That Springtime Salad

That Springtime Salad celebrates everything about spring eating, with its myriad textures and fresh flavors. Inspired by a salad I was served in Italy, you will love this!

So as you guys have probably figured out posting has become a little infrequent thanks to moving stress. But this post got extra delayed for a pretty silly reason. I could not decide what to name it.

Now on the one hand, I could have gone with Italian Salad of Greens with Asparagus, Potatoes and Hard Boiled Eggs or something similar. But I felt like that was kind of wordy and gave away the entire plot in the title, if that makes any sense. The salad is inspired by a similar one that we had and loved in Calabria last summer (technically late spring). Now as I discussed in the other salad I have shared inspired by my time in Italy, certain elements of the salad are pretty standard in southern Italy–the prosciutto, the cheese, even the corn when we were there. The asparagus, potatoes and hard boiled eggs are what stood out.

Now some of you might be wondering how I could call this a springtime salad and include corn. Which got me to thinking. It is true that it is the asparagus and baby potatoes that really make this a springtime salad. But realistically speaking, here in the north, unless you have an early farm share or your own garden, the fact of the matter is that southern asparagus and corn come into the grocery stores within a few weeks of one another. Also, depending on where you live, corn can be a sign of spring. Corn was plentiful in southern Italy by late spring, and I suspect it is in the deep South here as well. So with my apologies to the local eating purists, I definitely consider this an Italy inspired springtime salad.

And of more relevance, I consider it delicious. Be sure to use a good Balsamico.

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That Springtime Salad

How much of each ingredient just depends on how many you are serving. And I never measure exactly when making a salad. Just use your common sense and you will be fine.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Author: TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

• 1 handful of baby arugula per serving
• 2 handfuls of baby greens like Romaine, Radicchio, leaf lettuces, etc per serving
• 1 handful of corn preferably sliced off of a recently picked cob (think one cob per person) per serving
• 4-6 baby potatoes per serving
• 4 asparagus spears per person, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 hard boiled egg sliced, per serving
• slices several of prosciutto per serving (optional--I love)
• 1/4 cup shredded Pecorino Romano per serving
• good quality Italian extra virgin olive oil for dressing
• good quality Balsamico for dressing

Instructions

1. Add the potatoes to a large pot of salted water and bring it to a boil. Let the potatoes boil until they are crisp tender (how long will depend on size of potatoes--check after 15 minutes).
2. Add the corn and return to a boil. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the asparagus pieces. Cook until the are bright green and crisp tender. Check the potatoes--they should be completely tender now.
4. Drain the cooked vegetables. Run some cold water over them--you do not need them to be cold, but it is better if they are just warm, and not hot enough to wilt the salad greens.
5. Mix the salad greens and place them in a large entree bowl. Sprinkle everything else on top of them. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and eat immediately.