Fresh Red Leaf Lettuce with Tart, Sweet and Creamy Dressing

This post comes straight from my own New Jersey yard! My very first harvest from the experimental box garden is a bunch of crisp red leaf lettuce. I have previously posted about my sprouting, planting and nurturing of this first attempt at more sustainable living, but today is all about the luxury of moseying on out your kitchen door to make dinner. Nothing is more fresh, organic and eco-friendly then your homegrown food, and nothing is going taste better than the fruits of your own hard labor and care. In honor of this momentous occasion (did I mention that my name and green thumb have never quite been used in the same sentence?) I am whipping up some uber simple vegan dressings to lightly accompany the earthy goodness of the greens. Because these leaves have such a delicate flavor I wanted to make a simple salad lightly spritzed with my favorite flavors. And, basically I wanted to show all the non-vegs out there that animal-friendly condiments will knock your dairy-eating socks off!

THE COMPASSIONATE CONDIMENT TRIFECTA

Creamy Tahini
Ingredients:
2 T Tahini (sauce made of ground up sesame seeds)
2 T cold water
1/4 tsp salt
herbs

This is the vegan's answer to ranch dressing. It is creaming, flavorful and so darn good that I basically try to put it on all my veggies raw or cooked. This is amazing on salad, but absolutely crazy-good on sauteed greens. Whisk the tahini, water and salt together until combined. Add more water for thinner dressing. Add chopped parsley or cilantro for added flavor.

Tart & Sweet Balsamic Lime
Ingredients:
3 T high quality balsalmic vinegar
juice of 1 lime

The easiest and healthiest of all dressing. You must be sure to have good quality balsamic vinegar or it will be too strong. Add the lime juice to the vinegar until desired flavor. Let sit for a half hour and serve. The result is a smooth, rich and slightly sweet dressing that goes with a lettuce or bean salad.

Light Miso
1 T light miso paste (made from fermented soybeans)
3 T warm water
1/2 T olive oil

I love the super salty flavor of miso for soup, but it is also a fantastic dressing as well. Simply add a bit of warm water to the miso and whisk until thinned out and dissolved completely. Add a bit of olive oil and serve.

I couldn't even wait to cut a tomato to dig into this perfect salad, I just added some almonds (always protein!) and drizzled a little of each of these on the bed of greens. Fantastic!!!