Green with Growing Envy TEXT: Gourmet Gadget Gal, Jane Gaither
At this time of the year, when I have to run hither and yon around my winter-worn town to pick up poster board for a school project or shirts from the dry cleaners, I find myself pulled almost magnetically to the local plant nursery. I wish I could unfold a lawn chair, unwrap a sandwich and sit in the luscious, green, humid sun room to enjoy my lunch. Instead, I find myself wandering aisle to aisle, soaking in the vibrant colors and buying too many flats of tender, young plants that have nearly no hope of survival once they leave the greenhouse and come home with me. For as competent a cook as I may be, I am a completely incompetent gardener, which is puzzling as I come from a very long line of farmers, orchardists, beekeepers and woodsmen. I practically grew up outdoors with my mother in her flowerbeds and my grandmother in her vegetable garden, but with the exception of a small bed of hardy strawberries I manage to doom any plant I touch. Thankfully many of the communities in our state now have CSA’s (community supported agriculture farms) that allow gifted green thumbs to share their gardens with people who want to eat local homegrown (and often organic) foods. The CSA farm I buy from has a website where I choose what fruits and vegetables I want as they come available and select cut flowers to fill my home all summer long. I feel perfectly blissful picking up my first basket of early spring baby lettuce and a large bunch of gorgeous jonquils. Shares in a CSA usually cost about $25 each week for 15 weeks and customers generally receive a half-bushel basket filled with produce. Items like flowers, honey and organic soap cost extra, but I always feel good knowing that if I can’t grow homegrown, I can bring homegrown home. The earliest vegetables of spring that arrive in my basket are new baby lettuces, green onions and baby spinach. This is my favorite first spring vegetable salad recipe and a classic Tennessee dish. It’s the only way I can eat bacon and feel that it might not be so bad for me.
Wilted Lettuce Salad - serves 2-4 Ingredients: 5 cups of baby salad greens such as romaine, red leaf, spinach and arugula 4 slices of bacon 6 green onions, sliced 2 Tablespoons red cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Directions: Carefully wash salad mix and dry with paper towels to remove water. Place greens in salad bowl and toss with green onions. Place bacon in preheated, non- aluminum skillet and fry until crisp. Remove bacon to plate and slightly cool the oil. You should have 1 Tbs of oil. Add the cider vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the oil, increase the heat and whisk until sugar is dissolved and dressing is hot. Pour hot dressing over the salad greens and toss. The greens should begin to wilt. Crumble bacon on top of salad and serve immediately.
Wilted Lettuce Salad Photo Courtesy of Jane Gaither
For information on local CSA’s in your area of Tennessee please visit: http://www.localharvest.org/ - a website to find farmers’ markets, family farms and other sources of sustainably grown food where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats and many other goodies.