Minutes from garden to table

Related Photos

Toss the salad gently, making sure to coat all the greens.
MPN/Courtesy photo Prepare the dressing by putting olive oil and vinegar in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
A few snips of basil in a salad surprise a diner's taste buds.
MPN/Courtesy photo Barbara Dombrowski, proprietor of of Goose Cove Gardens in Gloucester, makes a salad with organic vegetables, flowers and herbs she grew. MPN/Courtesy photo
Chop the tomatoes into your desired size, and add them as well as the nasturtium flowers into the bowl.
MPN/Courtesy photo A salad made with ingredientws fresh from the garden, including edible flowers.
MPN/Courtesy photo Tear the lettuce and greens into your bowl.

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August 29, 2012

Minutes from garden to table

Edible flowers, basil in salad surprise taste buds

By Times Staff Gloucester Daily Times The Gloucester Daily Times Wed Aug 29, 2012, 12:00 AM EDT

Barbara Dombrowski knows her herbs, edible flowers and vegetables.

Dombrowski, as proprietor of Goose Cove Gardens in Gloucester, grows and sells all organic vegetables as well as perennial and annual flowers and herbs. Every summer the varieties change, and Dombrowski expands the farm’s selection. For example, this season they have 40 different varieties of tomatoes, not counting all of the other vegetables and herbs.

To Dombrowski, a fresh garden salad means fresh garden ingredients that you grow yourself. A salad this fresh can complement any dish and adds a lighter component to many heavier entrees.

“Adding basil to the salad is a nice surprise to your taste buds,” says Dombrowski. “I think that it is really fun for your tongue to find that taste of basil buried in your salad.”

Another benefit to a fresh salad is time. From the garden to the bowl, any garden salad, tossed with an even more simple vinaigrette, can be made in less than 10 minutes. Dombrowski has a few tricks to make the process not only easy, but to make it look better as well. Every chef or cook knows that presentation counts as well as taste to get people interested in the food. Her advice? Use edible flowers that will make your salad look as good as it tastes. The Nasturtium flowers she uses have a peppery taste similar to water cress.

Garden Salad

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red vinegar

1 to 2 medium size tomatoes

5 to 10 Nasturtium flowers

Your choice of mixed lettuce and greens

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the dressing by putting olive oil and vinegar in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Tear the lettuce and greens into your bowl.

3. Chop the tomatoes into your desired size, and add them as well as the nasturtium flowers into the bowl.