VIOLET RECIPES

Spring Salad

Spring flowers add a special beauty and charm to this salad, the recipe is endlessly adaptable to whatever is available on your foraging expedition. This is a recipe I use on my wild food walks:

3 cups Chickweed

3 cups grated carrots (4 or 5 medium carrots)

Add any of the following:

-watercress

-violet leaves and flowers

-small dandelion leaves and flower petals

-chopped wild leeks

Toss everything together.  You can serve it marinated or with dressing on the side.  Sprinkle with violet flowers and dandelion petals. 

Violet-Mint Salad

2 cups Violet leaves, cut into thin ribbons

1 carrot, grated

1 cup Mint leaves, chopped fine or minced in food processor

1 cup dried fruit (choice of raisins, dates, craisins, currants, apricot)

1 cup walnuts

1 cup Violet blossoms

Toss everything together and top with your favorite dressing.  Try it with Creamy Violet dressing for a total Violet experience!

Creamy Violet Dressing

½ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar)

1 tsp honey

2 cups fresh Violet greens

¼ tsp salt

1 garlic clove

dash of pepper

½ cup yoghurt

1.  In blender or food processor, blend all ingredients but the yoghurt thoroughly.

2.  Add yoghurt, and blend gently until smooth.

This dressing is my all-purpose creamy green dressing.  I also make it with Chickweed, Watercress, Lambsquarter or any other mild, tender green.