Late summer harvest salad with lemon tahini dressing

This week—suddenly fall is in the air! As we start to settle into shorter days and cooler evenings, make the most of your garden and fresh produce while it lasts. Our ORGANIC INDIA Tulsi Lemon Ginger Tea Infusion melds delectably with creamy tahini to create a simple dressing that ties together the sweet, bold flavors of grilled squash, corn, and peppers with juicy tomatoes and crisp greens.

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The zesty tang of lemon essence and ginger in ORGANIC INDIA Tulsi Lemon Ginger Tea complements and brings out the vibrant flavors of the vegetables in this salad, but fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of ginger can sub in, too, when you’re in a pinch. If the tea infusion is on hand, however, go for it! Because isn’t the idea of incorporating tea into dressing delectable? Also, as well as enhancing flavor, all ORGANIC INDIA tea infusions offer the potent benefits of Tulsi, “Queen of Herbs”. Considered a sacred herb, Tulsi has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine and treatment. Known for a wide array of health benefits, including alleviating stress, Tulsi is one of Ayurveda’s top choices to bolster the immune system and help remove toxins from the body before they can cause disease.

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But back to fall, for just a moment. If I had followed through as intended and posted this recipe yesterday, as intended, I wouldn’t have been able to resist describing the movement of seasons as “waltzing”, or something more poetic and delightful like that. Unfortunately, this morning we woke up to renewed haze as winds have begun ushering back the smoke from the devastating wildfires along the west coast. Climate scientists’ dire warnings are deeply unsettling, and we don’t need a scientific background to know that severe heat and drought will only continue making annual fires even worse.

Today, I tried wracking my brains for what we can do, here in our house, to help support our environment and fight climate change. We already do just about everything we can, I thought. We have an electric vehicle, make commutes active where we can, have only one child (not by choice, but it still counts in our carbon footprint, right?), eat vegan, limit flights, use a whole house fan over air conditioning (except in conditions like smoky, ash-filled air outdoors), light our home with LEDs, purchase energy-efficient appliances, wear old clothes that were already mostly hand-me-downs, shop sustainable brands like Patagonia when we do buy clothes, invest in wind-power for our home’s energy, invest sustainably…what could be left?

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Thank you, Google, for reminding me in literally two minutes that “what’s left” is a lot. I can be better about unplugging items and appliances like my fully-charged phone, the toaster, and the rice cooker. We can cut a minute off the shower. We can keep working to be informed, and using that information to guide the way we shop, and especially the way we vote. We can be more engaged in meaningful political processes, and better about exercising rights as citizens and consumers. I’m not sure how well I can do these things right now…for the time being, my best bet may be maintaining what we do and unplugging more often. But we have to try, right? So this salad bowl we live in—if that isn’t too laughably outdated a description to use even nostalgically—can regain and safeguard a future that is fresh, and green.

Late Summer Harvest Salad with Lemon-ginger Tahini Dressing
Serves 4-6

For the dressing:

  • 2 ORGANIC INDIA Tulsi Lemon Ginger Tea Infusion sachets

  • ¼ Cup boiled water

  • ¼ Cup runny tahini

  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed

  • ½ Teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 Tablespoon rice or white wine vinegar

  • ½ Teaspoon ORGANIC INDIA Turmeric Formula

  • 2 Teaspoons agave nectar, optional

  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

For the salad:

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, optional

  • 2 ears of corn, husked

  • 2 bell peppers, sides cut, cores and stems removed

  • 1 medium zucchini, ends cut off and sliced lengthwise into four

  • 2 Cups cherry tomatoes, halved
    4 Cups arugula, chopped kale, or greens of choice





Prepare the dressing: Steep ORGANIC INDIA Tea Infusion sachets in boiled water for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and combine tea concentrate with all remaining dressing ingredients in a lidded jar or small bowl. Shake, whisk, or stir to combine. Set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium high.

Toss the corn, peppers, and zucchini slices in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste (alternatively, spray lightly with cooking spray).

Place the vegetables on the grill, with the bell pepper pieces skin side down. Grill the vegetables until tender and beginning to char, turning as needed. The corn should take approximately 15 minutes, peppers 10, and zucchini 8. Remove vegetables and allow to cool slightly before handling.

Cut corn kernels from top down on one side, turning until all kernels have been removed.

Coarsely chop the peppers, removing blackened skin, and chop the zucchini. 

Place all vegetables in a serving bowl. Add the tomatoes and greens. Drizzle with dressing before serving, in the bowl or divided among salad plates. Enjoy!

 

Salads & SidesWendy McMillansalad, late summer, lemon ginger, tahini dressing, healthy recipesComment