Plan-Ahead Summer Salad

L and I have been busy.  Crazy busy.  Wishing we had 6 more hours in the day busy.  There has barely been enough time to sleep, let alone plan, prep, and cook a meal.  This weekend I carved out some time to make some meals ahead for the week.  Working a bit ahead helped to make sure a healthy meal was accessible at my fingertips.

With so much gorgeous produce available lately, the market was teaming with inspiration.  I picked up handfuls of spring greens, strawberries, a few root vegetables, asparagus, and peas with hopes of a veg-heavy spring make-ahead meal.  This salad is the perfect early summer dish- fresh, a bit spicy, colorful, and so delicious.  To make sure it lasted through the week, I used two varieties of kale as the base greens.  Kale is a great salad addition- it can hold up to salad dressing, keeping the crunch and not getting soggy  in the fridge for a few days.

Plan-Ahead Summer Salad
(Serves 4, or dinner for one person for 4 dinners!)

Ingredients
1/2 lb waxy Potatoes (such as red potatoes or fingerlings)
1/4 lb Asparagus
2 slices Bacon
1/2 bunch (about 1 cup) Red Kale
1/2 bunch (about 1 cup) Tuscan Kale
1 small handful Sorrel
1/2 cup Shelled Spring Peas
1 small handful Breakfast Radishes
1/4 tablespoons chopped Chives
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper

Directions
1.  Start by roasting the potatoes.  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes or until crispy.
2.  Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Sauté asparagus with a bit of water (a tablespoon or two, enough to create some steam) until tender.  Run under cold water or put in an ice bath after cooking.
3.  Cut bacon into strips.  Saute in a dry skillet over high heat until crispy.  Drain on a paper towel, and reserve.
4.  Wash and tear kale and sorrel into bite-sized pieces.  Shell peas, thinly slice radishes, and chop chives.  Combine in a large bowl.  Add potatoes, asparagus, and bacon, mixing to combine.
5.  Make dijon vinaigrette: whisk together dijon, lemon juice, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Pour olive oil in a steady stream while whisking.  When well combined, pour over vegetable mixture.
6.  Toss well and enjoy! Immediately, or as needed.
7.  Relish in the deliciousness of in season produce :)

In between

I'm so glad it's halfway through the week.  The weather here in Minneapolis has been dreadfully winter for so long, and the one glimpse of spring weather (Above 60!  And maybe some sun too!) is this Sunday.  I am so ready for the days of biking to work, outdoor patio happy hours, and Sunday picnics.  It's such an in-between time.  My mood is easily affected by it too - R has been super great at trying to cheer me up, but I'm grasping for that super-excited feeling I had just last summer, on the brink of moving here.

I still haven't quite ditched the opaque tights & boots at work, sad as that is.  Instead, I'm starting to look to classic neutrals & fresh, ligher fabrics, like utility jackets and flowing skirts.  Paired with grounding basics, some new-season pieces can be perfectly transitional (except it will still be a while until I can pull of sandals around here, with snow still on the ground).

~

Keep your fingers crossed that it will finally be nice out soon - as soon as it's nice, I'll be showing you my spring/summer collection!