Tonight’s post is more of an idea then it is an actual recipe. Dan was in the mood for gazpacho but I really wanted a salad. So we had both tonight. I saved a little of Dan’s gazpacho to use for my salad dressing and it worked really well. I will definitely be using gazpacho that way again. I have no idea why it took me so long to try it.
To accompany the salad and soup I made dandelion bites. This is a simple concept. You take a dandelion leaf and cut off the bottom of the stem so you have about 4 or 5 inches of the top of the leaf remaining. Place a small amount of nut cheese at the base of the leaf, add a half a sun dried tomato and roll it up. It should be one bite size tasted. Four of these were more than enough tonight with salad for me. You can use any small leaf for this. I warn you these are rich little bursts of flavor. The chewy tomato adds nice textural variation.
Dandelion Greens:
For those of you that are wondering these came from the grocery store or farmers’ market. Some raw sources say you can use the ones that come from your yard. I tried one a few days ago to compare them. The flavor and texture is very close. Dandelion greens are commonly used in Italian cuisine. I like to use them as a salad green, in pesto and in soup. They are so nutritious why not use them everywhere you can. If you like bitter greens you should give them a try. A cup of the raw greens contain: 25 calories, 5,588IU of vitamin A, 428mcg of vitamin K, 103mg of calcium, 19mg of vitamin C and 218mg of phosphorus. Here is the link to the stats at nutrition data.
Unrelated Note:
That is going to be it for me tonight. It is time for me to clean up the kitchen and wind down. I am so happy tomorrow is Friday. As usual I will be running my typical Friday errands. However I will be back in the afternoon. Talk to all soon.
I am hitting the hay, but wanted to stop by and say what a lovely salad you made! I have never found dandelion greens around here. What do they taste like? Will you send me you dressing recipe please, it sounds so appealing!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a nice quiet weekend!
B~
Brandi,
ReplyDeleteDandelion greens are a little bitter and remind me of arugula. I really like them, but I did grow up eating them. If you like bitter greens I think you will like them too.
I used the gazpacho for dressing, the link is in the post. Now I know you really don't feel well. I hope you feel better after you get some rest.
talk to you tomorrow,
Ali
Funny that you wanted one thing and he wanted the other - but soup and salad go hand-in-hand (and apparently in more ways than one!)
ReplyDeleteHeather,
ReplyDeleteWe normally eat the same things so this was odd for us but it was a good thing in the end. I never thought of using gazpacho for dressing until last night. It worked well. I still have a little leftover for my lunch salad today. ;-)
talk to you later,
Ali
I just love dandelion greens and am always looking for new ways to use them--I'm going to make dandelion bites (love the name)! Collard wraps are great, but sometimes it's nice for a change. ;) Have a great long weekend!
ReplyDeleteRicki,
ReplyDeleteI use all kinds of leaves to make "bites". They are so cute and little, which I love. Sometimes I just want a nibble and the collards are too big for that.
hope you have a great weekend too!
Ali