SUNSHINE SALAD

Sunshine Salad bursting with Taste

During these slushy sometimes-winter, sometimes-spring days in March, nothing is nicer than a Sunshine Salad.  Fresh lettuces, arugula micro-greens, sprouted sunflower seeds and juicy mango join spicy ground cardamom and cayenne in a flavorsome promise of things growing in the garden in the warm and sunny days to come.  

Cardamom Seeds Ground for Marinade

  
The Ingredients: 1- 1/2 cups mixed lettuces; 1 cup arugula micro-greens; 1/2 cup soaked and lightly sprouted sunflower seeds; 1 large ripe mango, diced; 2 tablespoons olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon; 1 teaspoon maple syrup; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; light sprinkle of salt.

Juice fresh lemon into olive oil

The Marinade:  In a large serving bowl, add two tablespoons of olive oil.  Juice half a lemon into oil.  

Whisk until light and frothy

Stir in 1 teaspoons ground cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt. Whisk all ingredients together until oil emulsifies, turning light and opaque in colour.

Soaked and Lightly Sprouted Sunflower Seeds

The Sprouts and Micro-greens:
To the marinade, add 1/2 cup of soaked and lightly sprouted sunflower seeds. 

Arugula Micro-greens and Sunflower Seeds

Gently mix in 1 cup arugula micro-greens.

Fragrant and Sweet Haden Mango

The Mango:
Wash, and peel a large ripe mango.

Sliced and Diced Delight

Slice the flesh away from the flat pit, and dice.

"Marinading marries the flavours"...zen-cuisine

Add fruit to serving bowl, and carefully incorporate it into the other ingredients. 
Cover and let rest in marinade while preparing the remaining ingredients.

The Lettuce:  Choose a mixture of your favorite lettuces, or greens like spinach, bok choy, or arugula.

Roots still nurturing greens

This 'living summer salad' mix contains Romaine, Deer Tongue, Tango Leaf, and Oak Leaf  lettuces.
 

Chemical-Free and Fresh Organic Lettuces

Remove 'living lettuce' from the root ball.

A Tasty Variety

Wash leaves and pat dry. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces.
 

Mango-licious Sunshine Salad

To Assemble: Add lettuce to salad bowl, and toss well to coat with marinaded greens and seeds. Enjoy with fresh bread or crackers.

Marinade on bottom; lettuce on top

Serving Tip:
If you are making the salad ahead  of time, place lettuce on top of marinaded ingredients, cover, and refrigerate until needed. The lettuce will stay crisp when you are ready to toss it into the salad just before serving.

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