Tags
chia seeds, Fiesta Friday, Fiesta Friday #34, food art, recipe, salad, salad dressing, vegan, vegetarian
Look, I made this poster!
And this big bowl of salad.
With foraged finds from my backyard.
Okay, they are not exactly foraged finds. They are vegetables and flowers that I planted.
Well, most of them are. Some are really weeds that planted themselves.
What I’m trying to say is that my garden has become a jungle mess due to neglect and uncare (is that a word?), with cultivated vegetables mingling happily with uncultivated weeds, that it felt like I was foraging when I picked them.
Truthfully, I quite enjoyed picking these surprises. It was like….hey look, I found lettuce in here, woohoo! Where did they come from? Oh, yeah, I planted them way back. Good to know they stayed alive. And look, there is even purslane growing with them. I love that in a salad, so let’s pick some of that, too.
So, I picked a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Before I knew it, I had a big bowl of salad. How cool is that? I sound like Ina Garten, but hey, how cool is that? Isn’t she always saying things like that? Like….how easy was that? ….how was that for easy?….how pretty is that? …etc., etc.
Anyway, I just want to show you that sometimes it pays to keep a garden, even if it’s neglected, or even if you have a resident groundhog. ‘Coz you’ll never know, some days you might end up with a big bowl of salad.
Or a poster.
So, what does this have anything to do with meals with mom? Well, as you know, my mom is here visiting. Unfortunately, not for much longer. Fortunately, since she’s been here, my diet has become much more varied and gasp, healthy! She is somewhat of a health-nut, my mother. So, most meals we have at home these past few weeks typically involve healthy ingredients. This salad, served on quinoa, is no exception. She even insisted on adding chia seeds to my vinaigrette. Not a bad insistence, actually. The chia added a bit of crunch.
Chia Seed Vinaigrette
1 tbsp raw chia seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp agave nectar or honey or sugar
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a jar. Place the lid tightly, and shake until vinaigrette is emulsified. Makes a little over 1/2 cup.
***
Thanks to Sylvia and Andrea for co-hosting last week’s fiesta. They helped me select the following features:
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream from Michelle @Giraffes Can Bake.
Pumpkins are on my mind these days. Probably ‘coz I’m seeing pumpkins everywhere! So, this immediately got my attention. I don’t know any other more creative use of pumpkin than this one. This even beats Harry Potter’s pumpkin juice. Yes, ice cream beats juice anytime! I am so making this, Michelle! And I don’t even need an ice cream maker. Might as well. Mine just died on me.
2 Recipes, Eating Clean and Special Walnuts from Suzanne @apuginthekitchen.
Aaw, this is such a sweet post. I just love it when Fiesta Friday friends get together, and even more when somehow food is involved. Suzanne’s healthy recipes feature special walnuts gifted by Patty. That makes the recipes even more meaningful, doesn’t it? I think so. Besides, this is a must-pick post for me this week, in honor of my mom and her healthy-eating style. She loves these recipes.
Apple Turnovers from Naina @Spice In The City.
In Sylvia’s words, “I simply love the pictures on the garden setting, I feel transported right into an apple orchard and the pastry looks so fresh, I can only imagine how juicy and fruity they taste!”
If I’m not thinking of pumpkins, I’m definitely thinking of apples. It’s the season, after all. Naina always has a way of making her food so darn irresistible. It’s the way she presents them. Those turnovers got me all hungry, what else but for some sweet, juicy, apple-y dessert.
So I was overjoyed when I saw Ngan @ngan made it came with her French Apple Cake. Isn’t it a beauty?
Andrea thinks so. In her words, “I knew I’d love this French Apple Cake when I saw it at Fiesta Friday. One slice of the cake says it all. Layers of sliced apples and custard topped with powdered sugar. I can imagine it to be as sweet and luxurious as Ngan says it is. It’s just perfect for the fall season!”
***
It’s time for Fiesta Friday #34! The dream team of Selma @Selma’s Table and Elaine @Foodbod gets together once more to share co-hosting duties with me. We are waiting to welcome you to the party!
Click on the button below to join the party. If you’re new to Fiesta Friday, please read the guidelines.
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The Novice Gardener 
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I love the poster. It is always a joy when we find produce in our garden. I have regularly used chia seeds in my salad dressing. I have used this to make coleslaw using red cabbage and I use it in fish tacos. Yum!
Thanks, Su! Wow, chia in fish tacos! Aren’t you full of clever ideas! I’ll have to give that a try, seriously. Thanks for the great tips. Btw, I’ve been having chia daily now, thanks to Mom :-).
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Beautiful salad with pretty little flowers!!! I love the way you always present beautifully your dishes! It’s always a pleasure to see what you are up to…:-) X
It takes one to know one, eh, Serena? You plate your food so beautifully yourself, more so than I. XOXO
…I guess we have very similar tastes then 😉 XX Anyway, I love your style, you know that!
Oh my goodness, I missed a whole party! What a beautiful salad and mosaic of colors. I love a colorful bowl of greens and this would definitely be a hit at my house. I see the chia seeds made it onto the salad, too. 🙂 Thank you for the feature, dear Angie!
Hey Ngan, where you been, girl? Yeah, that French apple cake was so beyootiful! I’m going to give it a try one of these days. ❤
Everything looks so appetizing and absolutely beautiful – almost too pretty to eat! 🙂
Thank you so much, Lana! So glad you stopped by. Don’t be a stranger! 😃
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