fresh from the garden salad with creamy peppercorn dressing

for the past few weeks, i have been having a wonderful time in my garden.  the weather has been splendid and except for the baby rabbit that seems to have moved into my fenced garden space, all of my vegetables, herbs and flowers have been growing nicely.

the baby rabbit is quite hungry and i have been attempting to protect many of his favorite items with green chicken wire fencing, which seem to be helping a great deal.  inside of the picket fences, i already have chicken wire along the base of the perimeter, but this little guy seems to be small enough to squeeze through and under the gate, and between some of the pickets.. well, soon enough he will be too big for the garden and won't be able to manage entry. i keep reminding myself of peter rabbit and have been enjoying him, and not minding him too much. he is wonderfully fluffy and small.

during these past weeks, i have been able to gather some arugula and baby mache lettuce greens for some delicious salads.  there is nothing like fresh greens from the garden.  i really understand what people mean now that i have tasted my own home grown lettuce from seeds.  fresh, tender, and such a distinct flavor that i have never really experienced before this year.

paired with a fresh creamy peppercorn dressing, this is a summer salad to be enjoyed.

borrowed from everyday food from Martha Stewart, this creamy salad dressing is one of the best. to make the dressing:

in a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper. season with salt to taste.  chill and serve over salad.

i replace the sour cream with low fat sour cream and the mayonnaise with canola mayonnaise.  this is a great dressing and does not overpower the lovely fresh lettuce greens.