Green Onion Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing

The green onion, often referred to as, scallion, has hollow green leaves similar to an onion. It's small onion with long leaves. It's harvested for it's milder taste. It can be added to a recipe or enjoyed raw. Green onions are often part of a salad, soups and salsas.

In Mexico and the Southwest United States, a type of scallion called cebollitas are often sprinkled with salt, grilled whole and added to cheese and rice recipes.

Scallions serve as a traditional accompaniment to Asado recipes. The green part is often chopped and sliced and used as a garnish. The nutrient part of green onion is its stem. It works an antipyretic, expectorant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

It is effective against colds, headaches, chills to the stomach, indigestion and also for insomnia. The white stem contains glucose and allyl sulfides.

Some say to use the heated green onion in a compress. Wrap in gauze and apply on the body to combat a sore throat, runny nose, shoulder pain and swollen feet.

Cucumber, Radish and Green Onion Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing
Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 Pickling Cumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 bunch thinly sliced radishes
1 1/2 cups matchstick-size strips green onions (about 6)

Mix vinegar, sugar and salt in large bowl to blend, add cucumbers, toss to coat, and let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Drain cucumber mixture. Return cucumbers to large bowl. Add radishes and green onions. Toss salad with Chili-Lime Dressing.

Chili-Lime Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili oil or hot sauce
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, chili oil, sugar and garlic in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Optional: Top with chopped fresh mint leaves

Sources: Farmer Daves, Epicurious, Bon Appetit (April 1998)

The body needs more than 40 nutrients: vitamins, minerals and water, as well as energy-providing protein, carbohydrates and fats. No one food supplies all the essential nutrients in the amounts needed. Therefore, it is important to eat a variety of foods each day.