Preparing a Backyard Salad Recipe
When I lived on the East Coast and wanted to make a salad with “exotic” greens, all I had to do was go out to the backyard, positively identify what I wanted, and wash the greens before making them into a salad. Impossible, you say? Not really, if your backyard is home to a number of naturally edible plants that are both delicious and healthy in a salad. Greens like the leaves of strawberry plants, dandelions, nasturtiums, violets, and lamb’s-quarters can make an exotic salad mixed together and have health benefits as well.
Strawberry plants, whether growing wild or domestic in your yard, is high in vitamin C, a water soluble vitamin that wards off colds. Dandelions, even though are officially a weed and can wreck havoc all over a nice green grass lawn, are becoming popular in the produce aisle of the grocery store. This weed with the pretty yellow flower has leaves that are bitter to taste at first, but the health benefits of these leaves are powerful.
Dandelion greens can maintain a healthy liver, prevent hepatitis, blood purifier, prevents kidney stones, prevent diabetes type 2, lower your cholesterol, maintains a healthy heart and healthy blood, and keeps the body’s waste disposal system in great shape. Dandelions are loaded with Vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and fiber.
Nasturtiums belong to the watercress family, and not only are the leaves edible of this pretty flower but the blossoms are, too. The leaves act as an antibiotic in the body that works quickly to ward off any oncoming illnesses.
Violets, which grow mainly wild and come in purple, blue, and white, have leaves that contain vitamins A and C, and can cleanse the digestive system. It is not advised to eat violet leaves in large quantities as this can cause nausea and possibly vomiting. As with the nasturtiums, wild violet flowers are also edible and can be a pretty decorative addition to your salad.
Lamb’s-quarters, also known as pigweed and goosefoot, is another weed that is high in vitamins A, calcium, potassium, and protein. Leaves off of the young plants are best before they mature. These greens are also good for high blood pressure.
When you do go out in the wild for these plants, look for those that are clear with nothing that suggests some insect has also been eating the leaves. If the greens are from your yard, make sure they are free of pesticides. Wash the greens really well, several times in a colander with cold water.
And now, for the recipe:
1/2 cup violet leaves
1/2 cup dandelion leaves
1/2 cup nasturtium leaves
1/2 cup strawberry leaves
1/2 cup lamb’s-quarter leaves
half a cucumber, cut in slices
one green onion, chopped.
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
Optional:
1 tablespoon of violet flowers
a handful of nasturtium flowers
Toss the washed greens, sliced cucumber, chopped green onion, and tomatoes well in a large salad bowl. If you want to add violet or nasturtium flowers, wash those well before adding to the top of the salad. For a dressing, use Italian or raspberry vinaigrette.
Makes 4 servings.
Image Credit: Aneth David (SLU), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
