tomato, olive + baby kale panzanella salad {giveaway}
(This giveaway is closed.) So it’s been a bit toasty here for the last few days (note, however, that I am not complaining, as we Minnesotans know how to appreciate warm weather after enduring long, drawn-out winters) but my point is, I’ve been living on a lot of salads. It’s how I tend to cope with feeling like I might melt right to the ground, all Alex Mack-style (oh goodness, do you remember that show? How Larisa Oleynik almost gets hit by a truck and then gets covered in this weird chemical that gives her superpowers? I LOVED it and was totally jealous of her ability to turn into liquid goo.)
ANYWAY, where were we? Oh yes, salad. I’m a fool for the stuff lately. And this variation — a panzanella salad with tomatoes, olives, fresh zucchini, feta cheese and baby greens — is my current jam. It’s a hybrid between a Greek salad and a classic panzanella, and it is delightful. Between that and grilled pizza, I am set for summer sustenance.
Of course, one cannot have a good salad with a base of good greens, so when organicgirl contacted me about trying their greens (and giving away some of them to one of you lovely readers! But I’ll get to that in a sec), I was all over it.
Now I know what you’re thinking — “Aren’t greens just greens? Don’t they all taste the same?” And maybe a few weeks ago I would have agreed with you, but you guys, it’s simply not true. organicgirl not only uses the freshest ingredients for their products, but they make some pretty delicious mixes of greens, from Supergreens, a mix of baby greens like arugula, spinach, tat soi and chard; to Five Happiness, a mix of bok choy, tango, arugula, spinach, chard, romaine and other greens; to I Heart Baby Kale, a mix of baby kale, spinach, green chard, oakleaf lettuce and other greens. They also strive to support sustainable farming and recycling practices with their products, which is something Elliott and I love to support whenever we can.
I chose to use organicgirl’s I Heart Baby Kale mix when making my new go-to salad, and I was blown away by how a simple mix of greens can make a salad so much tastier. I loved the crunch of the fresh lettuces as well as the combination of flavors rendered by the kale, spinach and chard — a mix of sweet, savory and a little peppery. It was a fantastic base to this salad, but I’m sure it would also make a great addition to sandwiches, sautes and bakes (like a casserole or frittata). Basically, I’m hooked.
Of course, I can’t wax poetic about these greens without letting you try them out for yourself, so I’m giving away three clamshells of organicgirl products — Supergreens, I Heart Baby Kale and Five Happiness — to one lucky reader!
Here’s the giveaway rundown:
To enter, please visit organicgirl’s website, Facebook page and Twitter page and leave a comment below sharing one way you love incorporating more greens into your diet.
And that’s it! Contest ends on Friday, July 12 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Winner will be announced Saturday, July 13 (giveaway is open to U.S. residents only).
Good luck, everyone!
Update: Heather is our winner. Thanks for playing, everyone!
Tomato, Olive and Baby Kale Panzanella Salad
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 generous slices rustic country bread, toasted and cut into 1-inch pieces (French Boule and Ciabatta are good options, if you want to go the homemade route)
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 clamshell organicgirl I Heart Baby Kale greens
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1/2 cup packed fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
Crumbled feta cheese, for topping
Directions:
Toss bread cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes, zucchini, greens, olives and salt and pepper to taste; toss lightly to combine.
Combine basil, mint, garlic, vinegar, water and remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until pureed to the consistency of dressing or pesto. Add as much dressing as desired to the salad and toss to combine.
Serve salad immediately with crumbled feta cheese sprinkled on top.
Disclosure: I received samples of organicgirl products for review purposes only. All opinions are my own.
I always add mint to my salads, one of my little secrets 🙂 🙂 🙂 Also, I LOVED Alex Mack, too. We are twins.
I am still waiting for kale to go commercial in Australia… Poo. This is lovely salad mix, I have to try this myself sometime this week.
Oh man, I ALWAYS have OrganicGirl products in my fridge. We use the different mixes and spinach in salads and the baby kale packages for our green smoothies. So youm!!!
This salad is gorgeous. What a great way to showcase summer flavors!
We have been inundated with greens from our CSA and it’s making me INSANELY happy. I’m a greens-aholic; I could put them in anything. Well. Maybe not oatmeal.
Salads are my go-to option for more greens, but I love them with eggs, too; a good pizza is always made better by a spattering of greens and of course, stuffing them in a sandwich works too.
Terrific giveaway!! Thank you!
I’m loving the heat we have had and devour salads in the summer just like you. So delicious!
I am with you. Even though is is not hot like at all here (think 40 in the morning, high of 60 during the day) I am still all over the grill and salads. I actually just made a panzanella salad the other day. I am loving you tomato-olive version! Sounds and looks perfect!
We probably buy the I Heart Baby Kale mix 2 times a week – it’s a staple around our house! My husband loves adding it to his smoothies, and I love tossing it with some Caesar dressing and shaved parm for a delicious lunch!
Oh — and amazing Alex Mack reference. LOVED her.
LOVED Alex Mack! And remember she could levitate things too…awesome. Awesome salad.
Fantastic, so clean and fresh. My perfect lunch 🙂
I did all three and I have been eating Kale chips and lots of spinach salad lately! I would love to try these greens though!
I’ve been seriously into eating fresh greens lately. Hubby makes the best ceasar salads in the world. This year we are growing spinach in our garden and have been eating it with pride – lol… With the last bunch I picked we made a homemade alfreado sausage spinach pizza 🙂
I LOVE Organic girl! Their stuff is all I use for salads! I feel so naiive, I thought they were only on the west coast and am happy to see they have a much larger reach than I had thought!! Very cool! Hope you had a happy 4th and your salad looks amazing!
Oh. Yum. I know what’s for dinner!
I love getting more greens in my diet by wilting them in a pan with a smidge of butter, and then making little holes so I can slowly cook eggs in little pockets of greens.