A Salad for Spring

This winter we had a "blast"... the snowman and the snow fort in our front yard never melted, the snow fights never ended, and the roasted marshmallows never stopped melting in our mouths. The best winter ever!

Thank You Winter...Hello Spring!

Second weekend of April, we decided to visit Washington D.C. It was amazing to see what Spring did to those cherry trees.

We were away only for 2 days, so couldn’t believe our eyes when we came back and saw all the fresh greens and yellows around our house. Spring, the season of fresh growth, the season of effortless inspiration is here, and once again we feel a renewed optimism… a wonderful feeling!

Soon, the ground will be warm enough for planting all those vegetable seeds. Once exposed to the pleasure of planting your own garden and eating vegetables straight from the plants, there is no going back. It gives us plenty of outdoor work and fresh air, we smell like dirt and in the process, we create a new relationship with plants, earth, wind and rain. We are not exactly self-sufficient but the sense of satisfaction of our modest success is beyond what words can express.

Its a wonderful activity to do with children, makes them healthier, happier and helps them restore the connection with nature. Digging in and getting their hands dirty teaches them (us too) not being afraid to do what it takes. At the same time, it is fun, joyful, and absolute relaxation. Through something as simple as a vegetable garden, we can shape the future of our children, their health and most importantly, and their fond memories.

Plant a vegetable garden, however small it is… even if it is as small as one tomato plant in a pot. There’s no comparison to the tomato grown with our own hands. Let’s make our kitchen a happier, healthier, and a more delicious place to be in.

I hope now, you’re in a mood to plant some seeds!

Before that, let’s nourish ourselves with a salad, in rhythm with the season, picking a few of spring’s firsts… first shoots, first berries, first weeds, and first herbs. The inspiration for this salad comes from all those nests the birds build for their babies in spring, including the Robin’s Nest we had on one of our climbing roses last year.

A Salad for Spring

• A couple of bunches of tender Asparagus spears

• A few fresh Strawberries

• A few Olives

• A small bunch of Dandelion leaves

• Chives

• One Key Lime

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Honey

• Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Wash the asparagus and remove the ends. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking pan or sheet. Drizzle one teaspoon of olive oil over and sprinkle some salt. Roll the asparagus to coat  and roast it for 15-20 minutes.

Dressing

Mix together one tsp of honey, freshly ground pepper, salt, finely chopped chives, zest and juice from the lime and 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Adjust everything to taste.Arrange the roasted asparagus, dandelion leaves, strawberries and olives on a plate. Drizzle the dressing over or like how we do, simply dip the vegetables and berries in the dressing and eat them straight. The taste of strawberries dipped in the dressing ... I have no words!

Let's Dig in...