Spring means celebrating the return of fresh flavors straight from the farmer’s market or garden! This colorful salad recipe features unique flavors such as violet vinegar, golden beets, and burdock root, and is sure to liven up your table with a bright celebration of the spring season.
Recipe courtesy of Eleonora Gafton, MS, CNS, LDN, CHHC, Cooking Lab Manager and Adjunct Faculty of Maryland University of Integrative Health.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. aroma free coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch turmeric, julienne
- 1 small red beet, julienne
- 1 small white beet, julienne
- 1 small golden beet, julienne
- 1 inch burdock root, julienne
- 2 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 5 oz. arugula (combination of baby kale, watercress, chickweed could be used as well)
- 1 purple carrot, spiralized
- 1 cup Job’s tear, cooked
- 1 pt. cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 oz. sheep feta cheese optional
- Fresh parsley, minced for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- ¼ cup violet vinegar (optional champagne vinegar)
- 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp white mellow miso
- 2 Tbsp. evoo
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method of preparation
 |
Place a sauté pan on medium heat, add the coconut oil, add garlic and turmeric, a pinch of salt and sauté for one minute a beautiful golden yellow color will develop; add beets, burdock, and shiitake mushrooms, another pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes just to coat them. The texture is slightly wilted.
To serve, divide the arugula in four, add one fourth of the slightly sautéed veggies over, and one fourth of the Job’s tear, top with spiralized carrot, tomatoes, fresh parsley and drizzle the salad dressing over. If you decide now is the time to add cheese.
How to cook Job’s tear
Wash and rinse well the grain until water is clear. Add in a pot 1 ¾ cup filtered water, 1 cup grain and ½ tsp. sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all water is absorbed. The pot should be covered
Highlights:
Arugula or rocket has a peppery pungent taste offering digestive tonic qualities. It is loaded with vitamins like A and C and folic acid as well as calcium.
Beets come in different varieties this dish highlights purple, white and gold they offer great color and great nutritional benefits. The purple variety is high in boron which is critical to produce human sex hormones. In Roman times beet juice was considered and aphrodisiac and the pigment betacyanin it is considered a powerful anticarcinogen. Also, according to Jeffrey Bland, PhD, we learn that pink urine might mean iron deficiency, and magenta stool indicates proper iron levels.
Burdock, stimulates bile secretion, has great alterative properties cleansing and purifying the blood, supports digestion and elimination of toxins.