Today I thinned some of the arugula and swiss chard in my garden. The result of this is heaps of delicate, delicious little gems also known as ‘micro greens’. These are the epitome of cute vegetables. One of these, beside my baby boys face and no adorable puppy snuggling a pigeon can compare in cuteness. On top of that, little bitty micro greens make a fine salad, from something most people toss to the side! The radishes were also ready for harvest, big cherry bells full of spice. Purslane starting to crawl it’s across all shady spots, a common weed, filled with succulent omega-3 goodness. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to dig my hands in to the earth. Something in my soul just feels so completed, so content, so filled with wonder and hope for the future. Gardening can seem daunting to some, but I feel it is a really therapeutic and fulfilling use of free time. My dream is to someday have a huge garden with so much extra to give away. That’s what it’s all about, sharing the bounty, spreading the seeds.
Our meal was almost all backyard goodies, aside from the beef, which is still from the area, and the tahini (wish we could grow sesame in Canada). I made a fresh herb, garlic, beef wrapped in grape leaves, a delicate spring green,purslane,mint & radish salad & tahini mint sauce. It had this mediterranean dinner feel because of the grape leaves and the purslane. Purslane is a highly prized food in Greece, over here it’s just a weed, but it’s so good and super healthy. Ah it was so so wonderful eating all the cute little baby greens, lemony purslane and zippy radish. The beef wraps slightly akin to dolmads were actually just perfect bite sized juicy little delights, I love the crunch of the exterior grape leaf and the tender sweet and savoury filling. I wish there were leftovers 🙁 Time to eat some more dried fruit..blech I miss my ‘sex with your pants on’ paleo sweet treats. Day 10 of the whole 30 has been accomplished!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- handful fresh oregano, chopped
- handful fresh mint, chopped
- sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1 Tbs sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 egg
- 30 grape leaves
- 2 Tbs tahini
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 4 cups a combination of fresh greens, micro greens, garden thinnings,fresh mint, edible weeds of choice-look for purslane it's rampant and delicious
- 6 radishes thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Combine the ground beef, fresh herbs, garlic, raisins, sesame seeds, sea salt and egg, mix well.
- a tsp at a time scoop the mixture into the centre of a grape leaf, fold like you would a burrito, tucking in the edges. Line the pockets on a baking tray or casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
- In a blender or food processor add tahini, olive oil, ACV or lemon juice, mint, garlic and salt, puree until smooth, add a touch of water if it's too thick.
- Mix together your greens and radish and toss with tahini mint sauce.
