What's up - I managed to snap some photos of the garden between rain showers today.  I also did a little weeding and transplanted some of my zinnia starts, but that's another story.  Today's post is simply a visual reminder of how the garden is progressing by mid-May.  It really looks like a garden now and we are beginning to enjoy the fruits of Reyn's earlier labor.  Tonight we feasted on freshly picked lettuce, onions, and radishes.  We've now harvested two ripe strawberries, the raspberries are setting berries, and it won't be long until the peas are producing. 
                                                                            

                         
Onions                                                                          Peas

Potatoes bordered by red lettuce                                           Beets           

            

                                       

     

At last, greens -  picked just before dinner and oh, so young and tender. Suddenly we have a cold-frame full of lettuce.  The leaves are big, delicate and succulent; they are tender and sweet, and perfect.  My dream has finally come true, we're eating from our garden.

So, what does one do with these beautiful young leaves?  It was clear that some sort of salad was in order. First, I perused the pantry and vegetable drawer of my refiegerator, then decided on a variation of one of my favorites - a lentil salad with grated carrots and beets, on a bed of lettuce, of course.

I started with beautiful teeny, tiny black lentils, then added chopped broccoli, sliced scallions, grated raw carrots, and lightly sauteed grated beets.  A tasty vinaigrette pulls it all together, making a beautifully colorful and satisfying one dish meal.  You may want to round out the meal with a dish of hummus served with crackers or a good loaf of bread.  Here are specifics on how I made the salad:


Lentil Salad with Broccoli, Beets, and Carrots

Lettuce leaves, torn into large pieces
1 cup small black lentils
3 cups water
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
Rinse lentils then combine with water, garlic, and salt in a small pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are cooked, but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Add more water if needed. Drain and allow to cool.

1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, grated

1 - 2 beets, grated

1 Tbsp chopped almonds
1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

Vinaigrette:  Whisk together
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp sugar
14 tsp salt
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Prepare vinaigrette. In a bowl, combine lentils, broccoli, scallions and about 1/3 of dressing. Allow to sit at room temperature.  Place grated carrots in a bowl and toss with a touch of dressing.  Lightly saute grated beets in 1 Tbsp olive oil until slightly limp, about 2 minutes.  Drizzle with a little dressing.

To serve, line plates with a generous amount of lettuce leaves, top with beets, carrots, and lentils.  Drizzle a little dressing over each plate.  Sprinkle chopped almonds atop the lentils, black sesame seeds over the carrots, and white sesame seeds atop the beets.  That's it!  Simple, fresh and very good.  Enjoy!