Have Salad – will travel. A few years back, our holiday plans for Easter went sideways. My family usually spends Easter at my youngest sister’s home since she is the one with small children. For whatever reason, she thought we weren’t coming and made plans to go elsewhere. Instead of bringing a dish to my sister’s to share, we loaded up the family car and headed out to the farm to have dinner with Dad and his wife. Dad’s getting up there in age, so whenever we get together at the farm, I usually do most of the cooking.
That Easter morning, Kiddo made the vinaigrette dressing, while I prepared the salad. Then Kiddo pulled it all together just before serving it up. Talk about a hit! Everyone loved the salad. I’m not sure, but I think Dad had a third helping of salad. It was delicious. But then what’s not to love? Tender-crisp asparagus, luscious tomatoes and a subtly sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette – out of this world good!
On the downside, locally grown asparagus is a spring crop, which means we’ll need to shop at the mega markets where seasonal restrictions are almost non-existent. On the up side, summer is the height of the tomato season and our garden is bursting with beautiful red tomatoes. Love summer salads!
Asparagus and Tomato Salad with a Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Asparagus and Tomato Salad
1 bunch of asparagus
4 large tomatoes
1/4 heaping cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons
Remove the woody ends from the asparagus. Lay asparagus on a cutting board, tips even. Beginning at tips, cut trimmed asparagus into thirds.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Using a large slotted spoon or small strainer, pluck asparagus from the boiling water and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let asparagus remain in ice water for about a minute. Remove asparagus from ice water, place on paper towels to drain, folding more towels over top to absorb excess water.
Place blanched asparagus into a large bowl and set aside.
Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Rinse, removing seeds and pulp. Pat dry with paper towels and place into bowl with asparagus.
Lay three or four basil leaves in a stack. Roll into a cigar shape. Cut width-wise into thin ribbons. Sprinkle over salad. Toss to combine. Chill well until ready to serve.
While salad is chilling, make dressing.
Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 large clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Whisk together until combined and honey has dissolved.
Place dressing into a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Set aside until ready to serve.
When ready to “dress” salad, shake dressing well to emulsify. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve remaining dressing along side salad with a small spoon to drizzle as desired.
Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 