Here's a 5 minute recipe that requires almost no equipment and no need to heat up the kitchen with a stove or oven! 

Ingredients

5-7 cucumbers
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt
optional: chili crisp or Root 5 Farm SriRAWcha

Method of Preparation

1.  Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to press/smash the whole cucumbers, then slice on the diagonal into bite sized chunks. Add cucumber pieces to a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Let drain in the sink for 10-20 minutes to release some of their water. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Add cucumbers to a serving bowl with the chopped green onion, cilantro, and sesame seeds. 

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and garlic until combined. You can add some spice here if you like it- my favorite is 2 tsp of our fermented Root 5 Farm SriRAWcha.

4. Add the dressing to the cucumber and herb mixture and gently toss to coat. Serve as a side dish or as a topping for a rice bowl. 
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Tomato, basil, and cucumber are abundant on the farm and they work so well together for a simple salad. A friend made this exact recipe for me when visiting a few weeks ago, and I was blown away by how tasty it was. When I asked for the ingredients, I was expecting there to be something exotic...what is making this salad taste so good? 

Turns out it was just the balance of super fresh produce and aromatic basil! Turn this quick salad into a complete meal by adding some protein to bulk it up- sliced grilled chicken, chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese, cooked chickpeas or baked tofu are all great additions. 

Ingredients

1 bunch of basil
2 cucumbers
2 lbs of tomatoes
1/2 of an onion- white, yellow, or red
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar- red wine or apple cider
salt, pepper, oregano
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Method of Preparation

1. Wash and chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Peel the cucumber if you prefer before cutting into half moons or quarters. Cut larger tomatoes into big chunks or, if using cherry tomato jus slice in half or quarters. Slice the onion into very thin slices.

2. Add all of the vegetables to a serving dish and tear the basil leaves to add to the mix. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and stir gently to combine. 

3. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and dried or fresh oregano- You  can eat  the salad right away, but this tastes even more delicious if you let it sit for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. 
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I was lucky enough to spend my childhood years in Nice, France where local produce is abundant and fresh vegetables make up a big part of the diet. The classic salad Nicoise always features fresh tomatoes, briney olives, hard boiled eggs + tuna or anchovies dressed in vinaigrette. More modern versions add additional ingredients like cooked potatoes, green beans, capers or radishes...so this really can be a choose your own adventure style salad. I especially like to make this when summers start to heat up- only about 15 minutes of active cooking time, and you only need one pot of water to get it done. 

A mixture of cooked and raw vegetables plus multiple protein sources really make this salad a complete meal. By cooking the vegetables and eggs ahead of time, and keeping them in the refrigerator, this meal comes together in just minutes whenever you need something fresh and filling. If you can find Nicoise olives, definitely use those- but most of the time I will make this with whatever I have access to. This recipe will make 2 large meal-sized salads or 4 smaller salads.

Ingredients

1/2 bag of salad greens or arugula
4 eggs, hard or soft boiled
1 lb yellow or purple potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata or green olives 
1-2 cans of tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 cup of your favorite vinaigrette

Method of Preparation

1. Start by cooking the potatoes and blanching the green beans- usually I do this in the same pot. Starting with cold water I cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, then add the green beans and cook for 2-3 more minutes. You can also cook your hard (or soft) boiled eggs at this point too! 

2. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and put into an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them crunchy and green. Drain the potatoes and chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the salad. 

3. To assemble: toss potatoes and green beans with half of the vinaigrette, and the salad greens with the remaining. Add the greens to your plate, topped with the beans and potatoes. Pile on the remaining ingredients - tuna, tomatoes, olives, and sliced hardboiled eggs + any additional fresh vegetables that are in season. 

​Each year I get into obsessions with certain foods as they come into season. It’s always my way to use up as much produce as possible when it’s fresh. This spring with all my lettuce I’ve been making caesar salads. Each time I make it, I use the same dressing - but I always mix up the produce and crouton bread. Fresh crouton are so quick and easy to make and very underrated. You should definitely start making your own. I’ll tell you about how I prepare each of the components, but please use whatever ratio of dressing, greens, and bread chunks that you like. This vegan caesar salad dressing is great for folks with allergies and comes together in just a few minutes.

Caesar Dressing 
4 Tbsp vegan mayo, sour cream or tahini
2 Tbsp chopped green olive or capers 
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp mustard 
1/2 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce  
garlic powder to taste
TONS of black pepper
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Add everything to a bowl and whisk together. I like to add a lot of fresh black pepper to set it off.  The olives, lemon, and soy are all pretty intense so I say DO NOT add any salt salt. This is great in salads but you can also use it as a spread on sandwiches. 
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​The Greens
Any type of lettuce works. I have been using tender white silesian and this red romaine. If you have them, use some fresh herbs or mix in some spinach. Use whatever you have and like, just make sure to wash and dry it well. To add more crunch to sort of wilty lettuce, I’ll soak it in a bowl of water for awhile and then spin dry. 

I like to keep my caesar salads to just a few simple ingredients, but this makes a really good background to things like radishes, snap peas, or whatever other fresh salad things you like. ​

​Crouton Crouton
I always make croutons out of whatever types of bread that I have laying around. Sourdough is a classic, but I really love making them out of english muffins, naan, hamburger buns… literally whatever you have. In the time it takes to preheat the oven, you can have them ready to go in. Here’s what you need: 

This makes enough for 4 big, dinner-sized salads- I use about 1 serving of bread & 1 tsp of olive oil per person. 

4 pieces of bread- english muffins, buns, or slices. 
4 tsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves or 1 tsp garlic powder
herbs/spices like oregano, basil, thyme, chili powder (choose whatever you like or skip it) 
salt & pepper
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Preheat your oven to 375°F. Chop your bread into bite-sized cubes and add to a bowl. Warm up your oil in a pan and add minced garlic. Cook gently for a few minutes until garlic is fragrant, then add whatever seasonings you like. Toss your bread cubes in the oil and spread out on a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. It may take longer depending on the type of bread you use, just give them a check every few minutes. Remove when they are golden brown and crispy.

​I made this tonight using many ingredients found in this week’s CSA! I especially love how sweet the tomatoes are! What a wonderful variety.

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, washed trimmed and massaged WELL
8­-10 small tomatoes halved (I used the cherry and grape variety)
1­2 peppers washed and sliced thin
​1 red onion diced
Dressing: 
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbsp chili powder Juice of one lime
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp Sriracha

​Method: Wash kale well in hot water. Break off into small pieces and soak in a bowl. While the kale is submerged in the water massage well. Don't be afraid to be too rough with it, the more you work the kale, the more tasty it is in salads! Once the kale is appropriately texturized remove excess liquid by pressing the kale into the base of the strainer. Transfer back into a dry bowl.

​For the dressing, place all of the listed items into a bowl and whisk! TA­DA! Your dressing is complete. Pour the dressing over the kale and mix WELL! Making sure you cover all the crevices of the kale. Add chopped veggies to the salad. Toss or arrange neatly over the bed of dressed greens.

​You could try this using romaine as well, and omit the excessive massaging! Add cilantro for an extra flavor punch or some cayenne or jalapenos for spice. You can get real creative and top with some guac or sliced avocados. We served it this evening alongside homemade refried beans, smashed mexican sweet potatoes and a simple salsa