Muddled Lemon Balm Vinaigrette

Hi friends!

To celebrate the beginning of spring, I thought I'd spotlight one of my favorite herbs around here... lemon balm!

Lemon balm is easy to grow and makes a great curative tea to sip on.  Toss in some stevia leaves to sweeten the tea up a bit if you'd like.

Not only great in salad dressings like this vinaigrette I whipped up the other day, lemon balm can also be used to calm nerves or lessen stress and stop bug bites from itching.  Matter of fact, it's one of those 'catch-all' herbs that seem to fix everything!

Just crush a handful of leaves and rub on your skin to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Muddled Lemon Balm Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the salad:
red-veined sorrel, chopped
scallions, shaved
sunflower shoots

For the vinaigrette:

1 tbsp lemon balm leaves, crushed or chopped
6 nasturtium leaves
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp oil of choice

Method

1. Muddle the lemon balm and nasturtium leaves until broken down and fragrant. 
2. Add balsamic vinegar and oil and whisk together. 
3. Combine together salad greens.
4. Toss with vinaigrette. 
5. Season with salt, garnish with nasturtium blooms and serve.

Photo Shoot

Today, I had a photo shoot at the farm for Edible magazine. Although not one of the most beautiful days we've had, all the plants seemed to enjoy the heavy rains, happy to be alive. Turns out, it ended up being a good day for a close-up.

Summertime in Florida means a shortage of greens on the farm so I've been longing for the fall season's harvest to begin. This recipe showcases the first kale harvest of the season, finally! 

Kale is the most nutritious green out there and, by far, one of my favorites. For the photo shoot, I paired the kale with tatsoi (a cross between mustard greens and spinach), arugula, and vine-ripe cherry tomatoes. Add a splash of black truffle oil and sea salt to finish. YUM! 

Warm Kale and Tatsoi with Truffle Oil 

serves 2 

1/2 bunch kale 

1 bunch tatsoi 

3 ea scallions 

7 cherry tomatoes 

arugula 

truffle oil 

sea salt 

Prep 

Wash and dry all fresh ingredients. 
Remove the stems from the the kale and tatsoi. Tear leaves and set aside. 
Cut tomatoes in half. 
Chop the whites of the scallions
Chiffonade arugula.

Method

1. Heat saute pan over medium heat. Toss scallions with a tablespoon of truffle oil. Cook until tender.
2. Add tatsoi to the scallions and wilt. It should only take 30 seconds or so.  Then toss in kale and season with salt. The greens should have an al dente tooth. 

Plate the wilted greens first. Generously top with chiffonade arugula. Drop in cut tomatoes then drizzle with truffle oil and sprinkle with the sea salt. 

Enjoy!