Cooking

Out of feta, I substituted shaved parmesan. Yum!

This recipe was loosely based on a very tasty salad that I had at Nordstrom Bistro in Dallas last fall. I’ve made it a few times in the past, and couldn’t quite get the necessary bite from the sun dried tomato dressing. This time I mixed two kinds of vinegar and used spring garlic instead of shallots for extra kick. When spring garlic isn’t in season, I might consider a blend of minced garlic and shallots.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small spring garlic
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh oregano
• Salt, to taste
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• Asparagus, blanched and cut into 2″ long segments
• Cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into thick half-moons
• Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• Red onion, sliced
• Feta cheese or shaved parmesan

Instructions

Combine the first seven ingredients (through oregano) in a food processor. Add olive oil slowly to create an emulsion. The result will be a thick, tangy vinaigrette that I’d imagine would also be yummy with grilled chicken.

Toss the vinaigrette with the vegetables. Serve over a bed of greens and garnish with crumbled feta.

Results

The Tiny Kitchen Assistant wholeheartedly rejected the salad because dressing touched the tomatoes; he is absolutely, positively a tomato purist. Adults, being more agreeable with their tomatoes, love this recipe. I’ve had several people ask for it this spring, and I recently had to make a double batch so my husband could take the extra for Bring Your Lunch to Work Monday.

Tags: asparagus, dressing, feta, herbs, no-cook, salad, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato, vinegar

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