FARM TO TABLE: EASY CHOPPED SALAD WITH PURPLE BEANS, BROCCOLI, CARROTS AND TAHINI DRESSING

 
This is the second year my sister and her sister-in-law Jean-Marie (who are both contributors on this blog) coordinated our annual Seedling Swap this year.  I LOVE this annual swap.  Last year my garden didn't do so well.  I didn't plan the location of my garden well.  I am happy to report, however, that this year, my garden is doing pretty well.

The basics for a seedling swap is to send out seeds to all the participants to plant and grow at their homes.  And when the seedlings are ready, we all get together to swap them. A gardening party! Each person is in charge of about two varieties of seedlings.   Check out our seedling swap blog HERE. 

friends at the seedling swap

seedlings to be traded

my seedling stash

 My sister got the seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and you can find them at www.rareseeds.com.  They are fabulous!  They have an amazing selection of unusual vegetables and fruit seeds.  All of their seeds are non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented.    If you are going to grow  your own garden, definitely check them out.

This year I decided to do a potted garden on my patio, so that I remember to pay more attention to it and nurture it.  So far so good.  I had my first harvest of purple beans yesterday.

my patio garden early on

my little gardener watering our tomatoes

harvested purple beans

the gorgeous color of the purple beans... apologize for the blurriness

The color of these beans are amazing.  I decided to make a simple salad with it -   A super simple chopped salad with purple beans, broccoli and carrots topped with a simple tahini dressing.  So delicious!

 

EASY CHOPPED SALAD WITH PURPLE BEANS, BROCCOLI AND CARROTS

Equal amounts of:
Chopped purple beans (if you don't have purple beans you can use green beans or haricot verts)
Chopped broccoli
Chopped carrots
Optional chopped jicama and chopped red or golden beets
Handful of sliced almonds

TAHINI DRESSING

1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon white miso
1-1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup water
chopped cilantro optional
dash of tamari or soy sauce optional

Wisk all the indgredients for the dressing in a mason jar or bowl.

Toss all the ingredients except the almonds for the salad together in a medium bowl.  Plate the salad and then top with the almonds and dress as desired.

Voila!


Here are some snap shots of  my gal pal's gardens post seedling swap...  Happy gardening!

my sister's garden

more of my garden basil and tomatillos

garden of my friend Deniz

garden of my friend Britney

 Also, check out Britney's blog post about gardening with her daughter on Family Sponge.  Click HERE to go to the blog post.

Happy Wednesday!

FARM TO TABLE

Eating a more plant based diet definitely has it's rewards.  One of them being, a healthy and happy you!  If you have ever had the opportunity to grow your own garden, you know that this has it's rewards as well.  Watching your seeds sprout, tending to the seedlings and then harvesting the fruits is a really fulfilling experience.  And let me tell you, there is nothing like tasting a freshly picked sun ripened tomato straight from the vine.  

 

Yum!

 

Spring is just around the corner, and if you haven't yet, now is the perfect opportunity to start thinking about planning a vegetable garden of your own.  Whether you live in a house with a yard (front, side or back) or in an apartment with a balcony (ready for some potted tomatoes, peppers or herbs), a garden is something that is within your reach.  We started with just a seriously tiny sliver of a spot and reaped enough harvest to feed many families!  Why not give your inner green thumb a go?  :)  Plus, it is a fun family project and a great learning experience for the kiddies (and adults alike).  To see their faces light up when their seedlings start to produce and when harvest time arrives, priceless!

If you have always thought about starting one and are still on the fence, here is a list of reasons why it is something worth considering - 12 Important Reasons to Have a Home Vegetable Garden (via localblu)

Here are some shot of our vegetable garden over the last few years...

 Green Onions
 

 Tomatoes
 

 

 Chinese Long Beans
 

Variety of Herbs

 

Cucumbers

 

Tomatillos

Radishes

 

Squash and Lemon Cucumbers

More to come on easy steps in starting a garden.... Hope you start one this spring! 

xo Yumi