I love mint in vegetables. It adds zing and summer lightness! Today, we are in the grips of a scary heatwave, salad and leftovers was all we could muster up. Snap peas, dill cucumber pickles and boiled eggs make up this cauliflower “potato” salad. Eaten warm after just assembling is absolutely advised!

Summary: have some eggs boiled and peeled, even if you do them a day ahead. Then we’ll be steaming a head of cauliflower, making the dressing and prepping the veggies and herbs that we layer in. Make sure you have either blue or feta cheese to top with. Or none, if you prefer! I like blue cheese as you don’t need much and it packs in a lot of flavour.

Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boiled eggs
• 1 whole head cauliflower, quartered for faster cooking
• A few snow or snap peas diced, or if not keto, ordinary peas are so good too
• 2 pickled dill cucumber spears, diced
• Fresh mint chopped, about 2 large sprigs
• Fresh parsley chopped, optional
• Chives or spring onions (I used scapes)
• Fresh garlic
• Onion powder
• Seasoned Salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp celery seed
• Olive oil to drizzle, optional
• Paprika to sprinkle

METHOD

1. Boil and peel 4 eggs (or more)
2. Use the same pot, rinse and steam the cauliflower head, cut into quarters
3. While the cauliflower cooks prepare your veggies, fresh herbs and make the dressing
4. Dressing: mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, onion powder, celery seeds, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, fresh garlic, ground pepper
5. When the cauliflower is done drain carefully and cut into pieces, your preferred size
6. Then layer in your salad bowl as follows: cauliflower, a few drops of olive oil drizzled over, salad dressing, crumbled eggs and veggies with fresh herbs; then repeat layer ending with blue cheese and Paprika
7. It will most likely be warm still but it’s delicious like this!
8. Seal salad bowl and keep refrigerated. Makes about 10 small servings. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce and you have a meal.

*You could also add diced radish and/or celery … or any of your favourite raw veggies
Summer salad goodness!

We had ours with leftover garlic and parsley buttered spaghetti squash and ground beef.

It’s about 43⁰C/109.4⁰F outside right now. Unthinkable in these parts! Our home is shaded by trees and we’re running the aircon. The birds are not leaving the birdbaths and not a soul is moving outdoors.

I worry so about our fragile planet.

We cut the roses in the garden to prevent them being scorched. They are quite lovely as I seldom cut them and prefer them on the bushes.

Stay safe.