Gizzy in Heaven!

Gizzy in Heaven!
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Saturday, April 2, 2011

Garden Salad

Garden Salad anyone?


Here's my first actual salad on a plate from my harvest of Grand Rapids leaf lettuce that I sowed February 22nd:


As pretty as it looks, this lettuce is not what I call a hearty variety for serious crunchers like me. The leaves are extremely thin and tender. They barely hold up to a rinse under the faucet and have to be treated very gingerly .While tasty, I would have to eat three plates full to feel like I had a salad since the leaves virtually melt in your mouth. For me half the fun of eating raw is the crunch, which is why I prefer Romaine lettuce, fresh spinach or even Napa cabbage as the basis for my salads.

My home-grown does work well in sandwiches or wraps where you just need a few leaves and that's what I will be mainly using them for. I make a delicious mock/vegetarian BLT:

Wheat bread (or any whole grain) 
tiny bit of good mayonnaise (or home made variety)
bacon bits (soy chips)
a great tasting tomato like hot house or home grown 
some lettuce leaves 
little cracked black pepper and you're good to go! That's one of my favorite sandwiches and I will definitely be using my lettuce for making these.

For me summer time is all about salads and sandwiches because these days I'm more of an assembler than a cook. Living alone, I make it easy on myself. Except for the occasional pot of fresh veggie soup or pot of beans, I don't spend much time in front of the stove anymore, not like I used to when I had people to cook for.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking at my salad greens. It looks like it's finally stopped raining so that my plants can get some much needed sunshine.

On another note, I may get a car next month. A friend of mine called me out of the blue yesterday to tell me about her friend who's selling a Nissan Maxima for $1,000 and when I called about it this morning, the man said he's not in a hurry to sell it because I won't have all the money till next month. I don't know much about it, except that it runs. Next month, when I have all the cash, my friend Bobby-Jack will go with me to drive out there where the car is and take a look at it for me since I know nothing about cars, except that they need gas, a regular oil change and that the tires have to be properly inflated...that's about it as far as my mechanical expertise.

All I really MUST have is air conditioning because in this heat, my Gizzy and I will have a heart attack driving without!

Happy weekend, my friends!



Gizzy says "hey" and woof-woof!

21 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

TWO items of exciting news today!!! The salad IS beautiful, it is arranged like a painting!! But I agree, I like romaine, and it is one of the most nutritious, as well. Keep us posted on the car, how exciting!! Be sure and take pictures of it inside and out for us to see, if you buy it!! I need air conditioning, automatic transmission, and big comfy seats.

glor said...

Doris,the salad looked so very good and the sandwich sounds equally so. Good luck on the car and I agree, when the heat hits its the air conditioning thats the most important. Have a blessed weekend.

Mindy said...

Great news on the car!

The salad looks amazing--but I know what you mean about it working better in a wrap. That sounds really good!

Karin said...

You've done a lovely job on assembly of the salad! Just thinking that such a light lettuce really just needs a very light dressing - just oil, lemon juice and a pinch of sugar - like we used to do in the old country!

So glad to hear that you're going to take a friend along when you buy a car!

Have a lovely week-end and enjoy the lettuce! You recipe for sandwich is a fav or mine too!

Angela said...

How exciting! I do hope that the car is in good condition!

Your salad looks yummy! Did you put it in the refrigerator before you ate it? I think that would help to crunch it up so to speak. I do know that is how most restaurants do it and they are so crunchy that way. I hope to have home grown lettuce at my house in the Summer!

Have a Great Day!
Angela

Janine said...

Das seiht ja lecker aus, bei uns ist es noch nicht warm genug um zu ernten, hier wird grade gesäht, aber heute war der erste wunderbar warme Tag und ich hab mit meiner Familie haute i´m Garten gegrillt und Salat gab es auch.
Ich wünsch dir was
Janine

Pammy Sue said...

The salad looks wonderful. It's so cool to be able to eat what you grew yourself, huh? Very neat!

Beansieleigh said...

Hey Doris... Love the soap bottle dress you made, and swiffer sweeper/mop covers too!.. But I'm wondering if you got your package yet? I sent it out Wednesday, and was HOPING you'd get it by today.. Oh well, maybe by Monday. Hope you're enjoying your weekend, and good luck with the car. That salad sure looks good! ~tina

marianne said...

Well it looks delicious to me! Sometimes tender leaves are good. But I agree on the crunch part.
Wow nearly your own car how exciting!
hugs for Gizzy!

Moois van mie said...

yummie!!!!!!!!

Ann said...

Well the salad sure looks delicious. I like the sound of that sandwich too.
Exciting news on the car. I don't know much about cars myself. Other than if I hear a strange noise I need to report it to my husband...lol
Hi to Gizzy

Anke said...

Der Salat sieht super lecker aus! Wir haben gestern auch den ersten Salat aus dem Garten gegessen - auf gegrillten Hamburger's. Ich druecke dir die Daumen wegen den Auto!!

Chatty Crone said...

I would LOVE you to get a car - I will hope and pray that for you Doris. I really will pray.

Your salad looks delish! I want some.

You are having such a fun time in the garden this year.

sandie

Sara said...

Mmm... Looks good! Getting ready to plant this week. I'm so excited to get out in the garden again. Happy to see you at Tangled Happy. Thanks for your nice comment. :)

Julia said...

Congrats on the car!! And dang that salad was quick to grow. Ella wanted to grow lettuce and I said no. What was I thinking? That stuff grows really quickly. :)

The Beneficial Bee said...

Hey Doris,

How exciting to get a car! You photographs keep getting better and better! I'm back now in the blogging world. I have a new blog because I can't access my old one:
http://thebeneficialbee.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Jess

gin said...

You are full of info today. So glad to hear about the car. Hope it goes well and you get to buy it. And the salad info was interesting. I also like the crunchy salad too. We live off salads and sandwiches in the summer too. I cook when I have too. But I'd rather not!!

Hold my hand: a social worker's blog said...

The salad looks yummy! I love salads.

I'm new to your blog, and happily following now... And I like the fact that we share the same name :-))

Doris
www.doris-socialworker.blogspot.com

Kerrie said...

That made my mouth water-ha! Love the picture of Gizzy! ♥

the booker man said...

miss doris!

hooray for your first salad! your lettuce leaves look grrreat! the pics are kinda deceptive cuz the leaves don't look as fragile as they really are. no worries, anyway, cuz i was gettin' the droolies thinkin' about all those BLT's your gonna be makin'! YUMMY YUMMERS!
me and asa and mama have our paws and fingers crossed for you to be able to get that car next month! that would be so grrreat! we know how much you've been needin' one!
oh, and we hope your compy gets better very soon like!

*woof*
the booker man

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