Sausage, Quinoa, Spinach and Lettuce Salad....and slugs in the garden!

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A friend in Andorra once told me that the key to finding good produce at the local markets was to look for slugs.  If there were slugs on the lettuce the grower didn't use pesticides or other chemicals and the food was (likely to be) fresh and organic.

Guess what folks?  My gardens are totally organic and I can prove it.
He didn't eat much.

And, you may ask, why slugs and not snails?

Simple: no self-respecting Spanish (or French) housewife would allow a snail to be in her garden.  Absolutely not.
They are removed at first sight.....and carefully saved, nurtured, as it were.  They are, in the words of my Andorran neighbor, "Para la sopa!" (For the soup - to be eaten.)  They don't eat slugs....

Kalyn, of Kalyn's Kitchen, and founder of Weekend Herb Blogging has been talking about the health benefits of oregano.  Since my basil is still in the growing stage, and I had to replant my thyme, I find myself using more oregano than I have in the past.  And the more I use it the better I like it.  It may replace basil in some of my recipes. 

Oregano is another of the Mediterranean herbs that have been used for centuries, both in cooking and preserving food, and for medicinal purposes.  Like many herbs it is full of antioxidants but also has  demonstrated antimicrobial  properties.   Like thyme, it is more often used dry than fresh, but fresh oregano has a wonderful taste, lighter and less astringent than dried.  The plants are hardy and many have been adapted to colder climates.  In this recipe I used it both in making the salad dressing and  as part of the salad.  The flavor was wonderful!  As to the quinoa - I talked about that on another WHB post.

Salad with Sausage and Quinoa  Time: 20 minutes

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken stock (or the amount of liquid your package recommends)
8 oz (250 gr) sausages, I used 6 rather skinny ones made with herbs
1 small jar (can) white (or green) asparagus, 8 - 10 oz (300gr)
1 carrot
8 - 10 cherry tomatoes
fresh spinach, 6 oz (180gr)
fresh lettuce, 6 oz (180gr)
3 tbs fresh oregano leaves
2 tbs snipped fresh garlic or regular chives
Creamy Herb Dressing

Combine quinoa and stock in small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until done, about 15 minutes. When done, uncover and fluff. Cook sausages on barbecue grill 10 - 15 minutes or until done (can also be sautéed in nonstick skillet - same amount of time). When done cut in half. Peel carrot then, with peeler, continue to thinly slice carrot until you reach your fingers. Eat what's left! Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Drain asparagus. Wash and prepare spinach and lettuce as needed, tearing the large leaves.  Put spinach and lettuce in large salad bowl. Add 2/3's of the dressing and toss well with tongs to combine. Spread the salad out in the bowl. Spoon the quinoa in the center. Arrange sausage, asparagus, carrot and tomatoes around the quinoa. Sprinkle the herbs over all. Drizzle a bit of dressing and serve, any extra dressing on the side.

Creamy Herb Dressing

1/2 cup Greek or plain yogurt (4oz, 125ml)
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs white Balsamic vinegar or white whine tarragon vinegar
1 tbs fresh snipped chives Substitute 2 tsp dried
1 tbs fresh snipped oregano Substitute 2 tsp dried
3 tbs olive oil - the good stuff

Snip oregano and chives with scissors. In small bowl whisk yogurt, mustard and vinegar. Add oil, a bit at a time and whisk well. Add herbs. This will keep a week.

This Weekend Herb Blogging is being hosted by Ellie at Kitchen Wench.  Please stop by her blog on Monday for the complete recap of all the wonderful herby recipes. I've just been happily reading her most interesting blog when I got to the part about this week's deadline...I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date....
Bon Weekend!

Comments

[Ellie]

Hi Katie - perfect timing as I'm just writing the round up now ;) This looks like a very tasty dish indeed - fresh, tasty, wholesome and filling :D Thanks for submitting to this week's edition of WHB!

[Kalyn]

I am really loving the fresh oregano too. I just got an interesting plant called Golden Oregano that has yellowish leaves and a slightly milder flavor. It's really good too. The salad sounds good. Love the sound of the herb dressing especially.

[Genie]

Katie, YUM! This recipe looks great -- I'm always looking for fun ways to use quinoa.

And now I'm going to go hide, since I'm such a big nerd as to say "always looking for fun ways to use quinoa..." Yikes. :-)

[gattina]

Katie, you make me feel pride... my garden has slugs!!!

[jann]

All those fresh ingredients~looks so good!

[Pookah]

I need to go hide with Kalyn because I too, am always looking for new ways to serve quinoa. I love both oregano and marjoram and both of them dies back while my thyme is doing incredibly well. BTW, you had one of the best looking dishes in the round-up. I wonder how it would be without the sausage?

[Helene]

What a great looking dish, I envy you. Thanks for another recipe with quinoa, it´s a must try for me! :)

[Jenn]

I love oregano it is one of my favorite herbs. It is very lemony and herbacious, which sounds like an obvious word to describe an herb, but alas, I feel it is more herbal than a lot. So bring on the Oregano! Mine is still just sprouting! I can't wait til I can use it!

[Katiez]

Thanks, Ellie. Glad a made the cut. Great round-up!
Kalyn, the golden oregano sounds so pretty! I'm just so happy to be eating fresh herbs again!
Genie, your fellow foodies understand....
Gattina, it's not easy finding the positive about slugs.
Thanks, Jann
Thanks, pookah, I think it would be great - chicken, turkey, white beans or nothing. I'm happy with the quinoa!
Helene, I just 'discovered' quinoa this winter so I'm doing lots of experimenting.
Jenn, good luck with your oregano. Even in the frozen north (Minnesota) mine came up every year. Here it doesn't die back at all - just goes dormant.