As a little girl I would take the bunch of carrots that my dad brought home from the grocery store and go and burry them in the ground until nothing but the leafy green tops could be seen. I would then distract myself for a while, climbing a tree or pretending to be my favorite movie character, until I decided the carrots had reached a state of full growth and would proceed to pull them out of the ground. Its amazing how, with my childlike imagination, I could feel so connected to the earth by doing this. A part of me was in awe at the feeling of pulling a large edible object out of dirt and I am thankful today, as my imaginative abilities have faded somewhat, that I still have the ability to experience this connection with nature through the very real garden that now lives in my backyard. I’ve harvested many fresh veggies from this garden, including spring peas, broccoli, zucchini, crookneck squash, lettuces, beets, swiss chard, and red onions, but I think that my favorite thing to pull out of the dirt will always be carrots.

Although a little past their prime, these beautiful carrots brightened up the springtime salad pictured below. For the recipe, make sure that you cut similarly sized carrot slices for roasting. You don’t want half the carrots to be shriveled and dry and half to be crunchy and hardly cooked.

Ingredients

• 2-3 carrots, sliced evenly (if you can find a multi-colored bunch, this will look best)
• 3/4 avocado, diced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 4 cups arugula
• 2 ounces goat cheese
• handful parsley leaves, chopped, along with marjoram and chives if on-hand

For the Dressing

• 1 shallot, minced
• juice of 2 oranges
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the carrot slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 15 minutes. While the carrots cook, prepare the quinoa. Heat 2 cups water with 1 cup rinsed quinoa. Bring to a boil. Turn to a gentle simmer and let sit, covered and untouched for 15 minutes with the lid on. After 15 minutes, turn of the heat and let sit for another five minutes before removing the lid and fluffing the quinoa with a fork.

Combine the quinoa and all but a half cup of the arugula in a bowl. Top evenly with the carrots, avocado, remaining arugula, goat cheese and herbs. Combine the dressing ingredients with a whisk and pour as much over the salad as desired. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.

Serves 5-6 as a side salad

Ingredients

• 1 head butter lettuce
• 1 heirloom tomato
• 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup pistachios (raw, unsalted)
• 1 teaspoon agave
• chives and parsley, or any other fresh herbs for garnish
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 small shallot, minced
• salt and pepper

Directions

Wash and dry the lettuce. Arrange in a serving dish. Heat the pistachios in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with agave and stir. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Slice the tomato (peeling if desired) and arrange over the lettuce. Next sprinkle with the cheese and candied pistachios.

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic, white wine vinegar, orange juice, and minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the salad. Top with fresh herbs and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Serves 3 to 4 as a side

Citrus-based salads are so refreshing, and lighten up any meal. This salad was the answer to the dozens of mandarin oranges I had gathered off the tree in my yard. You could substitute regular oranges as well. The mandarins, avocado, and pomegranate seeds are nicely complimented by a dressing of lavender, thyme, and honey.

There’s just something about breaking apart a fresh pomegranate with your hands, scooping out the seeds, and scattering them over a dish. The fruit automatically lightens the dish bringing a burst of freshness both in the form of taste and appearance. To learn how to effectively gather the seeds of a pomegranate see this description from Italian Dish.

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 mandarin oranges
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped lavender
• salt to taste

Peel the skins off the oranges and arrange the segments on the bottom of a serving bowl. Place the sliced avocado and pomegranate seeds on top of the oranges. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the salad.

Serves 4 as a side dish

The colors in this salad make me so happy! Along with being pretty to look at and evoking feelings of nostalgia for Christmas, this salad provides a tangy, fruity burst of flavor. For the lettuce, I highly recommend finding a tender, buttery leaf as it lends the salad a delicate texture and taste.

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups lettuce (I used a red-tip leaf lettuce)
• 1/3 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 can roasted bell pepper (8oz can), washed and sliced into thin 1 1/2″ strips
• 3 kiwis

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• juice of 1 orange
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

After lettuce leaves are washed and patted dry, rip them into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Next, whisk together the four dressing ingredients and pour (all but 1 tablespoon or so) over the lettuce.

Combine the feta, sliced bell peppers, and pine nuts in a small bowl and gently stir in the reserved tablespoon dressing. I like to do this so that the pine nuts start to cluster with the crumbled feta cheese, making delicious cheesy-nutty clusters. Add this mixture to the lettuce and toss to combine. Divide the salad onto four separate plates. Garnish each plate with sliced kiwi.

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Tofu is one of my favorite ways to bulk up a salad. It adds protein and heartiness, turning a salad into a more substantial dish. This simple salad can serve as a side dish or main meal. I like how the strawberries add an extra fresh burst of flavor and many other fruits, such as pears or blueberries would work nicely as well. A note on sautéing the tofu: allowing your pan and the oil to get hot enough before adding the tofu is key to getting it crispy and golden.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 package extra firm tofu (1 block – wrap in paper towel and place bowl or plate on top to drain for at least 10 minutes)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 ounces mixed greens
• about 5-7 strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 cup feta crumbles
• 3 Tablespoons pepitas
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• juice of 1 orange
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Once the tofu has lost much of its moisture, cut into 1-inch cubes. Heat a pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the canola oil and ginger to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Once the pan is hot and the ginger is sizzling, add the tofu. Drizzle with tablespoon soy sauce and flavor with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until all sides of the tofu are golden.

Meanwhile, combine the lettuce, strawberries, feta, and pepitas in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic, orange juice, and salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Top with the sautéed tofu and serve.

Serves 3-4 as an appetizer

This salad is light but surprisingly filling. It is perfect as a side dish or light meal. To make it more substantial consider adding some baked tofu or supplementing the recipe with more veggies.

Below is a picture of my precious herb garden. I love cooking with dried herbs and spices, but I am definitely partial to fresh herbs. When my mom decided to build a vegetable garden in our backyard she was considerate enough to leave this special space right in the middle for me to plant whatever herbs I liked. And man did the herbs grow fast! This picture was taken only a few weeks after planting little herb plants of only a few sprigs each.

I plan on creating a little herb garden at my duplex in Berkeley as well, even if it won’t be as nice as this pretty space. The size constraints of my little windowsill soil box are unfortunately going to force me to pick sides. Lets just say cilantro probably won’t be in the mix anymore (no offense to any cilantro fans out there). I guess I’ll just have to plan ahead with a grocery run if I plan on making mexican food.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces orzo (I used regular orzo because its what I had on-hand, but I also really enjoy this recipe with whole wheat orzo)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1 cup fresh arugula (about 1 ounce), torn into pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook orzo according to package directions. I brought 2.5 quarts water to a boil and cooked the orzo for 4 minutes, which left the pasta perfectly al-dente for this recipe. Drain the orzo thoroughly and transfer to a bowl. Toss the pasta with 1 tablespoon oil and set aside to cool. You may wish to speed up the cooling process by refrigerating, but let the pasta soak in the oil at room temperature for at least 5 minutes first.

When the orzo is cool, add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.

Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish

After having this salad at a friend’s house I just had to make it for myself. The secret to this flavor-packed recipe is in the dressing, which consists of an oil-vinegar base with a mix of garlic, mustard, parmesan, and basil. Because this recipe serves 8, I like to combine just enough ingredients to serve the number of people I plan on feeding and then refrigerate any extra prepared pasta so I can have pasta salads throughout the week.

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• a couple teaspoons fresh cut basil (or about 1 teaspoon dried basil)

Pasta Salad:

• 1/2 lb pasta (I used a 50/50 combination of 100% whole wheat and regular Fusilli)
• 1 lb mixed greens
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Put 1/2 dressing in warm pasta. Refrigerate before serving and toss everything.

Serves 8