I love mason jars..they’re so homey.  I also love all the different and various ways people are using them.  They’re not just for canning, kids!  Anyway, after looking at the salad jars a FB friend pictured, it inspired me to give it a whirl.  I pretty much pack and eat a salad for lunch at work every day and this seemed a bright, cheery way to lift me out of the proverbial rut.  So…. here goes…

The Line up

Start with your favorite salad fixin’s.  Mine are tomatoes, olives, radishes, celery, roasted red peppers and baby romaine lettuce.  Chop and dice accordingly.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Make some salad dressing:

This is a lemon vinaigrette. For 1 mason jar: 1 tbs Olive oil, 1/2 of a Lemon, a tsp of chopped shallots, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, generous pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Add more lemon to taste if you want.   Shake vigorously to combine.  Or just take 2 Tbs of your favorite bottled dressing.

Now, get your mason jar.  This one is a medium-large one that came from Michael’s Crafts.

mason jar

Start by pouring your dressing into the jar, then add your layers.  I added the lettuce first, but when I make this again I would probably add the radishes first to keep the lettuce above the dressing.  The radishes don’t absorb the dressing as much.  Be sure to alternate the green and red veggies for a nice and colorful effect.

Here’s the finished masterpiece.

To serve, just shake the jar and pout onto a plate or bowl.  Voila!