Salad Recipes Using Your Garden Produce!

Baby Beet Salad with Arugula and Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette

The Dinner Garden is extremely lucky to have received this amazing recipe from Chef Mayet Cristobal.

  • 1 lb. Baby beets, roasted, peeled of skin, and sliced in rounds
  • 1 lb. Chicory Salad (baby arugula, yellow frisee, red endive julienne)
  • 1/4 lb. Smoked Bacon, julienne and cooked
  • 6 oz. Humboldt Fog goat cheese, sliced

Vinaigrette

  • 4 oz. Raspberry Vinegar
  • 6 oz. Walnut Oil
  • 6 oz. Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp. Shallots, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing, mixed vinegar, shallots, honey, and dijon mustard. Slowly add in walnut oil and olive oil. Season to taste.

Lightly toss chicories with dressing. Arrange sliced beets in circle on plate, add tossed greens and garnish with bacon and goat cheese. Serves 4

KATZ Summer Corn Salad with Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar

This recipe comes from Katz and Company. They sell artisanal food products like honey, vinegar, preserves, and olive oil. Albert Katz allowed us to use his recipes, so we hope you enjoy them!

  • 3 ears of very fresh corn, shucked
  • 1 medium-sized cucumber, peeled, halved and seeded, sliced thinly
  • 1 medium-sized red onion, small dice
  • 2 to 3 stalks of celery from the heart, chopped in small dice
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup KATZ Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup KATZ Rock Hill Ranch EVO (olive oil)
  • 2 Tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely minced
  • salt and pepper (be generous with the freshly ground pepper!)

In a large pot of boiling and lightly salted water, cook the corn for about 3 minutes and refresh in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Cut the kernels from the cob and set in mixing bowl with onions, celery, cucumbers and garlic. Add the vinegar with some salt and pepper to taste and toss.

Let the salad sit for a few minutes for the veggies to soak up the vinegar.

Add oils, parsley and herbs; taste for seasoning. Serve at room temperature as a salad with some greens or as a side dish with grilled chicken or pork chops.

Add some fresh lima or cranberry beans for a more substantial offering. Crumbled feta or goat cheese, and bacon or pancetta are other tasty additions. Serves 6.

Armadillo Watermelon Salad

Serves 6

These next few recipes are from HEB. When you think grocery shopping in the great State of Texas, you think HEB. Our thanks to them for these great recipes!

You might have to search around to find armadillo for this recipe. Well, not really. This recipe is 100% armadillo free, so give it a try!

  • 1/4 of a 30 pound watermelon
  • 1 small jicama

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup raspberry balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup fresh, ripe pineapple, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp minced chives
  • 1 Tbsp minced cilantro
  • 1 fresh minced jalapeno pepper
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
  • salt to taste
  • 2 to 3 ounce olive oil
  • Small, whole peppers, sweet red pepper strips, and chives for garnish

Cut watermelon lengthwise into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. Seed each strip. Cut strips into triangular chunks and place chunks in bowl. Peel jicama and slice into julienne strips. Place in a separate bowl. Cover both bowls and refrigerate until serving time. Combine vinegar, honey, and pineapple in a bowl. Whisk until mixed. Add next five ingredients and mix well. Gradually add olive oil in a steady stream. Adjust to taste and consistency as desired with salt and olive oil. Gently toss watermelon and jicama with dressing in their separate bowls. Arrange on a plate and garnish with chives and peppers.

Melon Salad

Yield: 6 Servings

  • 3 pureed garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • Pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 6 cups assorted melon cubes, 1/2 inch
  • 3 serrano chiles
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves for garnish
  • 1 tsp lime zest, grated

Mix garlic, sugar, lime juice, chiles that have been stemmed and thinly sliced, and lime zest in a medium bowl. Roughly chop almonds and add to garlic mixture. To serve, arrange each variety of melon cubes in alternating rows on a platter or in individual bowls. Spoon dressing over melon and garnish with cilantro and pine nuts. Serve chilled.

Watermelon Salad with Cucumber and Mint


Jan Green from Jan Unlimited donated these next few recipes to The Dinner Garden. If you like them, contact Jan at 210-541-8180 or janunlimited@earthlink.net to see what she can do for your next event!

  • 2 cups chopped watermelon
  • 2 cups chopped cucumber
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh mint
  • 1/3 crumbled feta cheese

Mix watermelon, cucumber, and most of the mint and cheese together. Sprinkle remaining mint and cheese on top. Garnish with whole mint leaves if desired. Serves 4 to 6.

Mexico Potato Salad


  • 6 potatoes, peeled or scrubbed, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 8 large green olives, sliced
  • 2 pickled jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 12 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
  • 4 green onions, trimmed and sliced
  • 3/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a pot; add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer until the potatoes are soft all the way through, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool and dry out a bit, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, add the mustard, and toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients and gently mix. Serve right away at room temperature or serve chilled. 6 to 8 servings.

Eggless Egg Salad - VEGAN

Jacqui Schlosser created these tasty vegan recipes for The Dinner Garden.

  • 1 block of Light Firm tofu - drained and pressed
  • 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of Vegan Mayonnaise
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 cup Rawmesan
  • pepper to taste
  • dry basil to taste

In a big bowl combine veggies. Crumble the tofu on top of the veggies. Add the vegan mayonnaise and combine it with the veggies and tofu. Add turmeric for color along with pepper, Rawmesan, and basil.

This dish is wonderful in a pita with tomatoes or on a salad. Enjoy!