The warm weather is here and we can now enjoy meals out on the balcony. I came home from the market one day with these ingredients in hand without realizing they were all green. The feel of the salad was much more summer green than bright colorful spring.
It is perfect to throw together as a last minute side, or to make big for a full meal. Grab a glass of white and sit outside as the light fades to enjoy these flavors.
A Very Green Salad
- avocado, halved and sliced
- cucumber, sliced
- asparagus
- spinach
- scallions, sliced
- walnuts, broken into pieces
- olive oil
- white wine vinegar
Break off the woody ends of the asparagus. Shave 1 layer from the bottoms of the asparagus with a vegetable peeler and chop them into two or three pieces, depending on the size of the asparagus. In a large bowl, pour boiling water over the asparagus and add a dash of salt. Let stand for 3-5 minutes. Drain and transfer the asparagus to an ice bath for 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
In a large salad bowl combine the spinach, asparagus, avocado, cucumbers, scallions, and walnuts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar for the dressing and toss. If you’ve got some, add a few shaves of Parmesan to the top. Enjoy!
Mmm. Nice combination of greens! Asparagus is juuust about out-of-season – this will make a nice farewell dish to that veggie until next spring. We’ll be on the lookout for these ingredients at the farmer’s market. Will be enjoying indoors, hiding from the June Gloom in SF.