HEALTHY, DELICIOUS WINTER SALAD

Winter Garden  Raised Bed

Granted, up to now we haven't had much winter here in Tennessee but January has finally gotten a little colder. Not that I care, I'd be happy with spring, summer and fall and skip winter entirely. One perk of colder days is winter crops, especially greens, in the garden. I planted a couple of kinds of greens, Cilantro and Parsley along with the permanent crops of Horseradish and Hard-neck Garlic in one of my raised beds. The cover that you see over the bed is white Tulle - I had it on hand and it keeps the squirrels out and a little heat in.

Fresh Winter Salad Greens

A few days ago I raided the raised beds and found some really good healthy baby greens. I made a salad with them and tossed in a few sprouts from my sprout starter. I nearly always have fresh strawberries in the refrigerator so I added some of those too along with Dandelion Greens I found in the yard. I tossed some homemade croutons on top (click the link for my recipe) and used Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil to dress it. A couple of slices of Swiss and Pepper Jack cheese made the meal. Below are some of the greens I used. I snipped the tops of the garlic plants - bulbs aren't ready to harvest yet - same with the Horseradish - green tops are spicy and good in a salad. You would be surprised at what you might have growing in your yard that is eatable.