The Mindful Epicurean

Tonight, we are having salad for dinner. But, don’t let that scare you.

I’m not talking about a sad, wilted side salad you might get as an afterthought or something out of a bag. We have all had them and understand the disappointment.

This is a beautiful, Bright Spring Dinner Salad loaded with flavors and textures.

It’s that time of year and I am feeling inspired by all of the lovely produce coming out of Winter’s hibernation.

Each thoughtful ingredient of this Dinner Salad base adds an element of crunch.

The crisp celery, Belgian endive lettuce, peppery arugula, scallions, tender Italian parsley and sweet, juicy Bartlett pears layer the salad with the vibrant greens of Spring.

You’ll want to thoroughly wash and trim your vegetables and fruit before you dice them into bite sized pieces.

Sauté sliced sweet snow peas and Spring’s signature star, tender asparagus, in olive oil until bright green.

I try to use asparagus as much as possible during the season. It is packed with vitamins and minerals and offers serious health benefits like lowering blood sugar and reducing cholesterol.

After the peas and asparagus cool, add them to the base salad ingredients and toss with some of the balsamic vinaigrette.

To make the vinaigrette, simply whisk equal parts balsamic vinegar, whole grain dijon mustard, olive oil (in this case, it was around 2TB each) and salt and pepper to taste.

Now, you add the best part. The crispy, salty, lightly fried Prosciutto di Parma (which I delicately fried up earlier in a spray of olive oil and drained on paper towels). I used Citterio, but if you can get it sliced fresh at the market deli, that is always preferred.

This is assuming you have managed to save any of it for the pan for frying. Or for the salad. Be prepared. It is a temptation I haven’t been able to overcome, yet.

Top the salad with creamy, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts (which I recommend roasting right before serving to really get the nice, warm and nutty flavor that walnuts convey), along with the remaining dressing.

Toss well and serve at room temperature.

I complemented the Bright Spring Dinner Salad with a Farro and Roasted Tomatoes side dish.

Farro is a nutty grain similar to brown nice and is full of nutritional components like fiber, protein, iron and magnesium.

This dish is basically roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese tossed together with cooked Farro and served warm.

For tomorrow’s lunch, I’ll toss the chilled leftover Farro with some smoked salmon and cucumbers and a tangy, creamy dressing similar to a Tzatziki sauce. I don’t care for Greek yogurt, so I actually make mine with lemon, sour cream, heavy cream.

I’m also adding sourdough bread topped with Brie, melted under the broiler, as a bonus treat.

I have discovered that sourdough bread is actually a great choice for those trying to lower blood sugar. Due to its fermentation process, it doesn’t increase blood sugar nearly as fast as traditional breads.

I assure you that the Bright Spring Dinner Salad can absolutely stand on its own and does not need the Farro or sourdough to satisfy your dinner cravings.

That said, my additions will just make the meal stretch further, if you’re feeding more than a couple of people.

Or if you just need a reason to eat toast with melted Brie…