Sliced spring salad

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Sliced Spring Salad with Endive, Cilantro, Radishes, and Feta http://orangette.blogspot.com This salad is a study in small variations: I rarely make it the same way twice, but it never strays far from its core ingredients. Aside from the endive, cilantro, radishes, and feta, the list of ingredients below is a rough sketch. I’ve been known to substitute fennel for radicchio, and occasionally I add a few nuggets of Parmigiano Reggiano, some meaty flakes of smoked trout, or even just a few canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried. The key, in

any case, is the quality of the ingredients. For salads like this one, I like a Hass avocado that’s on the firm side of ripe: not hard, but solid, with just a hint of give—the potential for softness, you could say. I buy my endive on the small-to-medium size—no larger than 3 ounces each—with no bruises, brown spots, or other blemishes, and I look for tight, compact heads of radicchio, each about the size of a large man’s fist, with smooth, shiny leaves. I serve this salad on its own, as the center of the meal, with a hunk of crusty bread or a few roasted sweet potato “fries” on the side.1 medium Belgian endive, root end trimmed away, sliced crosswise into ¼-inch strips¼ head radicchio, sliced as thinly as possible2-3 red radishes, sliced into paper-thin roundsA small handful of cilantro leaves, from about 6-8 sprigsRed Wine-Mustard Vinaigrette, to taste¼ medium avocado, sliced into ¼-inch strips1 walnut-size nub of French feta (or more), crumbledOptional additions or substitutions:½ medium fennel bulb, sliced as thinly as possibleA small handful of chickpeasParmigiano Reggiano, broken into small nubsIn a medium bowl, combine the endive, radicchio, radishes, and cilantro leaves. Toss with vinaigrette to taste. [i find that endive salads take a bit more dressing than plain green ones.] Add the avocado and feta. Serve straight from the bowl.Yield: 1 serving. Suzi What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. health/ http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/ http://360./suziesgoats

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