the first of many blogs about salads
Now is the time of year for salads. At least that's what I think. No one wants to heat the kitchen, so simple and fresh vegetables are the way to go. I find myself making side salads on a daily basis.
The other day I made Anna Olson's Quinoa Bruchetta Salad. Ever since I discovered quinoa with the Quinoa Cucumber Salad from Everyday Food I love to eat it as a side. I just dislike how expensive quinoa seems to be. I'm only finding it at Bulk Barn right now so I'm going to do a bit of hunting through supermarkets to price compare.
I had a meet-up at Zooz the other day and we were all to bring something to contribute. I wanted something that moms and babies could enjoy, so I threw together a salad based on ingredients I had in the house along with fresh produce from Tina's farm stand (located on Lakeshore Rd. just a few km from Werner's farm stand).
I can officially say this is my favourite farm stand. Like a fool, I arrived at Tina's at 10am on the first of many stops of the day without cash! I picked up 3 zucchinis, 2 yellow squash, 1 red bell pepper and 4 cobs of corn to arrive at the cash register with only a debit card. How embarrassing. The gentlemen who cashed me through asked if I was a local and told me to just take my produce and come back when I had time to pay my tab. Would that happen anywhere else these days? Nowhere. I felt so humbled and appreciative of this gesture that after Owen's nap I scootched over to the ATM and made sure to give the stand a tip for their kindness.
Along with singing the praises of Tina's I must mention that my total for everything was just over $4. They are the most well-priced farm stand out there. I know if your into local farm stands you don't visit them to save money. You shop there because everything is picked at the peak of freshness and ripeness, therefore the flavour is beyond anything you will purchase in a supermarket. As well, you are supporting your local farmers keeping your spending local.
Back to the salad - I used these vegetables grilled to make this Israeli Couscous Salad. I made a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar mixed with olive oil, pepper and dijon. I added some parsley and basil and voila! I held back on the salt since I wanted this to be considered a baby-fied version. I know, dijon and vinegar aren't typically considered baby food, but it went over well just the same. Everyone loved it!
The other day I made Anna Olson's Quinoa Bruchetta Salad. Ever since I discovered quinoa with the Quinoa Cucumber Salad from Everyday Food I love to eat it as a side. I just dislike how expensive quinoa seems to be. I'm only finding it at Bulk Barn right now so I'm going to do a bit of hunting through supermarkets to price compare. 
I had a meet-up at Zooz the other day and we were all to bring something to contribute. I wanted something that moms and babies could enjoy, so I threw together a salad based on ingredients I had in the house along with fresh produce from Tina's farm stand (located on Lakeshore Rd. just a few km from Werner's farm stand). 
I can officially say this is my favourite farm stand. Like a fool, I arrived at Tina's at 10am on the first of many stops of the day without cash! I picked up 3 zucchinis, 2 yellow squash, 1 red bell pepper and 4 cobs of corn to arrive at the cash register with only a debit card. How embarrassing. The gentlemen who cashed me through asked if I was a local and told me to just take my produce and come back when I had time to pay my tab. Would that happen anywhere else these days? Nowhere. I felt so humbled and appreciative of this gesture that after Owen's nap I scootched over to the ATM and made sure to give the stand a tip for their kindness. 
Along with singing the praises of Tina's I must mention that my total for everything was just over $4. They are the most well-priced farm stand out there. I know if your into local farm stands you don't visit them to save money. You shop there because everything is picked at the peak of freshness and ripeness, therefore the flavour is beyond anything you will purchase in a supermarket. As well, you are supporting your local farmers keeping your spending local.
Back to the salad - I used these vegetables grilled to make this Israeli Couscous Salad. I made a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar mixed with olive oil, pepper and dijon. I added some parsley and basil and voila! I held back on the salt since I wanted this to be considered a baby-fied version. I know, dijon and vinegar aren't typically considered baby food, but it went over well just the same. Everyone loved it!
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