Background:
Simple food is sometimes the best. The delicate flavors of the lemon, red peppercorns, fresh avocado, tomatoes, peppers and crisp greens blend so well together and then the delightful combination of Parmesan and olive oil makes the most delicious dressing. The nutty flavor comes from the pine nuts or the croutons – but if you are looking to save calories, they really are not necessary to make this work – it will taste wonderful without those added ingredients. We eat salad with every meal except breakfast. And we are blessed that we pick it from our Little Farm fresh every day. On the rare occasion that we do not remember to pick the salad, and use that which I stored in a plastic zip lock back left OPEN the day before, we are always amazed at how fresh it still tastes. There is truly nothing better that nature can offer and it is healthy too!
Ingredients:
Organic lettuce mix – various kinds
Red Peppercorns fresh if possible 1/4 cup
Two Avocados pitted and peeled, chopped chunky
Baby red and or yellow cherry tomatoes
Peppers of different colors
Basil – Green or Black -about 8 leaves
Dressing made with a good olive oil and fresh lemon juice
Juice of one lemon
Finely grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: None for salad
Directions:
- Put the cherry tomatoes in a salad bowl with the sliced diced peppers
- Take the avocado which has been cleaned and chopped chunky, and add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix gently.
- Add the avocado mixture to the tomatoes in the bowl.
- Add the red peppercorns.
- Then put the mixed greens along with the basil leaves that you have torn into very small pieces, on top. The reason we put the greens on top is to prevent them from wilting with the weight of the other ingredients, and the liquid in the avocado mixture.
- Now mix together the rest of the lemon juice with a good olive oil ( one part juice to two parts oil, and add the finely grated Parmesan cheese to the dressing. Whisk it well.
- Set aside until ready to serve the salad.
- You are even better off not adding the salad greens to the tomato avocado pepper mixture until you are ready to serve the salad.
- I add a few croutons on top – home made – or pine nuts that have been briefly browned in a little Pam spray or olive oil.
Home Made Croutons: A great way to recycle stale bread.
Ingredients:
Day old or older bread
Olive oil to taste and/or Pam Spray
Garlic or herbs to taste
Salt to taste
Frying pan
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Directions:
Take day old ( or older) bread and cut it into pieces. Add olive oil to a frying pan and when medium hot add the bread pieces. Add garlic salt if you like it – or herbs. Saute on a very low heat until browned on all sides. You may need to add more Pam Spray or olive oil to taste. Cool and add to salad just before serving. Keep in the fridge – keeps for weeks.
