the family salad

I grew up with a salad after every meal and have since then rarely missed a day with my beloved crunchy green leaves. A combination of luck, constant exposure and pretty relaxed eaters has made my children salad lovers as well. Even Indigo loves eating lettuce- not an entire bowlful mind you, but a tiny baby portion just for her.

As we enjoy the lingering warm days of what feels like an Indian Summer, cooling salads have been on the menu again in place soups and stews.

The salads are usually made of homegrown romaine lettuce or rocket (arugula) and then I pick and choose one or two items from each of the following categories

a sweet aspect

a handful of blueberries

halved grapes

sliced pear

sliced apple

sliced orange or mandarin

halved baby tomatoes or quartered tomatoes

a touch of salt

pitted olives

baby capers

sliced pickles

sea salt

some crunchy veg

sliced cucumber

chopped capsicum

sliced fennel

shredded carrot

some nourishing and satisfying fat and protein

sliced avocado

parmesan cheese

cut up boiled egg

crumbled goat's cheese

crumbled blue cheese

cubed feta

cut up left-over chicken

dry roasted pumpkin seeds

dry roasted almond slivers or flakes

dressing

flax seed oil and lemon juice

olive oil, lemon juice and dijon mustard

oil and apple cider vinegar

sunflower seeds, a touch of grapefruit juice and olive oil whizzed in a blender

homemade caesar dressing

Sometimes we keep the salad really basic- lettuce, tomato, cucumber and dressing.

Our kids love the roasted pumpkin seeds, cucumber, most of the fats and proteins and any of the fruit we add to the salad, they'll only eat one or two large lettuce leaves each but that's good enough for me. They're getting used to the tastes and the experience and that's what counts most right now.

Do you enjoy a good salad? Do you have any dressings or toppings you want to share that haven't been mentioned? Would love to hear!