Garlic + Hibiscus Dressing

If you have never heard of or tried cranberry hibiscus you are missing out! It’s tart leaves and cranberry color makes it stand out in any garden or on your plate. Not only is it beautifully delicious, but its packed with Vitamin C!  This is one of the perennial plants we have growing EVERYWHERE at the Dandy garden. It is super easy to grow and once its established you will only have to water occasionally and harvest its tart leaves and flowers. Grow it! You will not be disappointed when you walk outside in the morning and see its big cranberry flowers in bloom.

 We have such an abundance that I thought it would be good to share cuttings with everyone that attended our Kosmic Cooking Class this past weekend. I had so many leaves left over from the cuttings that I decided to whip up this easy and nourishing dressing.

Its much easier to make salads throughout the week if you already have your homemade dressing prepared ahead of time. So make a big batch that you can use on your salads for lunch or dinner and yourself a little time.

INGREDIENTS

handful cranberry hibiscus leaves, rinsed

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

2-3 Tsp honey, more or less to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of half a lemon or grapefruit

Salt and Pepper, to taste

METHOD

In a food processor or blender, add hibiscus leaves, balsamic, honey and garlic. Blend until mostly smooth. Once everything is combined drizzle in olive oil so that it emulsifies with the vinegar and honey. If your processor has a hole at the top to add oil as it is blending this will work perfectly, or if there isn’t a spot to add in the oil, just stop the food processor and add a little at a time. Lastly, add the citrus juice to taste and season with salt and pepper.

Feel free to play around with the recipe until it suits your taste buds. Oh and did I mention the cranberry color of this dressing?! It's pretty magical.