green power salad (revisited)

+ a dispatch from a no good very bad week

Ever have one of those weeks when everything just goes… wrong? Well, it’s been one of those weeks, and I’m just grateful to have made it to Friday.

I’ll try to spare y’all too many details, but here’s the gist: On Monday, a tree removal company took down a large sycamore tree near our house that had died. They did a great job… until they were grinding the stump and severed the underground propane gas line running to our house. Miraculously (!) our house didn’t explode (!!) and no one was hurt. But it gets better! The next morning, a guy from the propane company came to fix the severed propane line, and while he was cutting a new trench, he busted open our underground septic line, which meant septic waste was suddenly seeping out into our yard. Cool cool cool. Also, no propane has meant no functioning stove/oven all week. Also, I’ve been sick since last Friday and completely lost my voice. Also, our sweet, sweet toddler has chosen this week to throw some of the most epic tantrums of his life. Also, our beloved dog Arlo caught a stomach bug and has been super sick the past few days (with stuff coming out of both ends, if you know what I mean…).

Cutting down trees, slicing propane lines, busting septic pipes… exciting times!

So yeah, it’s been a week. But even in the chaos, there have been so many bright spots. My dear momma spent several days here this week while Matthew was on a work trip, and she magically held us all together. And the wonderful girl who helps watch baby Hudson during the week just happens to be married to a guy who works for a septic company, and he fixed our broken septic pipe within a few hours of it being busted. And on Tuesday, my rockstar farm crew and I accomplished a ton in the garden – from pruning all the blueberries to bed prep to seeding thousands of turnips, radishes, baby kale, and arugula.

I’m not exactly sure why I’m sharing all this. Even though I send out these rather personal newsletters every week, I’m actually a very private person. But we are all whole people, and I owe it to you to be as honest about the messy stuff as I am about the beautiful stuff. So if you also had a no good very bad week, I see you and I’m rooting for you!

In other news… on Wednesday I shared a new post that I’ve been working on for a LONG time, and I REALLY hope it will empower more people to get gardening! ICYMI, the post digs into how I turned an empty field into a thriving market garden – which is probably my most frequently asked question.

Starting a garden from scratch can be a daunting process, and this post shows you how to transform even a small patch of grass into an abundant, food-producing space. This post goes into a TON of detail and digs into:

• My multi-step process for taking a grassy, weedy field and preparing the soil for an in-ground garden (with lots of photos)

• Why silage tarps are critical to our soil preparation process

• Our entire process for building permanent raised beds (again, with lots of helpful photos)

• The key farm tools that we use to build and maintain our beds

• Plus tons of links to specific resources and basically ALL the garden-building tips that I’ve amassed over the past 15 years

I’m so happy to get this information out into the world, and I’m hopeful it will be a game changer for anyone interested in leveling-up their gardening endeavors.

Because if there was ever a time to get more gardens in the ground, it is NOW!

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Okay, enough chit chat. Keep reading for this week’s recipe for green power salad, available for ALL subscribers.

This is actually one of the first recipes I shared when I first started this newsletter back in 2023, but I’m pretty sure only my mom was reading back then? (lol.. but really). So because this week was a little crazy, I’m re-sharing the recipe and removing the paywall so everyone can enjoy this fabulous salad!

I love salad for dinner.

I’m not talking about some wimpy, boring, wilted salad. I’m talking a big, beefy, hearty, crunchy, herby, punchy salad that’s a complete meal in a bowl.

And if we’re talking about my all time favorite salad-for-dinner, hands down it’s this Green Power Salad. The hearty base is made of lentils – french green lentils, to be specific. And while this salad is *very* forgiving and adaptable, I’m going to insist that you use french green lentils (sometimes called Lentils de Puy). Any other kind of lentil (brown, red, etc) is going to be too mushy and just… blah. If for some reason you can’t find french green lentils in your local grocery store, you can easily source them online (like here).

But if lentils just aren’t your *vibe* you can easily swap them for another grain –quinoa, brown rice, or farro would all work. Along with your grain of choice, this salad has creamy avocados, tart green apples, crunchy pumpkin seeds, refreshing parsley, and a zippy lemon dijon vinaigrette. AND it holds great in the fridge for days of leftovers (if it lasts that long)!

This recipe was inspired by Sprouted Kitchen.

Keep reading for today’s recipe, along with a 1-page PDF for easy printing.

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PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe! If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to private community chats.

Green Power Salad with Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6

Green Power Salad (printer Version) (1)

85.3KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

For the Salad

• 1 ½ cups uncooked french green lentils

• 1 large bunch of lacinato/tuscan kale, de-stemmed and chopped into thin ribbons

• 1 large green/tart apple (ie granny smith), chopped to a small dice

• 1 large avocado, diced

• 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup chopped parsley)

• 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds/pepitas

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon minced)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

1. First, cook the lentils: Fill a large saucepan with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in 1 ½ cups uncooked french green lentils and turn the heat down to a steady simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente (taste to make sure the lentils are fully cooked). When the lentils are finished cooking, drain immediately and set aside.

2. While the lentils are cooking, make the vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients for the Lemon-Dijon vinaigrette in a mason jar, put the lid on, and shake vigorously until it is emulsified and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – you want the vinaigrette to be on the “punchy” (ie acidic) side to balance out the earthiness of the lentils.

3. De-stem 1 large bunch of lacinato/tuscan kale, chop the leaves into thin ribbons, and add them to a large salad bowl. Pour a few tablespoons of the Lemon-Dijon vinaigrette into the salad bowl with the chopped kale. Using your hands, massage the kale with the vinaigrette for a minute, until it breaks down to about half its size and turns dark green.

4. Add the cooked lentils, 1 diced green apple, 1 diced avocado, 1 cup chopped parsley, 1 cup pumpkin seeds, and ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (if using) to the bowl with the massaged kale.

5. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – you may want to add a bit more salt or lemon juice. Enjoy!

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