Micro-green Farm to Table Salad

With Michael newly being instated as sous chef at A-Frame, part of his new repertoire is to be in contact with farmers from local farms in the Oxnard and Malibu. In honor of local farmers and the gorgeous harvest of the California summer we created this lovely and bright micro green and herbed salad with fresh vegetables topped with queso fresco. We hope you enjoy this salad and take a look at what your local farmers have to offer to you!

*There is no real measurement to this salad, except for dressing, but use your own judgment….you want a relatively even amount of vegetables.

Ingredients: serves 4-6
4 medium heirloom tomatoes
3 Persian cucumbers
3 small golden beets
2 small ears yellow corn
5 large leaves basil
2 large sprigs tarragon
2 cups micro-greens
2 large cloves garlic
3 tablespoons ponzu
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 lemon
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ cup queso fresco

 

Most of this salad is just prepping and cutting your ingredients. I created a mini buffet of sorts and put it together at will.

To start, clean all of your vegetables, and set out a few small bowl to place your vegetables in. Running the blade of a knife along the center of an ear of corn away from your body, remove all corn kernels. Next quarter and dice your cucumbers. Using a mandolin if you have one, slice beets paper thin, as thin as a chip. Then dice your tomatoes into pieces all the same size.

For the tarragon, pull all the leaves off by holding the top end of the little sprig and rubbing your finger in the opposite direction to pull leaves off, then chiffonade. To chiffonade all of your basil at once, lay the leaves on top of each other, roll them up tightly, and then slice from right to left. Mix tarragon and basil together.

In a large bowl pour an even amount of all of the chopped and cut vegetable together, and half of the tarragon basil mix.  Pour 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in, all of your black pepper, and ½ Tablespoon of salt, and stir and let sit for no less than 10 minutes.

To create your salad dressing, finely chop garlic and place in small bowl with remainder of salt and olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and the ponzu. Mix together. Pour ¾ of the dressing in the vegetables and mix together.

To assemble the salad, mix the rest of the basil mix with your micro greens and toss with the rest of the salad dressing a bit at a time. Be sure not to drown the greens, so if you feel it is too much dressing don’t use it all.

The best way to plate is to toss a small amount of green with a large spoonful of vegetables and a Tablespoon of queso fresco at a time, or just mix everything together at once!

Enjoy, and get to know what is growing in your neck of the woods.

 

 

 

 

Back to School Lunchbox!!!

  These days I really have no idea when kids start school. When I was younger it was after labor day, until I got to high school, now it seems that many children start really early. For those of us who remember starting school after labor day, here is a back to school lunch for your kids (or yourself). Every paper bag lunch should consist of a sandwich, chips, some dip, and a little something sweet. Michael was such a cute little boy, and sometimes I still make him PBJ sammies so here is a healthy twist on all the good things that little kids love. Our lunch line up today is:

Peanut Butter Banana and Honey Sandwich
Carrot Chips
Greek Dip
Chocolate Covered Apple Slices

Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Banana and Honey Sandwich:

2 slices 100% whole wheat bread
4 Tlb. organic creamy peanut butter
1 ½ Tlb. orange blossom honey
1 ripe banana

Carrot Chips and Dip:

4 large carrots
2 Tsp. sea salt
2 Tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 cucumber
1 stem dill

Chocolate Covered Apples:

1 granny smith
Chocolate dip mix

 

 

 

 

I honestly am using a microwaveable chocolate mix because it is so easy, quick, and tasty. This lunch is for your kids, and you don’t need to slave over the small things to achieve what you want. That being said core and slice your apple, then following the instructions heat up your chocolate. Dip the slices in the chocolate, place on a wax paper covered plate, and leave in the freezer to harder.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and peal the skin off of the carrots, and then chop into three sections. Using a mandolin, or whatever thin slicer instrument you have, slice the carrots paper thin. In a bowl mix together the carrot, olive oil and sea salt. Lay all the slices out on to two baking sheets (they can touch but not overlap). Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes, at the half way point flip the sheet trays around. Once they are finished, take out and lay on a cooling rack so they can crisp up.

In the meantime make the dip by peeling and very finely dicing half of the cucumber, and dicing up the dill. Mix up the greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, and a pinch of salt.

Now on to the finale, the sandwich, three easy steps. Take the bread, spread the peanut butter, place banana slices, drizzle honey, put top slice on, slice… and eat!!!

This lunch is so simple, delicious, and healthy. Wind down the summer and get ready for the school year, and make your kids this lunch….hey even boyfriends love it!!!