Scorching Summer Salad

This summer’s record-breaking heat and drought have taken a toll on our chickens, our pond, and our garden. I have given up watering my hanging flower baskets, reserving water instead for the herbs, the tomatoes and our outdoor animals.  Several times a day, our dog, Anya, appears at the door a scummy mess after taking a disappointing “swim” in our evaporating pond. Our heat-stressed chickens have nearly stopped laying eggs.

When it’s this hot outside, I can’t bring myself to heat up the inside of the house with my crock pot or oven. So how can I prepare a balanced meal for my family? How about a favorite summer-time staple: bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches! Add some fresh blueberries topped with plain yogurt, honey, and cinnamon for dessert, and you have a cool, refreshing, and satisfying meal for a scorching summer day. Better yet, the BLT Salad recipe below blends well for feeding through a g-tube so your entire family can enjoy this summery meal together.

BLT Salad

Makes one salad or g-tube serving; about 226 calories, 14.1 g fat, 16.8 g carbohydrates, 21.9 g protein (recipes.sparkpeople.com), and loads of vitamins and micro-nutrients.

• A few handfuls of spinach, torn in small pieces.
• Several fresh basil leaves, chopped.
• ½ cup chopped tomato.
• ¼ cup firm tofu, broken into pieces.
• 2 slices crisp bacon, crumbled.
• ½ cup plain yogurt.

Toss the spinach and basil in a bowl. Add tomato, bacon and tofu. Top with plain yogurt. For your g-tube tummy, blend all ingredients and strain through a fine-mesh strainer.  Enjoy your cool, summery meal!