It’s hard to believe summer is already coming to an end, but with September rolling in, so too are those vegetable garden harvests! All of your hard work preparing and tending to your garden whether it be a raised bed in your backyard, a box on your windowsill, or acres of land, now is coming to fruition. It’s amazing to watch our plants grow from the smallest of seeds to tall, green towers that bear bright, beautiful flowers and eventually produce food from sunlight and energy in the soil – a sign that life is truly miracle! There is nothing like the pride of growing food for yourself and your family, and so many of us share the fruits of our labor (literally) with our nearby friends and in doing so, your garden helps create a community, a connection with people far beyond your backyard.
Only good things come from owning a garden. All those fruits and vegetables are delicious and so good for us – think of all the good carbohydrates and the micronutrients like vitamins and minerals they provide for our bodies. The options and recipes are truly endless, but it’s hard to beat a big, colorful end-of-summer salad full of leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, beans, and berries! Salads are a great way to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, use some leftovers, and experiment with new flavor combinations. And that extends to what you put on top too!
Salad dressing can make or break a salad, but it can be very difficult to find healthy versions at the store, or even online. Many are highly processed, contain excessive amounts of sugar, and add a lot of calories without necessarily adding nutritional value. Even when you finally find a brand that matches what you’re looking for – good taste, high quality ingredients, no sugar – the price compared to the size of the bottle is alarming!
This inspired me to start experimenting with homemade salad dressing recipes and I want to share our three favorites so you can try them at home! In general, I use a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. Feel free to make substitutions and adjustments as you prefer – one of the great things about homemade salad dressing is how easy it is to make small changes and it still tastes great!
Lemon Turmeric
½ c. Avocado Oil
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/8 c. apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. turmeric powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a blender to combine or whisk in a bowl. Store in the refrigerator and shake/mix well before using.
Food for Thought: This is our go-to on salad but would make for a great marinade as well!
Strawberry Balsamic
4 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 c. chopped strawberries
Salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator and shake/mix well before using.
Food for Thought: We love this on salad with almonds, feta and fresh berries, but it’s delicious with chicken and salmon too!
Creamy Cilantro Lime
Cilantro, small bunch including stems
1 jalapeño, stem and seeds removed
1-2 cloves of minced garlic
Lime juice squeezed from ½ lime
½ c. Greek yogurt
6 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until just combined and dressing is smooth. Store in the refrigerator and shake/mix well before using.
Food for Thought: There was less exact recipe following with this one, so feel free to experiment, particularly the garlic and jalapeño, for more or less flavor. This dressing is so yummy on tacos and steak too!
These three recipes have become a staple in our home. There are so many reasons to love the variety of recipes - each one has a distinct flavor with different oils to mix up your fat sources, there’s no sugar added, they’re gluten free and vegan (except for the yogurt in the Cilantro Lime), and you can simply add all the ingredients to a single serve blender making clean up super easy! I’ve even reused our old store-bought salad dressing bottles to keep our own recipes fresh.
The options are endless, and I’d love to see the salads and homemade dressings you’re whipping up at home! Please share any recipes or pictures in the comments below!
With that LivFitters, savor every second of sunshine and enjoy those last few summer moments!
P.S. Be sure to say hi to our friends at Frinklepod Farm and check out the amazing, fresh, organic salad fixings and other produce they have to offer all year long!