Tergistan Summer Salad with Edible Flowers
By Max Eternity
There is this little known oasis nestled in the foggy hills of San Francisco, called Tergistan. Well, officially it’s not a neighborhood or township, but it is a real place spanning several plots of land near Billy Goat Hill; sitting just above Noe Valley. And from the garden of Tergistan’s home base, located on Laidley Street, comes a super scrumptious salad exploding with vibrant colors and textures.
Buck and Judy Tergis are the husband and wife team, and the elders, of Tergistan. They have 4 adult children—all of whom are expert musicians—and the resident filmmaker and garden keeper of Tergistan is Luke Griswold-Tergis. Luke is the nephew of Buck and Judy, and the name Tergistan is also attributed to Luke, who as well, tells a rather curious and intriguing story of his life, and about a film, in a TED talk found here.
Although the ingredients for the Tergistan Summer Salad with Edible Flowers came from the Tergis garden, most local produce growers should offer the same or similar finds.
It’s quite simple…here goes.
For the dressing, you can use a store bought dressing. Just make sure that it’s low in sugar and is made with high quality oils, which means no trans fats. Or you can make a deliciously simple vinaigrette using this recipe:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
1 teaspoon of finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon of finely minced onion
A pinch of brown sugar
A pinch of black pepper
A pinch of sea salt
- Vigorously whisk all ingredients together, and enjoy!
For the salad, you will need:
1 large bowl of loose leaf lettuces
1 cup of ripened grapes
½ cup of bing cherries or ripe plums
½ cup of walnuts and/or almonds
¼ cup of parmesan cheese [shaved or shredded]
A dozen edible flowers
- Using your hands, gently tear the lettuces into bite-size pieces and place on 4 plates or a large serving dish. Cut the grapes and cherries in half and sprinkle on top of the lettuces. Spread the nuts evenly across the salad. Thereafter, preferably if you have a block of parmesan cheese, shave or shred generously across the salad with a vegetable peeler or microplane. Then, decorate on top with edible flowers. The salad dressing can be drizzled on top just before serving.
This is a wonderful way to kick off healthy summer eating. So, here’s to Tergistan, and to beauty and bounty of gardens all around the world.