We love hearty salads for dinner during the summer months!  The fresh produce is at its peak at the farmer’s markets and I just wanna buy it all up and look at it on the counter!  So now to find some delicious uses for these locally grown  vegetables!  This mix with grated root veggies: beets and carrots, chopped pecans and crunchy veggies including some lettuce varieties from our own garden hits the spot! For protein I topped with feta cheese and chicken, but could be replaced with any choice of chickpeas, beans, lentils or even a hearty grain! I drizzled a simple garlic vinaigrette over the top. Makes about 4 dinner plate size servings.

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

  • 2 cooked chicken breasts diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 4 cups torn lettuce leaves
  • 4 cups loose packed spinach leaves
  • 1 large tomato chopped
  • 1/2 cup sliced radishes
  • 1 carrot grated
  • 1/2 cup grated raw beet (peeled)
  • 1/2 cup sliced cucumber
  • 2 stalks chopped celery

Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup Tbs olive oil
  • 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove crushed

[/ingredients][directions title=”Directions”]

  1. Whisk Vinaigrette ingredients well in a dish.
  2. You can prepare one of 2 ways: In a large bowl combine salad ingredients and toss with vinaigrette well. Alternatively, on 4 individual dinner plates, layer ingredients starting with lettuce and spinach, chopped veggies, cooked chicken, feta, grated veggies, then pecans and drizzle evenly with vinaigrette.

[/directions]