Happy Salad



Why am I calling this a "happy" salad? Because all the components were from my garden (except the avocado, of course).
And that just makes me happy.

Using produce that is in season tastes amazing, and even better, using stuff that is growing in pots on my own little driveway tastes even better. How nice to go outside and pick a few leaves of this and that and create a meal.

Farm to Fork, in this case Driveway to Fork.
That makes me happy.



My asparagus plant is only producing a few stalks every other day, so I have to be frugal when using them. No big harvest here.

I have come to know and love eating raw asparagus (don't bother trying this with supermarket spears, you will gag). Just snap off a stalk of fresh asparagus from the plant and bite. It is like nothing I have ever tasted. Sweet, fresh and wonderful.

Since I only had about 6 skinny spears, I decided to shave them and toss them with a lime mint dressing and use the arugula from my pots too.
Now, if only I could grow avocados in New Jersey.



Happy Salad w/ Asparagus, Avocado, Mint & Lime:

handful of baby arugula leaves
1 avocado (for 2 salads), cut in half & cubed
as much fresh asparagus as you can pick (and I mean from the plant)
1 tbsp fresh mint, minced very fine

Dressing:
zest & juice of 1 lime
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
pinch of kosher salt

Whisk your dressing in a small bowl with a fork and set aside.



Shave your asparagus spears with a vegetable peeler to make nice skinny slices and place in a bowl. Toss with a little of the dressing and the minced fresh mint.

Arrange the baby arugula in the center of plates and arrange pieces of avocado around the plate decoratively. Spoon the leftover dressing on the greens and avocado.

Top with the shaved dressed asparagus and serve.



This salad will make you very happy.

Comments

How fabulous to have these ingredients in your own back yard Stacey. Lucky you. I would love to grow my own asparagus. Maybe someday. For now I guess I'll have to stick to just herbs. But sadly I'll have to wait until it's safe to plant the annual ones, because we had blackberry winter last week and people lost their tender new plants because it was so cold.
Sam
mil said…
Dil,

Ellen walked in here Saturday nibbling on one of her asparagus spears. I've never tried one raw but out of the garden is THE BEST!!
Mil
SarahB said…
I love that these ingredients are from your garden! Many years ago I visited a friend in La Jolla, CA and she had a huge avocado tree in her back yard. I thought it was the most fabulous thing ever!!!
The JR said…
Our asparagus is being stingy too.
Anonymous said…
Your freaky photo of the dressing blew my mind. I just transferred my sprouted avocado pit from its water jar to potting soil. If all goes according to plan, les avocats de New Jersey will be ripe for the picking in around 67 years.
Joanne said…
that even makes ME happy! Oh how I wish I had a garden! I'll just live vicariously through you.
lisa is cooking said…
Super fresh asparagus is amazing. Your salad is beautiful!
The Food Hunter said…
Isn't so cool to eat from your own garden. My asparagus hasn't produced any spears yet...hopefully soon.
We are getting shoots of asparagus daily too, this is the first time we ever grew it, I have 7 sprears on my counter in a glass with a little water, I'm not going to cook them tomarrow I'll try them your way in a salad...A Happy Salad!
Foodiewife said…
I'm so impressed! I love asparagus and have never thought of trying to grow it myself. I guess that's because it grows a mile down my road, and I can buy them fresh. Still, I'd love to try. I just learned about shaving asparagus for a salad, and I really liked it (its one of my header photographs on my blog). I can see why you're happy. It's fun to reap our own harvest from our yard.
Ça a l’air heureux ...
Unknown said…
If you don't mind being inorganic
put a side dress of balance fertilizer 10-10-10 by your asparagus plants.