Pea Tendrils... Have you Tried Them?

Have you ever tried a pea tendril?  Until just this weekend, I had never tried one, and I would venture a guess that I am not alone.  Even if you have never even heard of a pea tendril, feel no shame.  When I was quickly browsing the farmer's market, dodging renegade rain droplets, I spotted these and I had to ask the grower, "Hey what are these???"


So what exactly are pea tendrils? 

Pomegranate Persimmon Salad, and How to Remove Pomegranate Seeds

So today I am going to tell you about a salad that has two of my favorite full-bodied fall fruits (try saying that five times fast!).  But first, lets get some formalities out of the way.


Project Food Blog is still going strong, and in fact, voting for Round #7 is currently underway!  And what kind of dedicated gal would I be if I didn't make absolutely sure that you got to see my video entry for this round.  Have you seen it yet?  I hope so, but if not, be sure to check out my original post, or go directly to the Foodbuzz website (where you can vote for me, wink wink).  I made a delicious dessert for you and tied it all up with a pretty bow, and I hope you enjoy it.  If you like it, don't forget to vote for my entry!  Voting is open through Thursday, Nov.18th, 6pm PST, and I truly appreciate ALL your support. 

Now then, shall we get on to this salad?


This salad is extremely easy to make with just a few seasonal ingredients such as pomegranates and persimmons.  Pomegranates are an amazing fall fruit, and their health benefits are extraordinary; they are a rich source of B vitamins as well as vitamin C, and their seeds contain extra fiber and also heathy oils.  But about those seeds... it seems many people are in a quandary over how to actually get the seeds out of the pomegranate without looking like they were the victim in bad horror movie.  Pomegranate seeds have a lot of juice, and when you open it up and try to remove the seeds it gets everywhere!  So let me show you an easy, mess-free way to remove the seeds from a fresh pomegranate.








See, wasn't that easy?  I hope that quick demo will encourage you to go out and buy a fresh pomegranate to reap all its health benefits and its fantastic taste.  And just so that you know, once you remove the seeds from a fresh pomegranate, if you keep them refrigerated in an airtight container, you can enjoy those little jewels over the course of several days. 

Easy Everyday Salad

Hi friends!  I am excited to start sharing a series of posts dedicated to my favorite leafy vegetables: salad greens!  The wonderful folks over at Fresh Express have asked me to be a part of their Fresh Express Artisan Ambassador program as they launch their new line of artisan lettuce blends.  Myself and three other bloggers will be sharing recipes for healthy and delicious salads, as well as hosting a little recipe contest, and even helping you learn new things about lettuce along the way.  In addition to that, I will be growing four different types of lettuces that are featured in the Fresh Express artisan blends  to demonstrate that the lettuce they chose is truly that is in-season.  Are you ready to get started?  

I am planning to showcase this lovely lettuce with recipes ranging from simple to sophisticated, and today I will start by sharing my most simple and favorite weekday salad.  For this salad, I used the Sierra Crisp Herb blend, which contains sierra green leaf lettuce, red butter lettuce, parsley, and even cilantro!  Is it any wonder that I loved it? 

This salad is so easy to make and soooo fresh and healthy that I eat some variation of it at least once (if not twice) every week.  It is like my own little not-so-dirty secret and the ace in my pocket that helps keep me in skinny jeans even though I can't resist cookies and ice cream.  

Basically, I start with beautiful greens, and add whatever vegetables or fruits I have on hand.  In most cases I love to use the combination of ripe tomatoes, carrots and avocado, because they are so colorful and taste great together.  Other times, I might use celery for its crunch, or strawberries or raspberries for their sweetness.  Always, I use something creamy or rich such as the avocado or maybe feta, blue cheese, or egg.  As a bonus, adding cheese, egg, nuts, or chicken also ups the ante by giving you a solid dose of protein with your veggies.  I think a really important part of making salads appetizing, instead of something "green" to be tolerated, is including things like cheese that make you want to eat them.

Look!  These are more tomatoes from my plants!