little gem salad with green goddess dressing
because we've officially reached #peakspring
As a farmer, a big part of my job is constantly planning (and planting) for the future.
In October, I’m planting garlic that won’t be ready to harvest until June. In June, I’m sowing beans and corn that will fill our August CSA boxes. And in August, I’m seeding fall lettuces that will become leafy green October salads. In this way, farming is like chasing a rapidly moving target that you’ll never, ever catch… which, for me at least, is what makes this work so exhilarating and keeps me coming back year after year, trying to do it better every time.
At this point in the season, just as our spring veggies hit their peak (think lettuces, kale, swiss chard, radishes, turnips), I need to turn my attention to planting the bulk of our summer crops, and over the next two weeks, the majority of our tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, etc will go in the ground. We’ve had a very mild spring, and there’s no frost in the 10-day forecast, so (fingers crossed! knock on wood!) it’s full steam ahead as we plant for summer. This means an especially hectic next few weeks on the farm, as we navigate harvesting all the spring abundance (so. many. greens!), while also making room for all the summer crops that need to get planted.
It’s always a bit sad saying goodbye to the luscious spring greens (see below for a photo of our tunnels at the height of spring, and then after planting tomatoes this week), but then I think about biting into that first juicy tomato and mayo sandwich of the season, and suddenly, summer can’t get here soon enough.
But back to the here and now… for third week of our Spring CSA, here’s a snapshot at what our CSA members received in their regular sized boxes: baby and full size bok choy, radishes, turnips, looseleaf lettuce, cilantro, and little gem lettuces.
A heads up that in a few weeks, I’ll be sharing the Summer edition of my vegetable planting guide! In case you missed it, here’s my Spring Vegetable Garden Guide, which is packed with practical, crop-specific information to help you know what, when, and how to plant a thriving spring veggie garden.
Do you have any gardening questions as we look ahead to summer? Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer everything!
Need some culinary inspiration for the weekend? Here’s my weekly round up of seasonal recipes from around Substack to help you eat like a farmer:
Green Borsch from
/ (Polina just launched her new Substack and she is an incredible human and cookbook author.. go check it out!)- /
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Keep reading for today’s recipe for Little Gem Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, available for paid subscribers.
This week our little gem lettuces hit their peak, and I couldn’t wait to get in the kitchen and whip up some magic. Little gems are basically miniature romaine lettuce heads – they’re petite, wildly adorable, and come in a range of colors from green to red. (For any home gardeners interested in growing your own little gems, here are my favorite varieties we grow: Dragoon, Truchas, and Breen).
Little gems can be tough to find at most grocery stores, but I’ll bet that you can source them at your local farmers market. (And if you can’t find them, no problem, just make this recipe using a head of romaine lettuce).
One reason I love little gems is because their sturdy leaves have a fabulous crunch and can hold up to a thicker salad dressing. Speaking of which! The other star of this salad is the green goddess dressing – it’s irresistibly herby, lemony, creamy, and (as the name suggests) vibrantly green. It also happens to be vegan, as I swap out the mayo/yogurt that’s typically found in a green goddess sauce with a ripe avocado. The green goddess sauce can be thinned out with water to act as a salad dressing (like in this recipe), or omit the water and it makes an epic sauce for dipping some warm, crusty bread or alongside a crudite platter. A note that this recipe makes about 1.5 cups of green goddess dressing, which is definitely more than enough for this salad.. though I have a feeling you’ll find plenty of other things to enjoy it with!
This recipe is pretty much #peakspring in salad form – it’s bright, herby, colorful, and you can easily whip it all together in just a few minutes. When it comes to serving, you can assemble it on one big family-style platter, or get a little fancy schmancy and assemble the salad for each person on individual plates.
Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).
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Little Gem Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Serves 4
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