can get them, but says you can use frozen. Measure the frozen peas out and let them sit in cold water until they’ve begun to thaw but are still slightly frozen. Drain and “blend the heck out of them” until they have a smooth, even consistency. She used about 1 cup of peas to replace 1 avocado in the Spanish rice recipe, and said that her avocado-loving husband was devouring the avocado mixture, surprised that it wasn’t made with avocados.

Spanish Rice

• 1 head shredded cauliflower
• 1 red peppers, chopped
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
• 5 green onions, sliced thinly
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 recipe of Spanish Avo Mix

Spanish Avo Mix

• 1 avocado, mashed
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbs basil
• 1 Tbs paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbs sweetener
• crushed red pepper, finely chopped, to taste
• sea salt, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

Mix Avo mixture in a separate bowl, the add it to bowl with veggies and stir to coat.

This was tasty and light, and I will definitely give the avo mix recipe a try with the peas as a dip, or try replacing avocados in a recipe when I don’t have a ripe one on hand. Thanks for the recipe and the idea for an avocado replacement!

I discovered this gem of a cookbook at the Glastonbury Library: The Raw Transformation: Energizing Your Life with Living Foods. Nestled inside this book you will find a number of delicious recipes, including the following:

Apple Waldorf Salad

Salad:

• 4 apples, chopped into small pieces
• 4 stalks celery, minced
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup raisins, soaked 1 hour

Mayonnaise:

• 1/2 cups pine nuts, soak 6 hrs
• 1/4 cup water
• 2-3 Tbs olive oil
• 1-2 Tbs lemon juice
• dash garlic powder
• dash onion powder
• sea salt to taste

1. Mix salad ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. To make mayonnaise, blend all ingredients until smooth. If too thick, add a little water.
3. Carefully fold into salad mixture. Serves 4.

Short on celery, I added some diced fennel as well. And because I couldn’t let go of the cranberry thing, I added raisins and dried cranberries. Since the chives in my yard are thick and luscious, I used those instead of green onions. I like apple skins so I left them on, tho both Oscar and the author recommend peeling the apples. In the fall, when organic grapes are more readily available I would definitely try replacing the dried fruit with them.

According to everything I read online (so we all know this means it must be true!) about the history of this dish, it started pleasing crowds more than one hundred years ago when it was developed by the maitre d’hotel of the Waldorf Hotel, Oscar Tschirky. His original recipe, published in The Cook Book by Oscar of the Waldorf, 1896, is as follows:

Peel two raw apples and cut them into small pieces, say about half and inch square, also cut some celery the same way, and mix it with the apple. Be very careful not to let any seeds of the apples be mixed with it. The salad must be dressed with a good mayonnaise.

The link to the cookbook allows you to thumb through the original book, a history lesson in itself. Ever wonder how to make Beef Tea or Beef Jelly? Just turn to the soups section to find out.  The Preface and information at the beginning of the book are worth a look, and include a listing of seasons for many common foods. I found some of the granites ( italian ices) and the apple (and other flavors) water ices intriguing.  And I’m struck by the unusual ingredients and flavors throughout the book — Brown Bread Ice Cream anyone?

Anyway, enjoy this raw vegan version of the classic Waldorf salad. It goes really well with the ever-scrumptious stuffing or can be tasty picnic fare for the summer.

Yum!

Many of the medical problems faced by Americans today are diseases of diet — we are a nation paradoxically obese and malnourished. This bizarre predicament is the result of over-consumption of foods that lack the nutrients our bodies need to maintain a healthy, balanced system. Heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes (the red bars in the pic at right, from Jamie Oliver’s  TED talk) are clearly the big killers in the US, and they are all diseases that can be prevented through a change in dietary habits. An obsession with calories does you no good if the calories you do consume are devoid of nutrients.

The essential change that Fuhrman recommends is to increase the amount of nutrients consumed while keeping the overall calories lower, and that’s where the ANDI scores come in. Since kale, collards, mustard greens and other dark leafy greens have the most nutrients per calorie delivered, they top out the ANDI scale at 1000.  Arugula and radishes score in the 500 range, cabbage a 402, Romaine a 384. Carrots 292, celery124, sweet potato 82, cucumber 49. For fruit, strawberries get a 211, raspberries 146, blueberries 128, cantaloupe 99, apple 75, cherries 68, watermelon 90, avocados 37, grapes 31, bananas 30, dates 19, raisins 16. By comparison, oats score 53, brown rice 40, corn 44, chicken breast and eggs each score a 27. Whole wheat pasta 19, white pasta 18, white rice 12, pizza 18, McDonald’s cheeseburger 16, McD’s fries 10, saltines 11, potato chips 11, pretzels 13 and cola a whopping 0.7. You can find the chart in his Eat For Health books, or see a condensed version online at eatrightamerica.com. On my last few visits to Whole Foods, I noticed that they have started posting ANDI score signs throughout the store.

I find these scores helpful when meal planning to ensure that we’re loading up on the high-nutrient veggies and fruits, and keeping the lower-nutrient grains, corn and potato to a minimum. Fuhrman also redesign the “food pyramid” we all learned about at school, with leafy greens and other foods that score over 100 in the base instead of grains

While we have dropped wheat and dairy from our diets, I noticed that the kids had simply started eating lots of things made from rice and corn instead, still not eating enough fresh fruits and veggies. So last week we started limiting grains or bready foods to one meal a day for a while to break the grain habit. Breakfast usually includes fruit in some form –whole fruit, slices of apples with cinnamon or nut butter, frozen fruit sorbet, banana ice cream, fruit salad, or smoothie. Lunches have been RAT sandwiches (tomato and avocado rolled up in romaine leaves), lemon fennel soup or a big green salad, and dinners have consisted of two salads, with a small portion of grains often mixed with more veggies. Some days they choose to have oatmeal with berries for breakfast, so those days I find myself challenged to serve a dinner that doesn’t include grains, potatoes or corn chips/tortillas.

We also started keeping a food journal, which has been illuminating — we think we eat differently than we actually do. The kids were surprised to see what a large percentage of their overall intake the rice, corn and potatoes were. Keeping the journal has enabled them to see for themselves what they truly consume, rather than taking my word for it. And now we have a record of what we have eaten and liked to use as a reference when meal planning in the future.

One of the vegetables we’ve been exploring lately is bok choy. A member of the brassica family, bok choy provides a similar nutrient profile to other varieties of cabbage: rich in folate, fiber and Vitamin C, it also contains significant amounts of aromatic organic compounds known as indoles, which are linked to lowering the risk of some forms of cancer.  Thanks to the deep green leaves at the top of the stalks, bok choy contains more beta-carotene and significantly more calcium than other members of the cabbage family. I’ve always had bok choy cooked in stir fry, but the stalks have a lovely juicy crunch and the leafy greens a mild mustard flavor — both welcome tastes and textures in a salad.

Bok Choy Salad

• 1 head bok choy
• 1/2-1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbs sesame oil
• 1 Tbs tamari
• salt to taste
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds

1. Chop bok choy in thin slices. Put into a large salad bowl.
2. Add mung bean sprouts. I start mine 2-3 days ahead, soaking then sprouting the mung beans in a jar near the sink. When the tail is about as long as the mung bean itself, the sprouts are ready to eat. If you aren’t ready to pop them in a salad yet, rinse them again, drain well and pop them in the fridge for up to a week until you are ready.
3. I used to mix the dressing separately to emulsify, but these days I just pour the dressing ingredients on the veggies and toss. I add the black and unhulled sesame seeds to garnish.

I have made this dressing when I don’t have bok choy on hand — it’s great with broccoli, carrots, celery, kale, mustard greens, etc. Sometimes I add raisins to bring on the sweetness, sometimes I get the longer mung bean sprouts from the store since the kids prefer them to the smaller, home sprouted version. Either way, we’re really enjoying our salads around here!

FYI, if you’re wondering what criteria were used by Dr. Fuhrman to develop the ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) scores, here’s a list of what was analyzed for each item:

Calcium, Carotenoids: Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Fiber, Folate, Glucosinolates, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, plus ORAC score X 2 (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a method of measuring the antioxidant or radical scavenging capacity of foods).

I don’t often use oil when I make tahini, but if I do, I tend to use sesame oil. I pour the seeds into the Vita-Mix and put the plunger in the lid. As it starts to process, the paste starts to climb the sides of the blender carafe. I use the plunger to push them back down toward the blade and repeat the process for several minutes, until the oils start to release and the paste becomes smooth.

I just made some the other day, and used it to make one of my favorite kale recipes. This kale-tahini recipe can be used as a fresh salad, with red peppers or in-season cherry tomatoes for a splash of color. Alternatively, it works well when dehydrated as kale chips. This dressing clings to the kale and adds a cheesy note to the dried chips. The recipe below makes a big enough batch to dress 2 heads of curly kale (which takes more dressing than lacinato) as well as leave almost a pint left as dip for crudite (another lovely way to enjoy this dressing).

Kale Tahini Salad

• 1 1/2 cups tahini
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 4 scallions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• salt to taste
• dollop of honey
• 2 heads of kale

1. Prepare the kale. I pull the kale off the ribs (you can save the ribs for soup stock — I keep a ziplock bag in the freezer and keep adding carrot tops, broccoli stems, etc until I have enough to make stock) and rinse it in the salad spinner. I then gather it into a tight clump on the cutting board, chop it into bite-size pieces and toss it into a big bowl.
2. You can massage some salt at this step and allow it time to wilt down, but I don’t often have the patience for this so I pour on the dressing once the kale is washed and chopped.
3. I make the tahini in the Vita-Mix, measure out half a cup and put the rest in a jar in the fridge for other purposes.
4. Without rinsing the carafe, I put all the other ingredients in except the salt and kale. After processing to a smooth consistency, I taste it and add salt accordingly. I also like to add something sweet to cut the acid, so I add a spoonful of honey with the salt. Not enough to taste it, just enough to cut the bite.
5. After mixing the dressing thoroughly into the kale, I toss in whatever veggies we’ve got that will add some color — usually cherry tomatoes or red peppers and red onion. Sometimes I add hemp or pumpkin seeds, sometimes carrot shreds. I’m looking for a splash of color, and a touch of sweetness and a bit of a crunch.

I was going to take a lovely photo of the salad all mixed and plated, but alas, Luke came home from work and snarfled what I”d left after my lunch all down in one sitting. Needless to say, we LOVE this salad, and find it to be very filling as well. What more can you ask from a salad? YUM!

What do you like to do with tahini?

I was housebound this weekend with a sick child who didn’t want me to leave his feverish side. Craving something quick, light and tangy, and I came up with this filling salad after scrounging in the fridge and cupboard. It took me about 10 minutes to throw together, and I had leftovers for the next day.

Tangy Carrot Salad

• 4-5 carrots, shredded
• 1/4 large onion, sliced
• 3-4 leaves romaine, sliced
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 sunflower seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 avocado
• small handful of dill, chopped
• juice of 1-2 lemons or 1/4 cup ACV
• 1-2 Tbs olive oil
• 1-2 Tbs nutritional yeast
• salt to taste

Shred carrots, add to bowl with rest of ingredients. Mash avocado and mix salad. All done!

This is definitely one of those that benefits from an overnight in the fridge, allowing the flavors to mellow and meld. I used leftover baked local potatoes, scooped out the inside, put them under the broiler to crisp them up a bit and stuffed this salad inside for dinner tonight. But if I had more fresh produce on hand, I would have stuffed this into a red pepper, or rolled it up in a large collard leaf for a light sandwich wrap lunch! The avocados and seeds/nuts make it really satisfying.

You need no special equipment — I did use the food processor shredding blade for the carrots, but you could use a peeler, grater or mandoline. It’s really flexible — I used what I had on hand today because we planning to be away for the weekend and didn’t have much produce in the house. Next time I will add the nuts just before serving to preserve their crunch.

Today’s question:  What are some of your  favorite salad ingredients?

Cucumber Arame Salad

• 1.5 oz arame
• 4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced very thin
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBS unrefined oil
• pinch pepper

1. Soak arame for 15 minutes in enough water to cover.
2. Sprinkle sea salt on cucumbers and let set for several minutes to release juices.
3. Discard soaking water and chop arame.
4. Mix cucumbers, arame and all other ingredients, and toss.

I will often halve  this recipe and it makes plenty. I usually leave out the black pepper and I do not chop the arame. I leave it in longer strands. I add nutritional yeast about 1 tsp. at a time and stir until it is thickened slightly. In total, I use about 2 TBS. It adds a great flavor! My hubby loves this one and so does my almost 10 year old. My 5 year old would like it with less arame, some sweetener and no red onion. Me, ooooo, it is a favorite!

Sioux adds — I too cut this in half, but my kids like it so much that I might just try not doing so next time. I do chop the arame, I use sesame oil, and I add a tablespoon or so of honey and nutritional yeast, as well as sesame seeds (black if I have them, they look pretty). My entire family loves this recipe, and the kids actually cheer when I say its on the menu. I started introducing this recipe with less arame than called for, but have slowly increased it now that everyone is familiar with it. The taste of the arame is pretty mild, actually, and it didn’t take us too long to get up to the full amount.

Cabbage is high in vitamin K and vitamin C. It also contains manganese, vitamin B6, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, tryptophan, protein and magnesium.

Eating cabbage and others from this family have been shown to lower the risk of breast cancer in women so stock up ladies!

This recipe is so incredibly easy and very satisfying. By the way, tryptophan is the same thing found in turkey that makes people feel sleepy after. This is of course much healthier than that turkey dinner and oh so cheezy and yummy.

Golden Cabbage

• 1 head green cabbage
• 4 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• pepper to taste
• 2 TBS nutritional yeast

Shred cabbage. Add olive oil. Add other ingredients. Put in dehydrator to desired softness.

My adaptions:
Sometimes I just cut the cabbage real thin. This time I used the shedding blade on my food processor. I didn’t really measure the ingredients and it still comes out fantastic every time. I didn’t have garlic powder so I added a clove of chopped garlic. The rest I did as the recipe states. I do not dehydrate this and don’t find it necessary at all. I do massage the cabbage to mix it around and this helps wilt the cabbage a little to make it softer. This recipe is so versatile. You can easily add other veggies to dress it up as well. Carrots or red pepper would look especially pretty.

Sioux pipes up: Hemp or chia seeds add a nice crunch and flavor,  giving a big boost to the nutrient profile as well. I also often add thinly sliced red onion for color and flavor. We don’t dehydrate it, and like it both fresh and after it’s been marinating for a while. Lucia prefers it fresh and with a sprinkle of chia seeds in her bowl, but will eat it once it has wilted down a bit.

Leftovers can always be topped on salad or used in a collard with other veggies as a wrap.

Be creative!

With that said, welcome to crunchybits.net! Our goal is to share information on all the topics that we love and are an important part of each of our families. We will include bits about nutritious and delicious food,  natural parenting, homeschooling, gardening, friendship and other topics that capture our attention and beg us to research them as is our habit.

Sioux and I love discovering those special crunchy bits in the small and big towns that surround us, including family farms, independent bookstores, open spaces, delicious restaurants and more. We want to share this local goodness with you, giving you the chance to support those unique places, as well as being able to learn more about the fun and interesting spots around your town.

So let’s celebrate! This recipe is an all-time favorite, and we have both passed on to pretty much everyone who has tried it because it is just that good!

Kale salad

serves 4 (if you plan on sharing)

• 1 bunch lacinato kale
• 1 bunch of curly green kale
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 2-3 TBS sweetener
• 1 avocado
• ½ red onion
• 1 large tomato

1. Wash kale and tear into bite sized pieces. Drain off water of use a salad spinner.
2. Combine kale, olive oil, cider vinegar, sweetener (we recommend raw local honey or date paste) and salt.
3. Massage for about five minutes. The kale will break down and become the most beautiful dark green.
4. Add chopped avocado, chopped tomato and chopped onion. Massage gently this time until incorporated. I usually go by feel when making this recipe. While massaging you want it to be oily enough without being drenched and it should feel a little sticky while massaging. Make sure to taste test it and add more of what you think it needs.



5. If you can manage to wait, let sit in fridge for an hour before serving. The kale marinates down quite a bit, so don’t be intimidated by the size of the salad when first put into the bowl. You’ll likely end up downsizing bowls to serve it, due to both marination and frequent taste-testing.

Yum!

Now here is the low down…

I use the apple cider vinegar, Sioux uses the equivalent of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

I pour it all in and mix while Sioux prefers to make the dressing and pour it on top before mixing.  I know they are subtle differences, but they do also make subtle differences to the salad. Now it is your turn. Give it a try and add your little twist! Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of the salad, and if you have your own special twist or alternative version to contribute.

The family reviews:

• Husbands: will devour the entire bowl unless under close eye.
• Kids: 3 out of 4 approve!

Enjoy!

Sabrina and Sioux