Summer solstice living foods salad

Living mandala of Gaia's gifts

Wow, commented my neighbour, You should take a photo of that!  She had dropped by as I was  preparing lunch - a huge salad.

Making salad has become a ritual, absorbing and gratifying. I include significant amounts of raw plant foods which are alkalising, water rich and high in enzymes, anti-oxidants, phytonutrients. Living foods look and taste amazing, containing prana, chi, essential life force and subtle divine energies.

Now we are at midsummer, the sun energies are their most powerful. Ayurveda tells us this is the time of pitta, fire. Raw foods are recommended to cool any overheating and maintain seasonal balance. Noon, being the pitta time of day when our internal digestive fire agni is highest is the optimum time to eat raw foods. We pretty much know intuitively to eat salads for our summer lunches.

Early morning harvest

I am into rainbow colours, I love my food to look joyful and uplifting. I've been enjoying high levels of physical energy and vitality this solstice time and the exuberance of this fruity, alive food seem to be reflecting my happiness and vitality back to me.

Very little planning is required with salads, one simply selects what looks good and super fresh. I grow a variety of sprouts, herbs and edible flowers. I hunt around the garden for any unexpected goodies and am an avid forager. Sometimes I am gifted produce grown by friends, which seems to taste best of all!

Summer solstice living foods salad contains:

Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed

Selection of leaves  
Baby sunflower greens
Alfafa sprouts 
Sprouted mung beans 
Sugar snap peas 
Cherry tomatoes
Chestnut mushrooms
Garden peas from pod
Nasturtium flowers
Fennel fronds
Raspberries 
Blueberries
Apple
Orange and yellow bell pepper
Soaked nuts and seeds : almond, pumpkin, sunflower, hazelnut

Dressing: pure fresh lemon juice, unpasteurised apple cider vinegar, flax oil, dried sea vegetables, ground black pepper and cinnamon

Tip : Soak nuts and seeds overnight in a small bowl filled with cold, pure water, rinse and drain before serving. This improves nutritional value and digestibility.

Selected living food links:

Read my about raw food journey on my (archived) blog
Ecstatic Raw

A great book, thorough discussion of the rainbow plant diet with many awesome recipes:
Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine