Dinner from the Garden

 click on photo to enlarge...

It was raining but I just thought how nice Mother Nature was to wash my dinner greens!

I collected peas, all kinds of lettuce, chard, onions, and these beautiful dark purple carrots!

When you grate these wonderful carrots the orange strips have a tiny edge of purple.   

Very nice.

I like to cut each veggie differently.
Peas were cut into diagonal, carrots grated on large,
zucchini in little cubes or little match stick size etc.  

After washing and slicing and arranging all the above on a plate I topped 

the salad with some left over barbequed chicken and come candied pecans.

These candied nuts only take moments to make and

I had them on wax paper cooling before I began cutting up the veggies.

I guess all I need to give you is the recipe for the candied pecans. 

It comes from Julia Anita's Salad Sorcery....my youngest daughters and I 

took a cooking class from her while we were in 

Florida many years ago.  Great Salad book!

Candied Pecans

1 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

sprinkle of salt  (recipes calls for 1 teas.=too much)

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat

add the sugar/salt

watch and don't step away not even for a moment

I shake the pan to keep the dry sugar moving

into the melted sugar.  

As soon as all sugar is liquid (this takes but a moment)

remove pan and stir in nuts, be sure and move those nuts until fully covered

pour the nuts onto waxed paper 

use a fork to push them apart so they don't make a big mound

you are looking for individual nuts where possible. 

Allow to fully cool or they won't pull off the wax paper,

You can make these nuts ahead and store them in an airtight container.  

Nothing makes a salad more special than fresh veggies picked from your garden

and candied pecan topping!