Anyone who thinks salad is just a pile of leafy greens may be tossing that notion after a new salad business opens soon in Cambridge.
Olive Haven is a takeout and food delivery business located at 990 Bishop St. N. in Cambridge. Between Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. residents can purchase Mediterranean inspired salads and traditional salads from Middle Eastern cuisines.
Offering 40 oz bowls of salads containing carbs, fats, fibres and more, the owner of Olive Haven, Hiba Sadi, said she doesn’t want people to think of salad as a side dish and challenges anyone to finish one of hers.
“I myself can finish it no problem, but I have experience," she jokes.
As someone who loves salads, Sadi mentions many of the salads featured on Olive Haven’s menu are recipes she has created.
“I just kept trying things, and adding things, and taking things out, so they’re all mine,” said Sadi. “I brought my recipes with me and now my family here, my husband, my in-laws, are used to my way of cooking.”
Growing up in a community 140 km north of Jerusalem, Sadi explains this region has some of the best olive oil in the world and access to lots of fresh produce.
“Every year, we would harvest the olives and make our own olive oil,” said Sadi. “Ever since I was young, we would eat olive oil, put it in salads and I got used to its lovely taste.”
When Sadi came to Canada, she said she was surprised by the diversity of cuisine, but also the lack of fresh produce in it.
“It’s either cooked with fat or mixed with meat, even Western salads are very different from where I come from,” said Sadi. “When I came here, I understood why people do that, it’s very bland, it lacks flavour and it’s not filling.”
Another difference Said noticed was how many people thought of salad as a ‘side dish.’
“If you make it the right way, it has all the nutrients you need, it has fat, it has fibre, it has carbohydrates, it has protein, so I wanted to introduce this to my new community, and I thought the way that I could do that is by opening my own business.”
Besides being a self-proclaimed salad lover, Sadi also has an educational background in food science. She explains more fresh produce incorporated into people’s diets can provide individuals a lot of positive outcomes.
“Everyone knows it’s so rich in fibre, which is very, very good for bowel movement, to prevent certain cancers, it’s good because it keeps you hydrated because vegetables have lots of water content in them, it’s good for the skin, and so many things.”
The one thing residents may notice when looking at Olive Haven’s menu is the prices for salads, which range between $12 to $14. Sadi explains the cost comes from the size of portions, the decision to use eco-friendly packaging and fresh ingredients.
“Because we’re using premium ingredients, I didn’t want to compromise on anything,” Sadi said about using fresh olive oil, cheeses, vegetables and herbs.
One menu item Sadi is excited for residents to try is the couscous salad.
“It has an amazing flavour, it’s nutty and lemony and it has some sweetness from the carrots and I just love it,” Sadi said about the salad, “my husband always asks for it.”
A more unique salad on the menu is the ‘pizza salad’ which is made with cherry tomatoes, whole wheat pita, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese tossed in an olive oil, lemon/lime and salt dressing.
“One day I was having pizza, and it just occurred to me, ‘Why don’t we reverse it? Why don’t we reverse-engineer the pizza?’ And then I tried a couple of things and I came up with this recipe while eating pizza,” said Sadi.
Planning to open in the month of December, Sadi said she is excited and nervous about starting a new business.
“It’s not just about making a transaction, it’s about spreading your passion and getting to know your community,” Sadi about starting her business and hopes of getting to know the community better,“I hope everyone who has a dream, or a business idea they’re passionate about, I encourage them to try it.”
To see more menu items from Olive Haven, go to olivehaven.ca.
