Let's start the new month with a quote from Fennel Hudson: "May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel most alive." The abundance of fresh produce makes this task pretty easy. Juices, smoothies, rainbow salads... Take time to make something healthy everyday.
The first day of May is celebrated in many different ways. In Germany, for instance, the last day of April is known as the Walpurgis Night or the night of the witches. People dance into May and celebrate the arrival of spring. Bonfires are lit, decorative May Poles reminiscent of the Axis Mundi are erected in many villages and towns. People in Ireland and Scotland, but also Wiccans and the neo-pagans celebrate Beltane. It is a celebration of the renewal of nature, fertility, and the beginning of summer. For the working classes in many countries May Day is a celebration of heroes in the struggle for better working conditions and social justice.
I celebrate the end of a very capricious month of April. A large salad with a fiery dressing seems just right for the occasion. The dressing is not vegan! I use raw honey and bee pollen to strengthen my immune system. No other sweetener comes with such a low glycemic index and the immune system modulating properties.
Ingredients:
- lettuce of your choice: Romain, endive, Boston lettuce, arugula
- baby greens of your choice
- kitchen herbs: dill, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, lemon balm, nasturtium leaves
- wild foraged herbs: dandelion leaves, sorrel, wood sorrel, chickweed
- sliced cucumbers
- sliced red bell pepper
- edible flowers of your choice
for the dressing
- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup raw vinegar - I used incredibly delicious home made kombucha vinegar
- 2 Tbsp freshly pressed lemon juice
- 1 inch chunk fresh turmeric root
- 1 ghost pepper or habanero, seeds removed
- 2 Tbsp raw honey
- 1 Tbsp bee pollen
- pinch Celtic sea salt
Method:
- Arrange the greens, herbs and all the other salad ingredients on individual platters. Garnish with edible flowers.
- Using a blender whiz a smooth and creamy dressing. If you cannot tolerate the heat, use only half of the hot pepper. Adjust the taste to your personal liking.
- Serve the salad with a dressing on the side. Enjoy in good company!
Tip: If you are brewing kombucha at home, reserve some and allow it to ferment into a delicious vinegar. The process may take a few weeks.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2023