root cellar salad

root cellar salad

Officially, winter is over and spring is here. There is still snow on the ground and the crocus are just starting to poked up through the soil. Are you getting tired of roasted turnip and parsnips for dinner? Does another bowl of potato leek soup make you roll your eyes?

Hop N Hen Farm Root Cellar Salad

  • dried cranberries
  • almonds (slivered or sliced, toasted)
  • kale
  • apple
  • Hakurei turnips
  • carrots
  • beets
  • sesame seeds (optional)
  • lemon juice
  • olive oil
  • white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • balsamic vinegar (we used Cascadian Wild Raspberry White Balsamic Vinegar from Monadnock Oil & Vinegar Co. it’s oh so yummy)

Everything in this salad is raw, except for the beets.
Wash and dry the kale. Feed the stems to the chickens. Slice kale leaves into 1/2″ strips. Toss and coat the leaves well with +/- 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Set aside.
Cook one large beet, let cool, peel, and cut into 1/2″ cubes.  (I usually save a beet from last night’s dinner.)
Take a generous handful of dried cranberries (maybe dried cherries would be nice too)  and soak them in boiled water for a few minutes, then drain.
I use equal amounts of apple, turnip, and carrot.
Wash and shred the apple, toss the apple with some lemon juice. I left the skins on.
Wash, peel, and shred the carrots and Hakurei turnips.

Toss together everything but the kale.
Add some more oil and vinegar to dress the salad. Toss well to coat.
Add in the kale last.
Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
A cool crisp salad.
Keeps well in the refrigerator.