First off: Yes, this is a bad Corona-V pun and it was 50% unintentional and 50% I have no shame and lots of bad jokes bubbling up from too many days of being anti-social and having conversations with my dog…

Secondly: I don’t know about you but last weeks heat has got me craving all the juicy, fresh, and crunchy things!! I whipped this up the other day and it was my go to for the rest of the week, turned out fabulous! It can be extremely versatile as well since you have the opportunity to add or remove as many ingredients as you like, and it’s a fresh take on one of my childhood favorites. A major component of this salad is to keep things chopped very small to get a good mix and flavor diversity in every bite. Another bonus is that it keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so you can make once and and eat 3-4 times which is important since it is more time consuming (because chopping!) than other salad recipes I would make. For this reason I avoid using fresh leafy greens, since acids break down the fiber structure of them very quickly. Dried herbs like parsley or coriander might be OK for a little extra kick, but could change the flavor dynamic too much. It is something I have yet to experiment with for this, so if you try it, leave a comment and let me know how it turns out for you!

You will need: (For the dressing)

• Vinegar (Apple Cider with the “Mother”)
• Olive Oil
• Honey
• A Lemon, Lime, Orange, or other citrus fruit

I prefer Apple Vinegar with the Mother simply for the fact that it’s a little less processed and is a bit sweeter than regular. The acid from the vinegar also helps to keep your vegetables from oxidising and turning brown (like apples, potatoes, and shredded carrots do), so your veggies stay fresh and appetizing looking.

• Mix 2 TBS of Vinegar and Oil in a bowl. Zest about half of your citrus fruit into the bowl, then roll your orange/lemon/lime on your counter or cutting board to squish the insides and pre-juice it a bit. Slice it in half and juice one of the halves into the bowl with the rest. Mix in 1 TBS of honey and keep adding till you reach your preferred taste. It should be a nice mix of sweet and tangy.

Citrus zest is highly under utilised on a day to day basis in my opinion. It brings so much extra citrus flavor to a dish and usually gets thrown away without fulfilling its life purpose! If you are used to more of a sweet dressing flavor I’d start with oranges and work your way up to lemons and then limes. I find the acid in limes to be highly pungent and if your not used to them could easily turn you off. Acid is a major part of flavoring and balancing out the food flavors to your taste buds, but if you want more inspiration on that go watch Netflix’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. I’d highly recommend it, and if your like me right now your stuck inside a lot anyway. #ThanksCorona

Fresh Veggies I like to use in no particular order:

• 2 Carrots (shredded)
• 1/3 head of Broccoli (use the stems as well as the little florets)
• 2 stalks of Celery
• 1/3 head of Cauliflower
• 1/2 Cucumber
• 1/4 cup Raisins
• Nuts (Walnuts, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, etc)
• 1 Apple

Feel free to play around and try adding other things like:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Red Beet
• Radishes
• Fennel
• Sweet Onion
• Ginger shreds
• Any of that other tangy random stuff you see at the farm shops!

Chop your ingredients! I try to go for half the size of my last/ pinky finger knuckle or nail size. (use caution, please don’t chop them in this process!) Carrots are easiest I’ve found run through a shredder/grater, but is a little messy, if your fortunate enough to have a mechanical one, it’s your lucky day! It is also worth noting that I never peel most of my skin vegetables like carrots apples and potatoes. Many times your veggie skins have the highest concentration of nutrients in them, and that the stuff you don’t want to be loosing!

Mix it all together in a container that seals well, drizzle your dressing on top and give it a good shake to mix it all well and Enjoy! What combinations did you try out? What did you or didn’t you like about this recipe?

Drop a comment below and show your picture of your favorite mix.