Summer has sprung and the young kale and arugula in the garden are ready for the first of many harvests!  Combined with whatever small sprout is ready in the kitchen, this signals the time for one of my favourite salads.  The sweet, spicy, crunchy and creamy all explode in the mouth with every bite and although the recipe makes enough for two very generous helpings I often find myself polishing off the entire batch solo…

For the salad:

• 2 cups baby kale
• 2 cups arugula
• 2 cups broccoli sprouts (kale or radish sprouts would well too)
• 1 apple, diced
• 2 tablespoons (or more if you like crunch) roasted pumpkin seeds

For the dressing:

• 1/2 an avocado
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I actually use flax oil rather than olive, but it has a very ‘’ultra-granola-health-food’’ kind of flavour that will taste through the other ingredients and may not be your thing)
• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1/4 cup water

What you do:

1. Combine all the salad ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Add all the dressing ingredients to a magic bullet or upright blender and buzz until smooth, thick and creamy.
3. Toss the dressing with the salad in the big bowl using a set of tongs.
4. Serve, trying not to eat the whole damn thing.

A few of the endless variations:

1. Replace the kale and arugula with 4 cups of bok choy or toy choy sliced into strips.
2. Replace the kale and arugula with 4 cups mixed field greens.
3. Add a finely diced rib or two of celery and swap out the pumpkin seeds for 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts.
4. Add a grated carrot, two tablespoons of soaked raisons and swap out the pumpkin seeds for toasted sunflower seeds.