Two leaves of Romaine
One carrot choppedOne entire carrot top (the green stuff) chopped
Sunflower seeds
A drizzle of grape seed oil
One tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
a little bit of salt
a few (like 4 or 5) red grapes sliced
and Gorgonzola or blue cheese sprinklesOne perfectly healthy and absolutely delicious single serve salad
I absolutely LOVE this salad!!! And I can say that with the utmost sincerity because I've been eating it (or a slight variation) almost every day for several weeks. Carrot greens are said to be bitter and fibrous but very good for you. My little secret is that I really enjoy them. The acidity from the balsamic, the slightly sweet addition of the grapes, and the bite from the Gorgonzola cheese pair perfectly with the bitter green carrot top. The crunch and nutty flavor from the sunflower seeds is a perfect addition. I chopped up four fresh basil leaves for this particular salad since I happen to have a basil plant sitting on my window sill and it added a wonderful perfume-y hint, not too overpowering, but perfectly complimentary. It's heavenly! I actually crave this salad now. Okay, you got me that is not Gorgonzola cheese sprinkled on top but it wasn't in the budget today and I ran out. I wasn't about to bust the budget just for the weekend of carrots. (fingers crossed anyway; I found a few recipes I'd love to try but don't have all the ingredients for... just say no, just say no, just say no, haha)
Oooh, never heard of using carrot greens, but it sounds great! Your salad looks delicious :-)
ReplyDeleteI heard of using them on Food Network. I've since looked it up and the article that comes up that made me giggle is "5 leafy greens you've probably never eaten (but should!)" I really do like them a lot BUT the disclaimer is that I'm very proud of my own food that I've grown. The strawberries from our bucket are the tastiest ever. The tomatoes we grew last year were the best I've ever had. I may be a little bit bias.
DeleteLooks delicious, never tried it before but I will give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteThank-you! I really do highly recommend it :)
DeleteOh my! That looks wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteThank-you!
DeleteSunflower seeds are my salad go to addition. I bet the carrot tops maybe give a ridichio kind of taste? No carrot tops though unless someone sells with top at farmers market.
ReplyDeleteI thought about that SAM. I haven't seen them at the store before either. One recipe I saw for them specifically called for a "bunch of carrots from a farmer with the tops on." I read that they wilt pretty quickly so you need to use them right away (or store them in the fridge right away).
DeleteI only thought to use them because ages ago they were a 'Chopped' basket ingredient on Food Network. I'm really glad I tried them. I feel like I've grown a whole separate food, apart from the orange part of the carrot and I LOVE that I'm not just tossing them.
OMG - we are OBSESSED with Chopped!!!! We also like Cutthroat Kitchen, have you seen that one?
ReplyDeleteChopped is so extremely entertaining to me. Plus my husband and I both like it. (I'm not a big TV fan so there's not a ton of shows we enjoy watching together) Cutthroat Kitchen is another favorite! I didn't think I was going to like it at first but my husband got really attached to it and I started watching it with him. Now I love it too.
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