Simplest Fruit And Microgreen Salad

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Simplest Fruit And Microgreen Salad. Spring and summer are the best times for simple dishes that utilize in-season fruits and veggies at their peak. This beautiful salad is one of those amazing recipes. I took fruits that were in season and perfect, paired them with healthy microgreens, and created this beautiful salad! Fruit Salads are a favorite of mine! Take this Strawberry Basil Salad I recently posted. Love it! Did you know there are also a lot of really delicious fall fruits as well, this salad showcases them.

Growing The Microgreens

I learned how to grow micro-grains last year from Sarah @afoodloverslife. She has a great tutorial and video on her website that I am linking. Her husband is an incredible gardener and willing to share his knowledge with us! 

1. Spread your Potting Soil into your Sprouting tray/container
2. Moisten the soil with a water bottle. You don’t ever want to use a watering can when it comes to sprouting, always use a bottle as you only want it to mist your sprouts.
3. Sprinkle your seeds over the top. The seeds I used in this recipe were broccoli sprouts. Sprinkle them fairly close together in a single layer across the top of the soil. 
4. Sprinkle a tiny bit of soil over the top of the seeds.
5. Spritz the top again with water.
6. Repeat this process every hour to 3 hours depending on the humidity in your home.
7. Either cover your seeds with another sprouting tray/ put them into a dark place. Sprouts do best in darker places.
8. Keep the soil moist over the next 24-48 hours. 
9. Once the seeds begin to sprout, take your tray off your container. It is beat to continue to sprout them in the dark for 3-5 days until they reach your preferred height. Sprouts are generally 1-4 inches long.
10. On the final day, about 12 hours before you use the micro-grains, move them into sunlight to turn them that beautiful bright green color. 

There are a lot of options for growing seeds into micro-grains. Depending on the flavor and colors you are looking for these things will differ. I buy my sprouting seeds from Azure Standard; I will link them as well.

Fresh Ingredients For The Simplest Fruit And Microgreen Salad

I chose fruits that are in season for the salad. 

• Strawberries- These are in season right now so make sure your strawberries are beautiful and red all around with no white or pink spots unless that is the variety that you are looking for. 
• Blackberries- Also, I season, make sure your blackberries feel tender to the touch and are not hard.
• Pineapple- Usually always in season.
• Mandarin Oranges- These are heading out of season, but you can still find some really good and juicy ones.
• Bananas- You will want bananas that are not overly ripe, while that is perfect for baking it won’t do for a fresh salad. 
• Freshest Micro-grains you can get- You can grow or buy them, just make sure they are as fresh as possible. Most areas have micro-grain growers, so I would recommend finding those near you. 
• White Balsamic Vinegar- I love using this with fresh fruit salad as it gives it a kick, but maintains the lightness.

What Is A White Balsamic?

I have been a White Balsamic lover for the longest time! It is a sweet thicker balsamic. I used a peach variation for this salad, but you can use lemon if you prefer. White balsamic is made by crushing white grapes and pressure cooking them at low temperatures. With a white balsamic you can expect to get a sort of cleaner aftertaste than your regular balsamic. The flavoring is subtle but sweet with a nice clean color. I buy mine from The Milled Olive. I know they ship nationwide if you don't have a taproom or resources in your area.

Simple Dressing For The Simplest Fruit And Microgreen Salad

I mixed 2 parts of white balsamic to 1-part quality olive oil. I use Moirés Life Olive Oil. When cooking with Olive Oil you might not notice much of a difference, but when using it fresh, like we are here, you want to get the highest quality that you can afford. The combination of the white balsamic and the Moirés Olive Oil leaves you with a light and fresh-tasting dressing. Just toss your dressing into your salad after mixed. 

Serving Recommendations For Simplest Fruit and Microgreen Salad

Best tossed and then served right away. If you want, you can cut your fruits ahead of time. Feel free to go ahead and cut your strawberries and pineapple before. However, your bananas, dressing, and micro-grains will need to go on at the last minute. No need to stress, this comes together very easily and quickly.

This is something your friends and family will love for its freshness and nutrients. It is very healthy and can even be vegan or dairy-free. For this, leave out the fresh mozzarella or substitute it for a vegan cheese. If you are looking for even more texture, you could even add nuts or other veggies. 

Physical And Mental Health Benefits Of Healthy Eating

Healthy eating affects your physical health in a plethora of ways. For starters, did you know it is possible to prevent up to 80% of premature heart disease just by having a well-rounded diet? Important foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and foods high in fiber are all major supporters of heart health. Getting good doses of antioxidants can also reduce your risk of developing cancer. Foods high in antioxidants include berries, dark leafy greens, pumpkin, carrots, nuts, and seeds. 

Mental health can also improve with a positively disciplined diet. It has been found that diets with a high glycemic load can trigger depression and fatigue. What does a glycemic diet look like? Avoiding things like soft drinks, cakes, and white bread decrease your chances of developing feelings of depression. Healthful diets can also maintain cognition, who doesn’t want to keep their memory, right? The Mediterranean diet helps to protect against dementia and cognitive decline. This looks like more vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and fish.