Spring salad - oh, yes! Salad ingredients are at their best before the temperatures really go up. Our garden is thriving with several types of lettuce, strawberries, edible flowers, herbs and lemons. It is also the time I am able to snag avocados from my father in law. Making a good spring salad is all about layering in what you gather daily. I make a lemon and herb vinaigrette that I pretty much keep on hand all season.
Trays full of different greens come out the garden during the spring. All the variations in color and texture turn salad making into an art form. I will confess to getting lost in the process of making each creation like a little painting. Some people make cakes - I make salad...
For this salad, I made our strawberries and avocado the stars. Herbs and flowers were worked in as accents. The directions for making a spring salad are really just a guide for you to make your own version with what is available to you. The vinaigrette recipe makes extra and will keep on hand for about a week.
Spring Garden Strawberry Salad
INGREDIENTS:
Several greens from your garden or farmer's market
Herbs - I used chives, dill and parsley
Strawberries
Avocado
Edible flowers
Pecans
PROCESS:
Tear lettuce ends and create a base in the bottom of your bowl. Put the prettiest large lettuce segments on the top of your torn layers.
Now get creative with your strawberries and avocado. Slice, curl or leave whole. It is your creation.
Top off with torn herbs, whole edible flowers and pecans.
Lemon herb Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
2 lemons for 1/2 cup of juice
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 Tablespoon raw brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic grated
2 Tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs - I used chives, parsley and dill
Salt and pepper to taste.
PROCESS:
Use a lidded jar or bottle.
Zest 1 lemon and place zest in jar.
Juice the zested lemon and 1 other for 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Add juice to jar.
Add sugar, mustard, garlic and chopped herbs.
Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
Add olive oil to jar.
Put lid on jar and shake until well mixed. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Dress salad right before serving.