Gardening the Garden

Question:

Salad is our starter at dinner every night and I am discovering lots of new fun stuff that I had not tried before.   Chives- I did not know that I liked these things, because restaurants always put them on potatoes and I do not like my potatoes with other stuff on them.  But now I put them on my salad and they are great. Cilantro- I love this stuff- when I am out in the garden I will just pick it and eat it! I grow my own lettuce (not iceberg- lots of different varieties.)  Our salad usually has Romaine, red leaf, Bibb, and endive (bitter to the mouth, sweet to the stomach) and whatever we fancy from the daily harvest (I grow about 15 different lettuces.)   Today we have Romaine, Rouge d’hiver, green ice, year round bibb, Batavian endive, redina, and buttercrunch. We also have baby carrots, celery, green pepper, canned black beans, and salad shrimp. The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health! 204/157/150

Response:

A friend of mine makes a salad with romaine lettuce, strawberries, almonds, and a poppy seed dressing. it is very light and great for summer!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Salad is our starter at dinner every night and I am discovering lots of new fun stuff that I had not tried before. Chives- I did not know that I liked these things, because restaurants always put them on potatoes and I do not like my potatoes with other stuff on them.  But now I put them on my salad and they are great. Cilantro- I love this stuff- when I am out in the garden I will just pick it and eat it! I grow my own lettuce (not iceberg- lots of different varieties.)  Our salad usually has Romaine, red leaf, Bibb, and endive (bitter to the mouth, sweet to the stomach) and whatever we fancy from the daily harvest (I grow about 15 different lettuces.) Today we have Romaine, Rouge d’hiver, green ice, year round bibb, Batavian endive, redina, and buttercrunch. We also have baby carrots, celery, green pepper, canned black beans, and salad shrimp. The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health! 204/157/150

Response:

The one thing I love about summer….the produce!  And now that I have a garden with lettuce growing by leaps and bounds makes it even better!  To walk outside, break off a bunch of crunchy leaves…how much fresher  (a word?) can one get?  Soon there will be maters, pole beans, peppers, brussel sprouts and cucumbers! Next year, an herb garden on my back deck…can’t wait! Oh, and I love cilantro, too! — Lisa B. 243/175/145 "I told you that we could fly…  cause we all have wings, but some of us don’t why." – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Salad is our starter at dinner every night and I am discovering lots of new fun stuff that I had not tried before. Chives- I did not know that I liked these things, because restaurants always put them on potatoes and I do not like my potatoes with other stuff on them.  But now I put them on my salad and they are great. Cilantro- I love this stuff- when I am out in the garden I will just pick it and eat it! I grow my own lettuce (not iceberg- lots of different varieties.)  Our salad usually has Romaine, red leaf, Bibb, and endive (bitter to the mouth, sweet to the stomach) and whatever we fancy from the daily harvest (I grow about 15 different lettuces.) Today we have Romaine, Rouge d’hiver, green ice, year round bibb, Batavian endive, redina, and buttercrunch. We also have baby carrots, celery, green pepper, canned black beans, and salad shrimp. The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health! 204/157/150

Response:

 Z&T: I don’t know if you like this but you can mix in some low fat or fat free sour cream or cottage cheese in with the blue cheese dressing to stretch it. I have one of those hand blenders that you can put into a cup  and puree and it makes a wonderful dressing when mixed in with "forbidden dressings".  I like cottage cheese and sour cream and plain yogurt too so if you don’t it may not be for you. Blue cheese is strong in taste so it may ovepower the others and still taste as strong. Even using real Blue Cheese  might be better pureed in with the low fat dairies above …I also throw in some spices- I am a spice lover so you may not prefer this.  I think that is great that you grow so many varieties of lettuce- the bunnies around our area would have a feast on my garden if I did this!! I have also seen people make some interesting dips out of diff varieties of beans -no fat  or sugars but great protein additive.  I wonder if you could get creative and mix an interesting dressing concoction up with them and a dressing?? Just a thought…could end up being either delicious or nauseating!! Ok ,I am now rambling!!  :} peggy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Salad is our starter at dinner every night and I am discovering lots of new fun stuff that I had not tried before. Chives- I did not know that I liked these things, because restaurants always put them on potatoes and I do not like my potatoes with other stuff on them.  But now I put them on my salad and they are great. Cilantro- I love this stuff- when I am out in the garden I will just pick it and eat it! I grow my own lettuce (not iceberg- lots of different varieties.)  Our salad usually has Romaine, red leaf, Bibb, and endive (bitter to the mouth, sweet to the stomach) and whatever we fancy from the daily harvest (I grow about 15 different lettuces.) Today we have Romaine, Rouge d’hiver, green ice, year round bibb, Batavian endive, redina, and buttercrunch. We also have baby carrots, celery, green pepper, canned black beans, and salad shrimp. The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health! 204/157/150

Response:

We eat a lot of salads, too, and I agree that the low fat dressings aren’t worth it.  I tend to like oil and vinegar dressings as  I’m allergic to blue cheese:(    I invested in a really good cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. The taste is so amazing that I only need to use a teaspoon or two.  Since I’ve worked it onto my WOE I really look forward to my salads. — Kello 160/154/130 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Salad is our starter at dinner every night and I am discovering lots of new fun stuff that I had not tried before. Chives- I did not know that I liked these things, because restaurants always put them on potatoes and I do not like my potatoes with other stuff on them.  But now I put them on my salad and they are great. Cilantro- I love this stuff- when I am out in the garden I will just pick it and eat it! I grow my own lettuce (not iceberg- lots of different varieties.)  Our salad usually has Romaine, red leaf, Bibb, and endive (bitter to the mouth, sweet to the stomach) and whatever we fancy from the daily harvest (I grow about 15 different lettuces.) Today we have Romaine, Rouge d’hiver, green ice, year round bibb, Batavian endive, redina, and buttercrunch. We also have baby carrots, celery, green pepper, canned black beans, and salad shrimp. The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health! 204/157/150

Response:

The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health!

Hi Trillian! I came to the conclusion when I started this WOE that I wasn’t going to freak about "real" salad dressings. You’re right, there’s so much sugar in the low- fat and low-cal versions, and all they do is overwhelm the vegetables and don’t really make you feel satisfied with them. (Granted, I hate salad, so this wasn’t a bad thing, but still….) I eat really low fat the rest of my day, so a measured use of the real stuff is not going to destroy me. Sometimes, I even (GASP!!!) use BUTTER on bread!!!!!! The scandal!!!! — –jd …http://www.angelfire.com/journal/jdbwwedding/journal/journal.html…

Response:

You are making me hungry for a salad! I have an idea for one, does anyone know what would make this salad perfect? Spinach Grapefruit Fresh Mushrooms Olive Oil There’s just something about that combination that sounds good so I picked up the ingredients the other day. Chrissy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Salad is our starter at dinner every night and I am discovering lots of new fun stuff that I had not tried before. Chives- I did not know that I liked these things, because restaurants always put them on potatoes and I do not like my potatoes with other stuff on them.  But now I put them on my salad and they are great. Cilantro- I love this stuff- when I am out in the garden I will just pick it and eat it! I grow my own lettuce (not iceberg- lots of different varieties.)  Our salad usually has Romaine, red leaf, Bibb, and endive (bitter to the mouth, sweet to the stomach) and whatever we fancy from the daily harvest (I grow about 15 different lettuces.) Today we have Romaine, Rouge d’hiver, green ice, year round bibb, Batavian endive, redina, and buttercrunch. We also have baby carrots, celery, green pepper, canned black beans, and salad shrimp. The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health! 204/157/150

Response:

Salads are wonderful!  Grilled chicken salad is a real favorite of mine – I could practically eat it every day!   Coleslaw is delicious and healthy too.  My favorite dressing for this is very simple – just 2 parts orange juice concentrate, 1 part oil and 1 part honey.  You don’t need much, and it’s very light, refreshing and citrus-y. Cheryl 350/316/Health! New WOE/WOL began 6/6/2000 "Only dogs chase sticks and dig bones…"

Response:

Hey Trillian, Damn straight chives are good on salads… but here’s a tip, the flowers are also edible! So when you really want to have fun and the chives are blooming, sprinkle on some chive flowers as well. My garlic chives have cute little white ones. Nasturtium leaves can add a peppery taste (pick ‘em young) and those flowers are edible as well. There are others, so have fun. Baby green beans are real nice on salads too! Cynthia

Response:

Depends on the low fat dressings! I’ve had some absolutely delicious ones… as good or better than the regular and not all of them have a load of sugar either. Look around, especially places other than the local supermarket. Pier One used to have some good ones. I use both low fat and regular dressings, depending on my mood. Cynthia – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We eat a lot of salads, too, and I agree that the low fat dressings aren’t worth it.  I tend to like oil and vinegar dressings as  I’m allergic to blue cheese:(    I invested in a really good cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. The taste is so amazing that I only need to use a teaspoon or two.  Since I’ve worked it onto my WOE I really look forward to my salads. — Kello 160/154/130

Response:

So is steamed asparagus!  I love to mix crab meat, celery, onion, and asparagus with a sweet sour dressing and serve on a bed of butter crunch lettuce ,  Yum.  Mushrooms, asparagus and cheddar cheese marinated overnight in an herb vinaigrette is really good too. — Claudia, Internet  Weight Loss Consultant, Diabetes Educator and Author 615/383/157  Chat with me on diabetes Mon-Fri 10-12 PT  and on weight loss Fridays 2-4 PT at PlanetRx.com Tipletter Writer for Dieting CyberTip4theDay Subscribe today:  http://www.CyberTip4theDay.com For hundreds of free low-fat recipes and info visit Claudia’s Corner http://dietchef.ecorp.net

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey Trillian, Damn straight chives are good on salads… but here’s a tip, the flowers are also edible! So when you really want to have fun and the chives are blooming, sprinkle on some chive flowers as well. My garlic chives have cute little white ones. Nasturtium leaves can add a peppery taste (pick ‘em young) and those flowers are edible as well. There are others, so have fun. Baby green beans are real nice on salads too! Cynthia

Response:

I’m not a cook, but somehow raspberry vinegar and some toasted walnuts sound real like real good additions to me. Dang, now I may have to go get some! Cynthia

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You are making me hungry for a salad! I have an idea for one, does anyone know what would make this salad perfect? Spinach Grapefruit Fresh Mushrooms Olive Oil There’s just something about that combination that sounds good so I picked up the ingredients the other day. Chrissy

Response:

Try it with toasted pecans also.  Yum!  Also strawberry vinegar! — Claudia, Internet  Weight Loss Consultant, Diabetes Educator and Author 615/383/157  Chat with me on diabetes Mon-Fri 10-12 PT  and on weight loss Fridays 2-4 PT at PlanetRx.com Tipletter Writer for Dieting CyberTip4theDay Subscribe today:  http://www.CyberTip4theDay.com For hundreds of free low-fat recipes and info visit Claudia’s Corner http://dietchef.ecorp.net

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m not a cook, but somehow raspberry vinegar and some toasted walnuts sound real like real good additions to me. Dang, now I may have to go get some! Cynthia You are making me hungry for a salad! I have an idea for one, does anyone know what would make this salad perfect? Spinach Grapefruit Fresh Mushrooms Olive Oil There’s just something about that combination that sounds good so I picked up the ingredients the other day. Chrissy

Response:

I have masses of edible flowers- love ‘em!  Borage is one of my favorites- it has pink and blue flowers on the same plant and they are lovely in salad or in iced teas or whatever.  Beets from the garden are great in salads too! -Trillian – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey Trillian, Damn straight chives are good on salads… but here’s a tip, the flowers are also edible! So when you really want to have fun and the chives are blooming, sprinkle on some chive flowers as well. My garlic chives have cute little white ones. Nasturtium leaves can add a peppery taste (pick ‘em young) and those flowers are edible as well. There are others, so have fun. Baby green beans are real nice on salads too! Cynthia

Response:

Thanks for the reminder! I can’t believe I forgot how good lightly steamed asparagus is on salad! Cynthia

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So is steamed asparagus!  I love to mix crab meat, celery, onion, and asparagus with a sweet sour dressing and serve on a bed of butter crunch lettuce ,  Yum.  Mushrooms, asparagus and cheddar cheese marinated overnight in an herb vinaigrette is really good too. — Claudia, Internet  Weight Loss Consultant, Diabetes Educator and Author 615/383/157  Chat with me on diabetes Mon-Fri 10-12 PT  and on weight loss Fridays 2-4 PT at PlanetRx.com Tipletter Writer for Dieting CyberTip4theDay Subscribe today:  http://www.CyberTip4theDay.com For hundreds of free low-fat recipes and info visit Claudia’s Corner http://dietchef.ecorp.net

Response:

I like borage too, we used to have it cropping up all over here, but my landlady got rid of it all. I may have to plant some }-)  I used to love the blue flowers in my salads. I am happy, except for one small section, my garden is weeded. It sure got neglected with all the stuff going on this spring. Next project, dig the beds and plant! I may not get much of a harvest this year, but I’ll get some! Cynthia – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have masses of edible flowers- love ‘em!  Borage is one of my favorites- it has pink and blue flowers on the same plant and they are lovely in salad or in iced teas or whatever.  Beets from the garden are great in salads too! -Trillian

Response:

I do not know where you are, but if you are going to have lettuce, I highly recommend an heirloom variety called Rouge d’Hiver (red of winter).  That is the only lettuce other than the Paris Island Cos and year-round Bibb that have made it through our winters.  I let them go to seed, save the seed in junk mail envelopes, then shake off the excess around the garden for volunteers.  I always have volunteer lettuce early in spring. Gardening is in the genes in my family- my grandfather and two uncles were professional gardeners and all my aunts and cousins and sister have gardens.  Statistically, people with gardens live longer! -Trillian – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I like borage too, we used to have it cropping up all over here, but my landlady got rid of it all. I may have to plant some }-)  I used to love the blue flowers in my salads. I am happy, except for one small section, my garden is weeded. It sure got neglected with all the stuff going on this spring. Next project, dig the beds and plant! I may not get much of a harvest this year, but I’ll get some! Cynthia I have masses of edible flowers- love ‘em!  Borage is one of my favorites- it has pink and blue flowers on the same plant and they are lovely in salad or in iced teas or whatever.  Beets from the garden are great in salads too! -Trillian

Response:

In my old WW days, they taught us to take the dressing on the side, and rather than pouring it on the salad, dip a fork into the dressing before spearing the lettuce or whatever.  It stretches the dressing so much further. Those commercial fat-free things are dreadful, and a definite no-no for lowcarbers because of all the sugar.  As for the butter, jd, I keep reading that it’s much better for you than margerine, so enjoy it! Cheers, Kay – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The dressing is something that I have spent a long time evaluating, and it turns out that low cal and low fat dressings add sugar to replace fat.  I do not tolerate sugar well, so I carefully measure 2 teaspoons of a real Blue cheese dressing that is 75 calories per tablespoon.  2 teaspoons is 50 calories.  This is of course not going to cover the huge salad, so I use the juice from the canned beans to stretch it out. Salad is a wonderful way to start dinner!  It is pleasing to the eye, the mouth, and the overall health! Hi Trillian! I came to the conclusion when I started this WOE that I wasn’t going to freak about "real" salad dressings. You’re right, there’s so much sugar in the low- fat and low-cal versions, and all they do is overwhelm the vegetables and don’t really make you feel satisfied with them. (Granted, I hate salad, so this wasn’t a bad thing, but still….) I eat really low fat the rest of my day, so a measured use of the real stuff is not going to destroy me. Sometimes, I even (GASP!!!) use BUTTER on bread!!!!!! The scandal!!!!

Kay 232/144/<140 (lowcarb since 98/12/26) D2K Everest: 5245/11298 feet, Base Camp to Summit

Response:

In my old WW days, they taught us to take the dressing on the side, and rather than pouring it on the salad, dip a fork into the dressing before spearing the lettuce or whatever.  It stretches the dressing so much further.

Kay, that CAN work, but it often doesn’t.  I worked in a restaurant and the people who ordered the salad dressing "on-the-side" usually at at least twice as much dressing than the ones which allowed us to put it on their salad.  So either way, there is a risk of over-doing it. One thing I like is balsamic vinegar, you don’t need much to add a lot of zest, and I found I don’t even need any oil.  You’ll find balsamic vinegar in Italian grocery stores. Jude 270/195/satisfied —                  - Coming Soon –  BestOrgs.NET         Oak Park, IL  708-848-0134  URL: http://www.pobox.com/~jcrouch

Response:

Winter is not much of a problem, we almost never get a freeze. Getting sun is a different matter… I’m in the Bay Area, CA. I might look for the variety though. I often grow Red Sails and love that. Heck, getting sun in summer can be difficult! As I write, it’s totally overcast and cold enough to put two layers on… Cynthia – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I do not know where you are, but if you are going to have lettuce, I highly recommend an heirloom variety called Rouge d’Hiver (red of winter).  That is the only lettuce other than the Paris Island Cos and year-round Bibb that have made it through our winters.  I let them go to seed, save the seed in junk mail envelopes, then shake off the excess around the garden for volunteers.  I always have volunteer lettuce early in spring. Gardening is in the genes in my family- my grandfather and two uncles were professional gardeners and all my aunts and cousins and sister have gardens.  Statistically, people with gardens live longer! -Trillian

Response: