I’d love to share a very simple salad, which came about while I was living with my parents in Papamoa beach, putting hope & organic together. This was a time spent mostly on my own… adjusting… finding my ‘writing voice’, learning about light, my camera and exploring a deeper inner-self. It was a time of holistic beach jogs and walks, outdoor showers, salty unwashed hair, no phone, no shoes and a number of bikes (but that’s another story!). All in all, a different world to the lifestyle I had for a long time been immersed in.
My Mum and Dad, John & Kathy, have a modest garden at the back of their house. It can be hard for things to ‘take’ given the sandy beach-soils and kale-loving caterpillars. However, there are a few things that have thrived this summer. An abundant patch of purple kale, some wild rocket, a strawberry plant, parsley and three tomato vines. It was the tomato vines that came to life in the last week of my stay. Green ornaments for the duration of the Christmas holidays, seemingly, out of no-where started turning red and excuse the analogy – “dropping like flies”.
That week also coincided with the perfection of my carrot, dill and onion crackers recipe and my Mum bringing home the most beautiful avocados from her work on 'Matakana', a small island on the East Coast of New Zealand.
And so this little salad came about, and became my sustenance during the days before hope & organic came to life. The think I like best about it, is that it is seasonal, inherently local and beautifully simple. xo
backyard summer salad
- one large handful of wild rocket, kale, or other bitter leafy greens
- in season tomatoes cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 - 1 avocado
- fresh herbs of choice for e.g. flat-leaf parsley (optional)
- lemon juice
- cold-pressed olive oil
- sea salt & cracked black pepper
- simple balsamic dressing
- carrot, dill & onion crackers
Toss the greens in cold-pressed olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and sea-salt. If using kale, massage lightly to soften.
Compile salad (chopped tomato, avocado, and greens), as preferred. Drizzle over simple balsamic dressing and season with cracked black pepper & extra sea-salt if desired. Serve with carrot, dill & onion crackers.
Eat mindfully, and savour!