Genesis 1:29 — And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

The following recipe comes from a cookbook entitled “Recipes for Life from God’s Garden” by Rhonda Malkmus. It has a wealth of information that is intended to help people become healthier and more active in their day to day lives.

Start with green leaf lettuce and/or other greens like spinach, kale or endive. Never use iceberg lettuce (head lettuce) because it has very little nutritional value. Make sure lettuce is washed well and completely drained. This can be accomplished by using a salad spinner or by washing and loosely rolling a dry towel and placing in the refrigerator to chill while chopping the rest of the vegetables. (Never use paper towels for drying; some are coated with formaldehyde.)

While the greens are crisping in the refrigerator, clean and prepare the rest of the vegetables. After all vegetables are prepared, you are ready to build your salad.

First remove the greens from the refrigerator and tear into small, bite-sized pieces. Fill the bowl half full of greens, then add layers of the following vegetables:

Small broccoli florets

Finely chopped sweet onion or scallions (if desired)

Small cauliflower florets

Finely diced red or yellow peppers

Finely diced celery

Peel and chop 1/2 avocado

Top with grated California carrots

It is wonderful just plain or with a squeeze of lemon juice or top with your favorite dressing. Make your own or purchase dressings (with lower natural sugar and no preservatives) and enjoy. There is no end of the variety you can have in your salads. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You might like to omit any of the above or add any of the following to change the flavor of your salad: Raw asparagus, raw corn off the cob, raw grated or cubed summer squash, raw grated or cubed sweet potatoes, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, grated cabbage, Bok Choy, parsnips, radishes, turnips, beets, rutabaga, snow peas, zucchini, eggplant, chopped chives, etc. Sunflower seeds, raw grated or slivered almonds may be added for texture.

This type of salad can be a main part of the evening meal, thus cutting down on consumption of too much meat and fat.

Stuffed Cucumbers

3 cucumbers 2 cups of celery

1 small zucchini 1 red bell pepper

3 scallions 1 ripe tomato

1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

Peel cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, carefully remove seeds with a spoon and discard. Place remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor with basil and chop until fine. Add Bragg Liquid Aminos to taste. Blend in 1/2 cup of almond butter and stuff cucumbers. Top with minced parsley.

*Braggs Liquid Aminos can be found in some Food Lions and Walmarts and in most health food stores. Until next time!

Alice Russell, also known as “Me Me,” is a guest columnist who resides in the Randolph/Saxe area. Her email address is letstalkherbs@gmail.com