Easy Salads for Stress-Free Labor Day Entertaining

The idea of raw food is appealing. But, oddly enough, despite the fact that there is no cooking involved; there is something about creating a raw food menu that seems overwhelming to some. The idea of food being more flavorful and more nutritious when the vitamins and vitality are not "cooked away" makes sense to most people. How do you entertain without a sauce, or a cooked item? Well, that is the question that leads people to jump off the raw food bandwagon.

Labor Day is a perfect occasion to let the raw food fare roll. The day of barbeque and picnic festivities calls upon us all to savor the summer that, if your anything like me, flew by in what seemed like some kind of sci-fi time warp. Here are some recipes that celebrate all that is fresh, light and lively about summer fare. And they don't take too much time away from all the last days of summer fun!

Beet and Carrot Salad

You may think of this as a winter vegetable combination, but it is truly wonderful right now. Crunchy and sweet and light, it is a wonderful dish to "wow" folks with. Plus the colors of this salad are stunning!

4 organic red beets washed and peeled into strips (using a typical potato peeler)

6 organic carrots washed and peeled into strips (again that trusty potato peeler shows some versatility!)

1 bag of organic spring mix or 2 small heads of organic lettuce

2 cups organic dried figs minced into small bits

2 cups of crumbled feta cheese / may be omitted for vegans
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl

Dressing:

Wisk together

½ cup basalmic vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons dill

the juice of one lime /or two if you like your salads to have some kick

sesame seeds to your liking sprinkled on at the end

Cucumber Raita

I love Indian food. This is a nice substitute for the bulky potato salad that usually is offered at a picnic. The mint is what makes the salad, and the little hints of cumin make for a culinary dance that delights!

8 organic cucumbers of fairly large size peeled and sliced in quarters

2 cups organic plain yogurt / full fat content works best

1 cup organic mint/ minced very well

2 cloves of organic garlic / minced very well

(you may do both in the food processor together and it will work nicely)

½ cup of rice vinegar

1 heaping tablespoon of cumin

First place the cucumber quarters in a large bowl

Blend yogurt, mint, garlic and cumin together in another bowl

Mix cucumber and yogurt blend together until covered evenly

Add vinegar to taste and mix

Avocado and Orange Salad

My avocado tree only yielded one small avocado this summer, but thankfully the ones at the store and market are beautiful. I am partial to Haas, but that is strictly a matter of loyalty! Summer oranges are also wonderful. This is a beautiful tapestry of rich tastes and textures. It adds some decadence to the table!

5 large organic avocados/ peeled and cut in slices/ save a few slices for the end to top the salad and make it look pretty

4 large organic oranges/ peeled and cut into quartered chunks / save some orange slices too

1 head of organic red leaf lettuce/ washed and dried and tossed in large salad bowl

1 head of organic butter lettuce (or any green leaf varietal)/ wash and dried and combined with red lettuce

2 large organic red onions / peeled and cut in paper-thin slices

1 bunch of organic cilantro / pull from stem to remove leaves and then mince

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and then mix with dressing until evenly coated

Top with alternating slices of orange and avocado to make the most of your presentation.

Dressing:

Wisk together:

½ cup Rice Vinegar

½ cup Sesame Seed Oil

¼ cup orange juice / you can use the carton if you want to make it easy!