yes, I would like to be in this april Swap.

Cindy

Aloha folks! I'd really like to join...

However, due to high shipping costs and an itty bitty living space, I prefer to not to trade a "salad related extra."

Could I, perhaps, be partnered with someone who *also* doesn't want to include or receive "salad-related extras," and instead prefers to just trade the seeds and recipes.

If someone else shows up who is of a like mind with me on this, Please let me know. :)

Welcome, Cindy!

Grovespirit, I'd love to have you join, so if no one else signs up that is of a like mind with you, than I'll partner with you, okay?

Bonnie

Excellent Bonnie, very kind of you to offer to accommodate me!
I'd be thrilled to partner with you if it becomes necessary!

Consider me joined. :D

Let's see who else joins- there might be someone else here who wants to do my suggested 'lite' version of this swap. :)

Count me in!

Hi Becky! So glad you are joining this one!

Count me in too! :) Can't wait to start gathering goodies!!! :D

Welcome, Kathy!

Here is who we have so far:

Cjcjmass/Cindy
Grovespirit
Booberry85/Becky
Southercharm1/Kathy
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

Who else is craving some salad?

LOL I just realized we've gone animated!!! hehe Good find Bonnie! :)

Hey, since no one has added to my salad list, I thought I would list everything that I can think of that would be grown in your gardens, that could be used in a salad. If I'm forgetting one of your favorites, be sure to add to the list ... and sign up will you're at it : )

Lettuce (of course)
Spinach
Chard
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Carrots
Radishes
Peas
Parsley
Basil
Cilantro
Chives
Onions
Peppers

Hmmmm ... what am I forgetting??? Help me out here!

Bonnie

I like unusual salads! How about:

Artichokes
Basil
Black Beans
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Corn
Dill
Garlic
Green Beans
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Melons
Oregano
Wax Beans
Zucchini

Anything else?

Please count me in!
I love spinach salad with warm bacon dressing, corn salad, Asain salad, cucumber salad, bok choy salad.
I love to add these also
sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
endive
This sounds like so much fun! And it is making me hungry!
Sharon

Don't forget these :D

Grapes
Strawberries
Cranberries
Blueberries
Apples
Peaches

Oooh, ya'll (or y'all) are good, LOL! Sharon, I had forgotten about toppings, and Kathy I love fruit salads. As a matter of fact, I'm making one tomorrow for a ladies group I am part of. Maybe I'll share the recipe with my partner : ) I'm kind of funny about mixing fruits and traditional salads though, like I don't like grapes in my chicken salad, or celery in my fruit salad. I guess I'm a purist. I like my sweets to be sweet, and savory stuff savory.

Well, we're off to a good start. Here's who's in:

Cjcjmass/Cindy
Grovespirit
Booberry85/Becky
Southercharm1/Kathy
Scottrell/Sharon
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

There's plenty of room for more though!

After reading the most recent Incredible Heirlooms newsletter, I am not sure whether or not I am still welcome to remain in this swap.

I have privately emailed the group leaders about my concerns. I hope the group leaders and I can work all this out. :)

The reason I'm not sure I can still participate is that I am not sure if I can do so, without sending the "salad related extra" or not...

Bonnie told me here that it would be OK with her if I didn't send an "extra", and I do believe she meant it.

But now, the newsletter seems to say that I MUST send an "extra"...despite Bonnie's earlier assurance to me. :/

This has me pretty confused, to say the least.

Some more things that are good in salads:
Mandarin Oranges
Ground Cherry (Cape Gooseberry)
Wonderberry/Sunberry
Elderberry
Mulberry

Arugula
Burdock root (Gobo)
Capers
Mustard Greens (especially all the different Asian ones like mizuna, tatsoi, choy sum, komatsuna, etc.)
Collard Greens
Kale (various)
Dandelion (especially when young and tender)
Catalogna
Chicory (young leaves)
Purslane
Malabar spinach
Okra (best if pickled first).
Orach
Amaranth
Sprouts (various- one of my faves is fenugreek sprouts)
Mache (corn salad)
Asparagus
Snow or Snap Pea
Asparagus Pea, aka Winged Bean
Broccolini aka Rapini
Mustard seeds (sprinkled on, or used in dressing)
Poppy seeds (dressing)
Tree Nuts (various, for toppings)
Peanuts (for Thai peanut dressing, or sprinkled on Asian salads)
Mint, Lovage, Tarragon, Thyme, Chervil: for making dressings, or just mix a few sprigs into the salad.
Salad Burnet
Edible flowers (various, but nasturtiums, chive flowers and pansies are my favorites!)
Elephant Garlic, Society Garlic: great for dressings
Scallions/Welsh onions- white or red!
Shallots
Sorrel
Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke)
Chick Pea, Garbanzo Bean
Beets (sprouts, greens, and roots!)
Lamb's Quarters, Goosefoot-Chenopodium album
Persian (curly) cress
Watercress
Walking onion/Egyptian onion

Aloha Bonnie, I have sent you several emails recently which need your feedback. No replies yet...Are you OK?

Maybe I don't have the right email address for you? I can't post your email address here for confirmation, so please send me your latest email addy privately if you can. I'd like to be sure my emails are reaching you.

Oh yes, and also you might want to make sure my emails aren't getting lost due to spam filtering. :)

Hi Grovespirit! Not ingoring you, I have just been away from the computer today, preparing refreshments for and attending a women's group that I belong to, so haven't had a chance to check my email until just now.

I am new to hosting swaps, and I apologize for any confusion I caused by bending the rules of the swap. As a host, I want everyone to feel welcome, and I was sincere in my offer, but since this swap is put on by the Incredibles group, I have to abide by the rules of the group. Again I apologize for being unfamiliar with the rules ahead of time, and for any problems this has caused.

Bonnie

I am sorry for any confusion this may have caused for the group or anyone who is lurking deciding whether or not to join this swap. :)Including Bonnie, she is doing the group a BIG favor by volunteering to host for us. Bonnie, no need to apologize you have done nothing wrong. :)

There are rules of the swap are posted in the very first post of each sign up thread, please read those carefully before deciding to join a swap. Each swap is different with a different set of rules that are set by the host each month, those must be followed along with the Original group Guidelines to be able to participate. :) Some swaps require a specific type of extra to be sent, some swaps "encourage" extras to be sent and others require so little as a recipe to be sent.

Becky/Booberry85 has the Incredible Edibles April Swap also posted for sign ups, if you are interested in swapping Seeds with an accompanying recipe, the link is below. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Incredible Edibles Homegrown Recipes

Where are the original group guidelines posted?

Patti

Hi Patti,

I am going to send out an email with the group guidelines to everyone in just a bit so I can be sure all the new participants are familiar with them. :) The link below shows the very first post where the originator of the group started these rules. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Group Guidelines from the beginning. :)

Hey, the group is a year old! Happy anniversary everybody!

Can I sign up on this, I am new to GW bt wold love this if it is ok.

Prayerrock, I love your GW name! Newbies are always welcome. Please read the rules of the swap at the top of the page, and feel free to post any questions here, or if you are uncomfortable with that, just email me any questions through my GW Member Page. Glad to have you with us!

Bonnie

Happy 1 year birthday!!! YAY!!! So cool.

You know, there are so many different types of salads! And they all sound so yummy! I can't wait to see what everyone shares for those and dressings. Yummmmm! I'm getting hungry thinking about all the yummy stuff you can put in them.

My favorite salad:
Baby Spinach and other mixed greens
Cheese
Eggs
Raisins
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Croutons
For dressing Strawberry Vinaigrette
With a side of Macaroni Salad

Ahhh! Absolutely divine!!! And cures my sweet tooth. :)

Hmmm ... well, if you left off the raisins, and the Strawberry Vinaigrette, added some carrots, peas, and maybe some pinenuts, or sunflowers seeds, and used an Italian dressing (or Ranch for the kids) ... oh, and threw in some crumbled bacon for the DH, then you would have a typical summer salad for our family.

I'm trying to expand our salad fixin's this year. I'm wintersowing some radishes, beets, and chard. Also, planning to grow some different kinds of cucumbers this year, like lemon, and a white one, and my tomato, and pepper selection has pretty much ALL of the colors included, so there should be plenty of variety to keep it interesting.

Bonnie

I had to have my DH bring me a huge salad for lunch. LOL It hit the spot especially after hearing everyones ideas of perfect salads. :)

Bonnie, that sounds great too! I love salad, I would love to grow my own greens but I just can't get it right yet. I think I need to start them in the fall to get them to survive for me. I just planted some of those Lemon Cucumbers too, I couldn't pass them up they look so neat. They will be a conversation piece no doubt! :)

Happy Friday!

There is one week left for sign ups on this swap, so lurkers, you still have time to join in the fun.

This is an updated list of who's for sure participating:

Booberry85/Becky
Southercharm1/Kathy
Scottrell/Sharon
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

Kathy, I think you are right about the greens, it would be a fall/winter/early spring crop for you, but you could try some slow bolting varieties. Last year, I planted Jericho, and New Red Fire, neither of them bolted until July, and we were in the 90's by June. This year, I'm also trying Nevada, Sunset, and Simpson Elite. Oh, and chard is supposed to hold up to the heat, though mine got pretty bitter by mid-summer. Keep trying, don't give up. Fresh greens are so worth it!

Bonnie

Oooops, I made a mistake, and left Prayerrock/Mary off of the swap list. Let's try that again:

Booberry85/Becky
Southercharm1/Kathy
Scottrell/Sharon
Prayerrock/Mary
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

Sorry about that!

Hello!

All this talk about salad is awesome! It is really making me crave some. I am so glad I have all these healthy friends!

Kathy, Lettuce grows best for us here in the winter. I think I am going to try some of the varities that Bonnie suggested (Thanks Bonnie!) Malibar spinach loves the heat and is great in salads. I also grow Mississippi peas in the summer. BTW, are you going to the Lew's Botanical Garden Sale next week? I have heard that it is one of the best! I am going to try real hard to go, it is a little bit of a ride for me.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Sharon

I thought I'd help people get in the mood for salad. I think I posted this on the Tomato & Pepper Swap Purple Acres hosted a few months back. Anyway, here's the recipe:

Panzanella

This is an Italian bread salad. The Italians make it to use up stale bread. I make it to use up cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients

Salad
1 1â2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 3)
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1â3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Panzanella croutons
Freshly ground black pepper

Panzanella Croutons
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups cubed day-old bread (½-inch cubes)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

Core the tomatoes and, if large, cut them into chunks; if small, halve or quarter them (I slice the cherry tomatoes in half). Toss them gently with the shallot, garlic, oil, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper. Set aside until the tomatoes are very juicy, about 10 minutes. Add croutons and give a give toss. Tear the basil over the salad and toss gently. (The bread salad can be served now or set aside at room temperature for a couple of hours.)

For the croutons, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and preheat a cookie sheet in it.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese.
Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 8 or 9 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Sharon, I'm originally from Tennessee, but I don't know what a Mississippi pea is. Is it a Black-eyed pea or something?

Becky, that sounds yummy! I bet some sliced cucumbers would go good with that.

I went out to start preparing the veggie bed yesterday, and found about a dozen carrots still there, that I had miss in the fall! My wintersown spinach and lettuce are starting to get their first real leaves, so I may plant those out in a couple of weeks, and put a row cover over them. Or maybe use the top half of soda bottles as cloches at night.

Enjoy the weekend! I'm going out to play in the dirt!

Bonnie

Okay I made it..
I am wanting to join sounds good to me. I have many seeds to swap and now that I am home all the time it is so much easier..I will be happy happy to join!!
Polly
P.S. just a little excited to do this one, I also am craving fresh salads and think green veggies are the best!!

I would like to join in on this one, too. Sounds like a lot of fun. Are we going to post our rcipes on here, I would love to get a copy of everyone's recipe.

Nichol

Welcome Polly and Nichol! Nichol, why don't we post the recipe that we receive, that way it won't take away the surprise.

So here's the new list:

Booberry85/Becky
Southercharm1/Kathy
Scottrell/Sharon
Prayerrock/Mary
Frenchfryleg1/Polly
Gardenmom2/Nichol
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

Bonnie

Cool. I like surprises and recipes. LOL

Thank you. Nichol

Thought I's bump this toward the top with another recipe!

Eight Bean Salad

This is adapted from Picnic! by Edith Stovel. Yes, there is an inconsistency. My bean salad has ten beans. The original recipe had nine but was still called "Eight Bean Salad." This serves 8.

Ingredients

Salad
2 cups mixed dried beans* (¼ cup each garbanzo beans, navy beans, red kidney, lima, pinto, black bean, great northern, and black eyed peas)
½ lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
½ lb yellow wax beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
8 green onions, coarsely chopped
½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
* canned beans can also be used. You will want a total of 4 cups of beans

Dressing
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup olive oil

Rinse beans, place in a large pot and cover with water and soak overnight. Remove any floater beans. Drain. Add two quarts of water again and simmer for 2 hours until beans are tender. Place in a large bowl and cool in the refrigerator. *If using canned beans, rinse and drain.

Steam green beans and yellow beans for two minutes. You will still want them a little crunchy. After two minutes plunge beans into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly and add to cooked dried beans.

Add the green onions and parsley to beans and gently mix.

For the dressing, blend vinegar, sugar, garlic, mustard, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Slowly drizzle in oils.

Pour dressing over the beans, cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Thanks for sharing your recipe, Becky! Don't give them all away, save a good one for your partner : )

Okay, lurkers, you have until Friday to sign up, and join in the fun. Come on, you know you want to!

Bonnie

I know partners won't be assigned until Saturday, but I already picked up a couple of things for the swap. We will be out of town for a few days next week, since the kids are on spring break, so I thought I would get a head start.

Today, I may plant some onions. I had to buy chicken wire to put over the top though, since the neighborhood stray cats think the vegetable bed is a giant litterbox! Once everything is planted out and growing, they can't really get in there, so it's only a problem in the spring.

How's everyone else's garden coming along?

Bonnie

Great idea with the chicken wire, Bonnie. :) These days our dog keeps the cats out of the gardening space, but before we had a dog, cats used to be a problem.

Nice bean salad recipe, Becky(booberry)! Looks tasty. We might try that one next time fresh beans become available.

Good question about how our heirloom gardens are doing, Bonnie. :)

Garden is going well. Several WinterSown things are now out in the patio. Moved some rainbow swiss chard, Osaka purple mustard, Mantovana chicory, Cicoria Catalogna Rossa, and mizuna seedlings over the weekend.

Still have more things to sow, though, including 'Red Welsh' bunching onions! Should get to that today, along with removing compost from vermicompost bin and adding more scraps for worms to eat. One of the things I do with my vermicompost is use it as seed starting mix!

Divided a sage plant and gave rooted offsets to a gardening pal who lives nearby; he was very happy to get them.

The lemongrass and ginger really need to be divided too. A good time will be later today while my hands are still dirty from processing the worm bin. :)

Harvested almost a bushel of collard greens and komatsuna greens recently. Didn't need that much, so we shared with a neighbor whose husband is unemployed. They were delighted, and surprised to see so much food from a 10'x 10' patio. :)

The heirloom bok choy "Tai Sai" has a few hundred seedpods on it. Will collect and dry in a paper bag very soon, otherwise the pods will split open and scatter the seeds everywhere. Wouldn't want that to happen, LOL!!

And the 'Rotonda Bianca Sfumata di Rosa' eggplant has several baby eggplants forming on it. :)

Blooming outside right now are a large flowered heirloom zinnia "cut and come again", double flowered magenta Pentas, rose colored gerbera daisy, and portulaca "Giant Bicolor Radiance."

Portulaca is edible but I haven't gotten up the guts to try eating it yet. Young Zinnia sprouts are edible, and I have eaten a few when thinning them out- they seem to taste similar to sunflower sprouts. :)

A lightly fragrant bicolor dianthus, from seeds Medontdo sent me- bloomed last week, and we ate a bunch of its flowers as edible garnish. Left a few flowers on, in hopes of saving some seeds. If it doesn't set seed we may try to keep it going by root divisions.

About the only thing in my garden that isn't looking happy lately is my water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica). Not sure why, but despite plenty of water it has gotten wilty all of a sudden. Maybe it is rootbound and needs to be divided and potted up in fresh soil.

Our Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata) is growing like gangbusters and needs to be pruned back. Time to make salsa and black bean soup with the trimmings! Might also experiment with drying some leaves for later. :)

Wow, Iris, you harvested almost a bushel of greens! You're giving me zone envy. All of my lettuces and spinach have sprouted, but they are still safe in their wintersown containers, and there is a chance of snow in the forecast by the beginning of the week.

Yesterday, I discovered that the rhubarb in a pot on the porch that I thought was dead, is ALIVE and well. Yippee! I already sowed some of the rhubarb seeds that I got from the Spring Fling swap, so now I am going to have to dig up a couple of mums to make room for BOTH of them. It's okay though, since the mums don't bloom until about a week before our first frost date, they really aren't pulling their weight anyway.

Just a reminder for those of you that are lurking, tomorrow is the last day to sign up for this swap.

Bonnie

Okay, I'll be assigning partners in the morning, but we sure could use one more person to make it even. I'll check back in the a.m. before posting, so if you are lurking, and trying to decide, there's still time.

Maybe I need to use Kathy's watch trick, LOL!

Bonnie

Okay, I am IN!

It sounds like LOTS of fun.

Nancy

Yeah, Nancy! So glad you decided to join!!!

So here's who we have:

Booberry85/Becky
Southercharm1/Kathy
Scottrell/Sharon
Prayerrock/Mary
Frenchfryleg1/Polly
Gardenmom2/Nichol
Luvgardening2/Nancy
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

I'll be back in the morning,
Bonnie

Good Morning! I have posted partners this morning. Please follow the link to the update thread to find out who your partner is. Remember to post on the new thread when you ship or receive a package.

Have fun gathering those heirloom salad veggies, and other salad goodies!!!

Thanks for joining!
Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: I.H. April's Splendid Salads Swap Partners