Sometimes I just like to make something overly complicated, but which still tastes really good at the end of the day. I also recently been investigating the idea of eating edible weeds that pops up in the garden. (NB: Never eat something that you did not plant yourself or know for sure what it is. You can get really sick or die from eating plants you have not properly researched.) So for this recipe, I like to add as many flavours as possible to make it a really spicy/peppery (i.e. weedy) salad. I also add some local plants (like the "spekboom") to add some lemony flavour that pairs great with the peppery flavour of the "weeds". So let us jump into this weedy affair! I really hope you try it and see the world with new eyes (that weeds can be plants too and edible ones for that matter).

The Weeds/Plants

My compost heap gets plenty of Cape Gooseberry seeds (by accident) and therefor I classify them as weeds, they pop up over the whole garden. But I use to my advantage and let the fruits ripen. I then make the most wonderful cape gooseberry jam/chutney.

Basil adds a lovely flavour to any salad!

Spinach, and for this salad I used baby spinach leaves.

Purselane, please be sure if you ever eat this that you identify it correctly or buy some seeds!

Lovely mint.

South African Spekboom! It adds a lovely lemony tart flavour.

Mustard leaves add a lovely mustardy flavour

Rocket leaves are just magnificent if you like the peppery bitter flavour.

Winter savory is an awesome thyme replacement and grows so much easier!

Garlic chives! I love this herb/plant. It pops up everywhere as the seeds spread so easily. I sometimes find whole plants between the paving on the patio.

Preparing the Overcomplicated Mayonnaise/Sauce

Here I show you how I make a mayo that is seriously and unnecessarily complicated but tastes so good.

Another South African ingredient: peppadews: sweet and sour peppers.

Here I add the Cape Gooseberry Chutney I make.

Also, some homemade dijon style mustard!

I add the winter savory and rosemary to the mayo and I also add some Sumac (for the lemony flavour).

And there you have it! A seriously overcomplicated mayo that tastes absolutely amazing! Now, let's move on to the Tuna Salad!

Rice, Tuna and Salad

For a lovely cold salad, we sometimes use leftover chilled rice and add tuna to it and then mayo. One a warm day with some chilled white wine, this salad is a winner. So prepare some extra rice next time, and chill it overnight. The next day you will be able to make a stunning tuna salad!

For the salad component, here are all the leaves from the above images, from mint to basil to rocket to mustard to garlic chives.

Chop all the leaves, and add the purslane and spekboom leaves. Also, add the mayo and tuna.

Add some Feta cheese and cucumber.

I also added some peas at the end with the rice. And there you have it! A dish with probably over 20 ingredients! Is it worth it? I would say so. I really like the fact that it incorporates stuff you can grow in your own garden. It is also just an awesome rounded dish. Due to the many ingredients, you do not taste every single element, but the salad as a whole tastes amazing. So I really hope you give this a try! Enjoy and stay safe.