Les Printemps Salade Toute Verte

Les Printemps, a pretty French word meaning "spring".

It's here, barely, and I am celebrating by using the best of the season's ingredients.

Asparagus, spring peas and new potatoes.

This is a simple spring salad from The French Market Cookbook.

An interesting mixture of flavors and ingredients that work so well together.
Don't skip any of them!

I ate this for lunch 3 days in a row. I roasted the potatoes and steamed the asparagus in the morning, so I had them ready for the salad for later in the day.

What makes this salad sing is the hazelnut oil. I buy La Tourangelle from California (you can find it sometimes at Home Goods for less $). It's wonderful.
A little goes a long way.

Very Green Salad w/ Roasted Potatoes & Hazelnuts: (adapted from The New French Market)

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and steamed (stand up in a pot of boiling water and simmer 5 minutes)
1 cup of defrosted frozen peas
12 Romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 lb. of small new potatoes, cut in half and roasted (375F for 30 minutes w/ olive oil & kosher salt)
1 tbsp of hazelnut oil
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
sea salt & pepper
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 cup of toasted, skinned hazelnuts, chopped

Arrange the asparagus, peas, roasted potatoes and lettuce leaves in individual bowls.

Mix the oils w/ the lemon juice, sea salt & pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the salads.

Garnish w/ the toasted nuts and chopped cilantro.

Serve right away.

Happy spring!

:)