Fresh Herbed Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette/ Summer Salad

I LOVE summer and as soon as the weather starts getting warm i find myself wanting nature-fresh salads that are filled with juicy vegetables and hearty beans. Salads are typical vegan food, but as you can tell its not all there is to eat on a plant-based diet and they are certainly not my favorite. When i make salads, i make an effort to infuse them with lots of flavor and experiment with adding fruits, cooked vegetables, and savory dressings. On a hot summer day, this is a perfect fix.


Fresh Herbed Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
suitable for any salad combination, and lots of flavor
2tbs Fresh Herbs (i used; a lot of basil; thyme, sage, oregano and mint), just a few leaves of each
2clv Garlic*
1 Lemon zest, juice
2tbs White Wine Vinegar*
4tbs Grapeseed Oil*
s/p

Prep. finely chop your fresh herb combination, whichever you choose, zest the lemon and mince into tiny pieces as well as juice it
Pureed Garlic*. you want to do this to avoid eating raw chunks of garlic; start by mincing it as well as you can, then add a pinch of coarse salt. follow this video for how to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOJN9bmWKQ
Oil/Vinegar. i don't really measure, only by taste, in a small jar the lemon juice filled 1/4, the vinegar filled 1/4 then the oil 1/2
Emulsify. with a whisk, or if using a small jar add lid and shake it up, Taste* and modify ingredients, i added more oil and a few drops agave nectar at the end, you can also use honey or maple to sweeten; add salt and pepper

Salad Combo
for my salad pictured here i have
-romaine lettuce
-steamed snow peas
-cucumber
-yellow pepper
-sweet onion
-chickpeas
~sesame seeds

Variations
~green lentils taste great in here
~fresh tomatoes/red peppers/green onion
~add minced shallots to the dressing
~use as a dressing over steamed or grilled vegetables

Green Words of Wisdom in my opinion, a sunny day and connecting to nature is the best way to ground your energies and remind yourself to be in the present moment. i always find that when i connect to and appreciate nature, my body craves and appreciates food more. that same feeling prompted the creation of this salad dressing which comes with herbs grown in our garden, as well as many local ingredients in the salad. I truly wish we could experience more fresh produce here in Canada because consuming foods straight from the earth that we know is coming from a safe and healthy place, creates the best feeling within. Eating fresh brings us back to ourselves.
Enjoy your day everyone! and remember to get outside xoxo Green-Love Goddess