Abundance Overload

:a salad

I’m not necessarily saying that too much of a good thing is bad. As a (reformed) hedonist, I’m quite partial to ample amounts of delicious things. I say reformed because although I will always be a pleasure-seeking creature, I’ve had to make some lifestyle adjustments now that I’m solidly in my mid-30s. The family curse of high cholesterol has finally caught up with me, butter gives me heartburn, and drinking just makes me tired. I no longer go big, I only go home.

As we have all learned at one point or another, via overindulging in spending or imbibing or consuming, there is a very fine line between just enough and far too much. When it comes to gardening, there’s a peak-summer tipping point where abundance explodes into excess. I say this with the confidence and expertise of someone who has been officially gardening for about 5 months now, and whose guiding principle has been to “fuck around and find out.”

My nasturtium is stressing me out.  It is spewing forth new tentacles of blossoms by the minute, it seems.  It’s limbs are reaching for and colonizing the far reaches of my garden. I’ve been struggling to know how to use it all. A busy month has also meant I haven’t kept up with deadheading, so the soil is strewn with nasturtium seeds, which I assume means a litter of baby nasturtium in the future? This is a question, because I really do not know. Please help.

a garden goblin

I’m taking it as an opportunity to reckon with my internalized capitalism. I’m reminding myself that I decided to plant it because it’s pretty (aka for pleasure), not necessarily for it’s edible offerings (aka its productivity). I don’t have to maximize every plant in my garden, efficiently squeezing out the productivity of every last blossom and leaf.

It can just feel good to let something go wild, to become offerings to the pollinators and treats for the eyes. I’ve decided to allow her to let her hair down, to stretch and yawn, and see how she evolves without my interference or control. That’s all any of us want, after all: permission to just be as we are, and for that to be enough.

All that being said, I made a salad. I’m calling this the Abundance Overload Salad - a way to use up anything your garden is generously but mercilessly throwing at you.

The star here is the dressing: nasturtium honey dijon vinaigrette. It starts with making a nasturtium vinegar, which sounds fancy and involved but is simple and relatively quick, as far as infused vinegars go. The blossoms turn the vinegar into the most striking cherry red shade. I made it with the intention of using it for a sweet preparation, but the aroma of it was peppery and pungent in a way that reminded me of mustard, so here we are.

Nasturtium Honey Mustard

cut tape: old fine dining habits die hard

first: make your nasturtium vinegar

a handful of nasturtium blossoms

1 cup of vinegar (I used white wine, but I’m sure apple cider would be delicious too)

Fill an 8 oz jar with the nasturtium blossoms, and top up with the vinegar. Let sit as little as a few hours or up to two weeks, depending on your desired intensity of color and flavor. Make sure to use a stainless steel lid, or place a bit of parchment between the jar and your lid, as vinegar can corrode metal. Strain when complete and compost the spent blossoms.

Now, we make the vinaigrette

this is very loosely the “recipe” I used, but please feel free to increase or decrease any of the ingredients to your tastes.

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons nasturtium vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 garlic clove, grated

1” piece of ginger, grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

a generous amount of cracked black pepper

Throw everything in the food processor or blender or in a bowl with a whisk. Mix it up! Taste and adjust as needed, if you like it sweeter, saltier, more mustardy, etc. The world is your oyster.

keeps for a couple weeks in the fridge!

Abundance Overload Salad

again, I used what I had, but feel free to sub the vegetables or herbs with anything you have around.

2 zucchini or summer squash

1 cob of corn, shucked

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

large handful of nasturtium leaves and blossoms

large handful of fresh herbs (I used lemon balm, lemon verbena, and holy basil)

1/4 cup nasturtium honey dijon dressing

salt + peppa

finishing olive oil

1. Using a mandolin, slice the zucchini length-wise (or, hot dog style) into 1/8” thick ribbons. If the squash are too long to safely mandolin, you can definitely cut them in half. Place the squash ribbons in a colander over a large bowl. Add a few heavy pinches of salt and toss with the Zucchini. Let rest and release excess liquid for about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

2. Cut the kernels off of the cob of corn, either with the mandolin or a knife. Add to a large bowl, along with the zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and nasturtium leaves (these are acting as the “greens” of the salad).

3. Take about half of the herbs and chiffonade, or thinly slice, and add to the salad. Add your dressing, salt, and pepper to your liking, and toss to combine.

4. Pile the salad in the middle of a plate or big bowl, and top with whole herb leaves, nasturtium blossoms, and a drizzle of good olive oil.

I didn’t do this myself (see: high cholesterol) but I bet this would be fantastic with feta or goat cheese. Or peaches? The opportunities are endless.